Hey guys! This is my first attempt at writing Fanfiction. But I am a long time reader of this website. I'm currently obsessed with Sons (again), and wanted to try to write about it.

Feel free to review, but please be polite. Thank you! I hope you enjoy!

June 1999

It was a cool, breezy night in Charming, California. This time of year was always a hit or miss. Sometimes, the weather was too humid to stand. And other times, like tonight, it was mild enough to coax people out of their homes and lure them into the park, or maybe to one of the outdoor café's that had just recently opened on Main Street.

The night was quiet, with only the humming and buzzing coming from the streetlights in-front of the small, modest home on the city limits of the tiny town. The street itself was located in one of the more economically deprived areas, and was pocked with potholes and weeds, while the lawn of the one story home alternated between scorched, crispy grass and overgrown patches that reached the mid-calf.

Tig Trager didn't pay attention to any of that, though. His mind was only concerned with the scantily clad crow eater he had pressed up against the weathered brick of the building. They had just returned from a Friday night party at the Sons of Anarchy, Redwood Original clubhouse. The Sergeant at Arms had knocked back drink after drink with his brothers in celebration of something his alcohol-hazed mind couldn't remember. And, quite frankly, as he squeezed one of the woman's breasts in his hand while she sucked on his neck, he didn't care.

"Come on, baby," she slurred, just as intoxicated as he was. "Let's go inside and have a little bit of fun." She tried her best to wink at him, but all she accomplished was a slow, uncoordinated blink. Tig looked up at the home, wondering why he had agreed to come to her place. Because, he reminded himself. All the dorm rooms were full and I don't take crow eaters home.

Tig was not a modest man, and he had no qualms about having his dick sucked on the pool table in the middle of the clubhouse. In his time, he had done some pretty messed up shit, and exhibitionism wouldn't have even been enough to grace the tip of his debauchery iceberg. This crow eater, Alana he thought was her name, had been more than eager to offer up her home as a place for their sexscapades. The two had barely made it off his bike before they were pawing at each other.

He shook his head, trying clear it a little, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the front door. She fumbled with her keys for a few seconds before finally finding the right one. Tig heard the deadbolt slip back into the door, and Alana opened it and pulled him inside. The first thing he registered was the smell of stale cigarette smoke with a hint of weed that smacked him in the face. Obviously, this woman didn't know how to open a damn window. The second thing was the fact that the small home was filthy. As they made their way through what he saw was the living room, Tig noticed, even in his drunken stupor, the fact that there was trash lying everywhere. Old newspapers littered the floor, accompanied by empty cigarette packets, a pizza box, beer bottles and paper carryout cups. The small, scuffed coffee table that sat between the tiny television and a scratchy looking couch was covered in old cups and used plates.

As Alana dragged him along the hallway, Tig noticed that the kitchen was in just as bad of shape as the living room. Shaking his head in disgust, he followed her past a door that had a small amount of light leaking through the cracks. He assumed it was a spare bedroom when she didn't even pause at it. To his right was a bathroom that was too dark for him to see into.

Finally making it into the main bedroom at the end of the hall, Alana slammed the door shut and spun on her heel to look at Tig. She did so a little too quickly, wobbling a bit before steadying herself. Tig looked around him at the clothes laying on the floor, the closet that looked like it was throwing up fabrics and patent leather pumps, and the vanity table in the corner that held makeup brushes, tubes of lipsticks and bottles of perfume. He turned back to Alana as she strutted up to him and pushed him onto the bed.

He watched her with raised eyebrows as she shimmied in front of him, kicked off her heels, and danced with no music. She was a little older than Tig. Maybe in her late thirties, but she had a tight little body and a pretty face. She had talked to him about how she had wanted to become a model, but shit had gotten in the way and she had come to Charming for a fresh start. He had nodded and given her more beer, hoping that if she thought he was listening, she would shut up and suck his dick quicker.

Alana crawled onto the bed, her legs straddling his hips. She cupped her breasts over her thin, shimmer tank top and ground into him. Tig placed his hands on her hips and smirked at her. "Those are very pretty, baby. But I think it's time for me to unwrap them," he said. He rolled her over so that she was laying on her back. Pulling her tank top down roughly, he took his time looking at the beautiful orbs in front of him. He shook his head, and slipped a nipple into his mouth, grinning when he heard her gasp.

He slowly laved his tongue over one, then went to the other. He was enjoying himself. Tits were a beautiful thing and just so happened to be his favorite part of the female body. He just loved them, and loved to touch and taste them. He was having a wonderful time, until, suddenly, he heard a strange noise from above his head. He stopped his ministrations and listened carefully. After a couple of seconds, he looked down at Alana's face.

As the noise rang out once more, he realized what it was. The bitch is snoring! He looked down at the sleeping form of the crow eater whose tits he was just sucking on. Her eyes were shut, her lips slightly parted, and every few seconds, a soft snore would escape her mouth.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," he muttered, running a hand through his curly black hair. He shook his head as she snored again. Heaving a sigh, Tig carefully got up off the bed. He hadn't even had time to take off his cut.

Well, whatever. Coulda been worse, he told himself as he quietly made his way to the bedroom door. He slipped out and softly closed it before slowly making his way down the hallway. His buzz was gone, and now all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. He passed the bathroom again, and as he approached the door that he had assumed was the spare room, he noticed that the light he had seen earlier was off.

Tig stopped at the door and cocked his head. He could have sworn that a light had been on not even fifteen minutes ago, but now it was off. Why? As he stood there pondering, he heard a muffled sound from inside. Tig took a slight step back, narrowing his eyes. Slowly, he put his hand on the gun at his side, and leaned his ear against the chipped paint.

His narrowed eyes went wide and his hand came off of his weapon when he realized the sound he heard was a tiny sob. He pulled his hand through his hair again, not wanting to get involved, but something in his gut told him he needed to. He stood there, indecisively for a few heartbeats before making a decision when he heard the noise again. He carefully put his hand on the knob and turned it, pushing the door open. He heard the quick intake of breath, and what sounding like someone scrambling to get to the other side of the room.

It was dark, so he searched the wall with his hand for a light-switch. Finally, he found it, and flicked it on. Even though the light itself was dim, he still had to squint as his eyes adjusted. Tig shook his head, and looked around the room. It was sparsely furnished, with only a small twin sized bed, a dresser, and a plywood desk with a broken chair, but it was immaculately clean. It looked as if no one lived there. He knew he wasn't going crazy, so he took a couple of steps into the room.

"Hello?" Tig asked quietly. After no response, he walked over to the closet. Before he reached the handle, he heard a shuffling behind him. He spun around and crouched, ready to draw his weapon. He didn't see a damn thing. "I heard you," he said a little louder. He walked toward the bed, hand still on his weapon. As he rounded the corner, Tig stopped abruptly and his hand fell off of his gun.

Sitting before him, huddled on the floor was a little girl. Her mahogany colored hair that gleamed in the dim light was pulled into a ponytail, and she was hugging her knees to her chest. Tig felt his heart drop as he looked at her. Not only was he feeling a churning in his gut at the fact that a child so young was alone in the house when he and the crow eater had gotten here, but there was also a pain that stabbed him at the fear he saw in the child's bright blue eyes.

"Who are you?" the little girl whispered through her tears as she hugged her knees to her chest even tighter. Tig's heart that had dropped just seconds ago shattered at the anguish in her little voice. "Are you gonna hurt me?" she continued, scooting away from him as a fresh set of tears slipped from her eyes and rolled down her face.

Tig slowly crouched down to her, trying not to startle her. "No, honey. I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Tig. What's yours?" He spoke in a low tone, trying to soothe her. He released a little sigh of relief when she seemed to stop shaking. The little girl took a hand away from her leg and wiped her face.

"My name is Lennan," she said in a small voice, not meeting his eyes. She started playing with a string on her nightgown. "Are you a friend of my mommy's?"

Tig rocked back on his heels, his eyes wide. He had no idea Alana had a child, let alone one so young. Let alone one so young that she would leave at fucking home all by her fucking self, he thought bitterly, getting the sudden urge to march out of the room and start screaming at the drunken whore asleep at the end of the hall. He looked at the little girl in front of him and nodded slowly. "Yeah, sweetie. I brought her back home. She needed to go to sleep. Lennan, how old are you?"

Lennan stopped picking at the string and looked up at him. "I'm seven. How old are you?" she shot back. Tig chuckled at her defiant tone, and shook his head.

"I'm thirty-three," he answered, finally sitting back on his butt. He looked at little Lennan, who stared right back at him.

"You're not like mommy's usual friends," she said after a few minutes. Tig quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. He felt for this little girl. Tig Trager was not a man who many would call compassionate. He could kill a man without blinking. His time in the Marines had made sure of that. He would kill for his club if he had to. He would kill to protect. Actually, he would kill someone who just pissed him off at a bad time. But the one think that Tig couldn't stand was a child being mistreated. It may have stemmed from the fact that, although he never saw them, he had two girls of his own. Or it may just have been the fact that children were precious. Whatever the case, he knew he couldn't just walk away from this obviously neglected child without getting some answers.

Lennan shrugged. She finally unwrapped her arms from her legs, stretching out so they were in front of her. "Normally when mommy brings home a friend, I'm supposed to stay in here and not make a sound. They get loud sometimes. It's not yelling, but they make a lot of noise. Then, it gets quiet. Sometimes, I hear them leave. Sometimes, they come in here. I get scared when they do that. So I try to keep quiet." She got quiet and looked down at the ground.

Tig found it hard to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "What do they do when they come in here?" he asked.

Lennan looked at him, with tears in her eyes. "They never talk to me like you do. They see me. They smile. Sometimes they touch me. I don't like it when they do that, so I start to cry. And that makes them mad. A lot of the time, my mommy hears and comes in." Big tears started to fall down her face again as she told him her story.

"Oh, sweetheart," Tig started, feeling tears prick his own eyes. He had the sudden urge to go on a rampage and kill every man who had ever come in contact with this child. "I'm not gonna do that. I promise."

She looked at him with wary eyes that were still leaking tears. She wanted to believe him, but she didn't know if she should. She was very young, yes. But because of how she had grown up, she was able to judge someone's character within a few minutes of meeting them. And this man, with his black curls and crazy blue eyes that were only a shade lighter than hers, made her feel safe.

She cautiously scooted toward him. Tig held his breath, wondering what the little girl was about to do. She got within a few inches of him, and he could see her better in the dim light. She was thin. Thinner than he thought she should be. Her big blue eyes had dark smudges underneath, as if she didn't sleep much, or sleep well. She looked fragile, like a little porcelain doll. Like she could break at any moment. And that broke his heart.

Still crying, Lennan made one final decision. It had been so long since she had had any sort of comfort. Her mommy had abandoned hugs long ago, and she hadn't had someone to care if she cried for a very long time. She gave a little wail before throwing her arms around Tig's neck and sobbing uncontrollably. She had never had someone come into her life that had actually cared enough to ask about her. This man, in a matter of a few minutes, had made her feel safer than she ever had with her mother. Hell, in the past few minutes, Tig had said more to her than her mother had in the past week.

Tig was shocked and for a second, he didn't move. He sat there, with this little girl he had just met, who had just flung her arms around his neck and who was sobbing so hard her little frame shook. She kept heaving in breaths so hard he was afraid she would pass out. He gently began to stroke the hair on her head, rubbing a circle on her back with her other hand. Her little body shook with her sobs for what seemed like an eternity before she finally calmed down enough to start yawning.

Tig picked Lennan up, noticing she weighed even less than he imagined. The little girl hiccupped, then yawned again. He placed her in her bed, and pulled the covers up to her chin. He smiled at her as he stroked some stray hair out of her face. "It'll be okay, princess. Don't worry. I'm gonna stay right here while you sleep, and no one will hurt you."

Lennan nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Tiggy," she said softly. Tig smiled and nodded at the child fell into the first restful sleep she had experienced in many, many months.

Tig looked at her little form, her breathing deep. He ran a hand through his hair, and pulled out his phone. Quickly dialing a number he knew by heart, he listened to it ring a couple of times before the person on the other end answered.

"What the hell do you want, Tig? It's two in the goddamn morning," Clay Morrow, SAMCRO's President and Tig's closest friend griped. Tig knew that there were more issues the club had to deal with, on a bigger scale. But this one needed dealt with, too.

"We need to talk," Tig said, looking at Lennan's sleeping form again. He had just met this little girl, and she was changing his life. And, he vowed to himself, I'm gonna change hers, too. No one will ever hurt this little angel again.

Tig jerked awake at the sound of a slamming door. Shortly after, a shower started. He figured that Alana had finally woken up, and glancing at the watch he had on his wrist, he was surprised she was such an early riser for how much she drank the night before. He stretched his arms above his head and suppressed a groan, not wanting to wake the child sleeping in the bed he sat beside.

Lennan looked as if she hadn't moved all night. She was still in the same position she had fallen asleep in, with her mahogany ponytail splayed out over her pillow and her little hands clutching at the thin comforter. Her chest rose and fell slightly with her breathing.

As Tig watched her, he thought back to the conversation he had had with Clay only hours before. He had explained the horrible situation Lennan was in, and the fact that her mother was a crow eater meant that the Club could do more with this than usual. Talk to Alana in the morning. See where her head is at with her daughter. If she seems as if she doesn't want the kid, and from what you're telling me, it sounds like it, then maybe we can go about this legally. We have enough heat as it is, the last thing we need is for you to get charged with kidnapping. Use your head, had been his President's advice.

Tig had agreed with him that he needed to be smart about this. But he also knew that, no matter what, he couldn't leave the house without Lennan. She had made every paternal instinct he had skyrocket, and he knew that he had found her for a reason. Tig was not the kind of man to believe in God, but he did believe in fate. And right now it was snoring slightly in the form of a neglected and abused child.

"Lennan! Wake your ass up and make me some coffee!" came Alana's shout from down the hall. Lennan jolted awake, looking around the room in fright before her bright blue eyes, so much older than her age, landed on him. She visibly relaxed a little, then went to get out of bed.

"Thank you for staying with me, Mr. Tiggy," she said in her tiny voice. "I gotta go make mommy her coffee. If I don't, she'll get really mad," she informed him, not noticing that she shivered slightly at the thought of her mother's temper. Alana hardly ever spoke to Lennan, unless it was to bark orders or to tell her what a mistake she was.

Tig looked at the little girl, his heart breaking all over again. In the dim light that was coming through the window next to the bed, her little face looked even more sallow, the tired bruises under her eyes even darker, and her frame even more bony. It didn't make sense to him how someone hadn't noticed this little child's condition. Finally, he realized she was about to walk to the door, and he put a large hand on her small shoulder. She may have been seven years old, but she only came up a little past his hip.

"No, baby girl. You stay here. I'm going to go talk to your mommy," he said, noticing the fear in her eyes. He didn't know if it had to do with his touch, or the fact that he had just told her to disobey her mother. To be safe, he let go of her shoulder and gently ushered her back to the bed. "You lay down for a little bit, and I'll be back in, okay?" He spoke to her softly, not wanting to make her anymore anxious. She hesitantly nodded her head, then moved to lay under the covers. Once her eyes shut, he quietly opened her door and closed it softly behind him.

Alana was walking out of her own room, using a hand to dry her hair with a towel, while puffing on a cigarette with the other. She had opened her mouth to speak, with an angry look on her face, when she glanced up and noticed that it was Tig standing there instead of her daughter. She dropped the towel in surprise, but quickly narrowed her eyes.

"I wondered where you ran off to. I had no idea you had a thing for babies," she said with a sneer. Oh, she remembered the night before. The fact that he was working his magic and for some goddamn reason, she couldn't stay awake. How she woke up this morning without him there and she realized she would probably be the laughingstock of the crow eater community come this afternoon. But now, seeing him come out of her daughter's room, her rage intensified. The little bitch had drawn another one of Alana's men into her room. She had to like making a fool out of her mother.

Tig stared, dumbstruck, at Alana's lack of parenting. Of course, he had two daughters of his own, and he wasn't a big figure in either of their lives. But neither Dawn nor Fawn had had to deal with a constant revolving door of lecherous men coming in thanks to their mother. If they had, he would have gotten them out of there immediately. Then he would have killed the bitch.

It took everything Tig had in him not to run down the hall and strangle the woman. But he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. So, instead, he took a calming breath and leveled his eyes on her. "I don't have a thing for babies," he began calmly. "However, I do have something against whore mothers who let their men into their little girls' rooms. Men who are into molesting and beating babies." By the time he was finished, his anger was evident. He took a menacing step toward the woman, who scoffed.

"Oh, please!" Alana yelled, a scowl on her face. "She lures them into her room, then I have to come in and stop whatever they're doing. That little bitch just loves to humiliate me. And she does a pretty good fucking job at it."

"No. You do a pretty good job of humiliating yourself," Tig growled. He had had enough. Stalking to the short woman, he grabbed the front of her pink night shirt and drew her to him. Her eyes grew wide and fearful as she looked at him. Gone was the man that was kissing her neck only hours ago, and in his place was a crazy eyed killer. "This is how it's going to go," Tig told her. "You are going to come with me today to meet with my lawyer. You don't deserve to have a wonderful little girl like that. So you are going to sign over your rights, and I'm going to adopt her. And I'm going to take her out of this filth. If you try to fight me on this, you'll be in jail quicker than you can say 'handjob'. This place is horrible. I swear I saw cockroaches playing poker on the coffee table when we came in last night. Lennan is obviously not taken care of. One call to Child Protection, and you're gonna be getting fisted by Big Bertha in Cellblock C for the next five to ten. Got it?" Tig gave Alana a little shove, forcing her to catch herself on her door frame.

She gave him a little nod before turning her back on him. "Take her," she said over her shoulder. "I never wanted that little bitch, and I don't want her now. You taking her off my hands is a blessing."

Tig ground his teeth, glaring at the horrible woman's back. All he wanted to do was pull out the gun he had on his waist and put two bullets in the back of her head. But he knew he couldn't. Finally, he said, "I'm taking Lennan to the clubhouse. Meet me there in two hours. If you run, I will fucking find you, and you won't like what I do when I catch up to you." He spun on his heel and walked out to the disgusting living room, making a call to his president.

"Jesus, Tig," Clay said after his Sergeant at Arms briefed him on the plan. Clay ran a hand over his face, wondering what the hell Tig was thinking. "Are you sure about this? Are you ready to raise a seven year old?"

Tig scratched his head, and nodded, forgetting that Clay couldn't see. "Yeah, brother. I'm sure. When I bring her to the clubhouse, you'll know why. Plus, it's not like she'll be the only club kid. Jax and Opie can look after her. They're only a couple of years older," Tig rationalized, referring to Clay's nine year old step-son, Jax, and Jax's best friend, Opie, who was the same age, and the Vice President's son.

Clay heaved a sigh. "Alright, Tig, alright. If you think it's what's best."

"Thanks, Clay. I appreciate the support. But can you do me a favor? I got a message from Rosen this morning. I called him last night after I figured out what to do. He's meeting me at the clubhouse in a couple of hours. But I have my bike here. Can you get a prospect to drive a cage down here, then take my bike back? Lennan is too small to be on a Harley," Tig asked, making his way back to Lennan's room.

"Yeah, brother. Can do. He'll be there in fifteen," Clay confirmed before hanging up. Tig stuck his phone back in his pocket before opening Lennan's door and stepping in.

The little girl was sitting on the floor, neatly coloring on a ripped page of notebook paper. A shoe box next to her held an assortment of broken crayon pieces. Tig vowed to himself that as soon as they left, he was going to take her to pick out a real coloring book and crayons. Lennan looked up at him with big eyes and smiled.

"Hi, Mr. Tiggy," she said, before looking down at her drawing again. Tig smiled and sat down on the end of her bed. He watched her for a minute before speaking.

"Lennan. I need to ask you something," he began. Lennan looked up at him curiously, and he continued. "I see how your mommy is with you. And how this house is. And all those horrible men," Tig said, watching as her features turned fearful and she started to shiver. He got off the bed and walked over to her, sitting down on the floor in front of her. He gently took her hand and continued. "That's not how a mommy is supposed to treat her daughter. And that's not how men are supposed to treat little girls. I talked to your mommy. What would you say if I told you I want to be your dad?"

Her eyes grew wide. "You mean you'll marry my mommy?" she asked excitedly, sitting up on her knees.

Tig shook his head. "No, baby girl. I wouldn't marry your mommy. I meant, you would come to live with me. And me and my friends would always protect you. Most of them are men, but some of them women. They all know that little girls are supposed to be loved, not hurt. None of them would ever hurt you, and we'll always protect you."

Lennan's little face got a thoughtful look. "But," she started, slowly. "Would I see my mommy again?"

Tig frowned. "No, sweetheart. You wouldn't."

Lennan thought about it for a minute. She loved her mommy, deep down. Alana was her mommy after all. But Alana never seemed to love Lennan back. She never said nice things to her, and she never took her for ice cream or bought her nice things like all the kids at school said their mommies did for them. Plus, all the men that had terrorized her, and Lennan knew that that wasn't changing anytime soon. She could be loved with Mr. Tiggy and his friends. And he said he would never hurt her. With all the men she had met, Mr. Tiggy was the only one to seem honest. Lennan trusted him, but she didn't trust her mommy.

Hesitantly, she looked at him and asked, "Would I have to call you 'Dad'?"

Tig smiled and shook his head. "Not unless you want to."

Lennan nodded, and stood up, going to the closet. Before she reached it, Tig asked, "Where are you goin'?"

The little girl with the mahogany hair and soulful blue eyes that had, in such a short amount of time, stolen his heart, looked back at him with a small grin. "To pack my stuff, Mr. Tiggy."

It hadn't taken long for Lennan and Tig to pack the girl's meager possessions. Shortly after, the prospect was there with an Impala, ready to take Tig's bike back to Teller-Morrow.

After stopping at a grocery store and making Lennan pick out a coloring book she liked, along with a jumbo pack of crayons, Tig made his way to the shop. He pulled in as Gemma Teller-Morrow came out of the office, smoking a cigarette and looking at the car curiously. She had heard about the little girl from her husband, Clay, and was wondering what could have been so bad to make Tig act the way he was acting.

Tig stepped out of the car and waved at her. She waved back, tossed her cigarette, and kept walking toward him as he went to the door behind the driver's side and opened it. Lennan jumped out and looked up at him, still beaming because of the crayons and coloring book, both of which she hugged to her chest as if afraid someone was going to take them from her. Tig smiled at her.

"Lennan, I want you to meet someone," he said, his body still blocking Gemma's sight from the small child standing in front of him. "Her name is Gemma, and she's a really nice lady." Lennan nodded hesitantly, and Tig moved out of the way, giving Gemma her first view of the malnourished child.

Gemma's hand flew to her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes as she took in the sight of the little bony girl in front of her. She was known to be a hardcore biker bitch, and she was proud to be the Old Lady to the Sons of Anarchy's President, as well as the widow to the former President and the father of her son, John Teller. But the sight of the little girl before her was threatening to break her.

Noticing the little girl looking at her shyly, Gemma continued to them with a smile on her face, thanking God that her eyes were hidden. She didn't want to frighten the child with her tears. As she reached Lennan and Tig, she squatted down to Lennan's height and held out a manicured hand. "Hi, sweetheart. You must be Lennan. I'm Gemma."

Lennan looked up at Tig, who smiled and nodded. The little girl then sat her coloring book and crayons on the ground, and turned back to Gemma. Both of the adults were surprised when the child hugged Gemma around her neck. Gemma smiled and wrapped her arms around Lennan, looking up at Tig, who was watching with tears in his eyes. Gemma was shocked to the core that this big, bad biker who would kill someone as soon as look at them, was crying over a little girl.

Lennan pulled away, her eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Miss Gemma! Mr. Tiggy told me you're a really nice lady. I like your nails. They're pretty," Lennan said. Gemma smiled and thanked her, before looking at Tig.

"She hasn't eaten yet," he told Gemma, noticing that Lennan had picked up her coloring book and was starting to look through it with a smile on her face. "I'm not sure when the last time she ate was," he admitted. Gemma frowned and ran a hand through her hair. Then, she nodded.

"When are you meeting with Rosen?" she asked.

Tig looked at his watch. "Forty-five minutes."

Gemma nodded again, then squatted back down to Lennan. "Lennan, are you hungry?" Lennan nodded her head vigorously. "Okay. How about we go into the Clubhouse and I'll make you something in the kitchen?" Lennan smiled and grabbed her crayons from the ground. She tucked both the coloring book and the crayons under one arm and grabbed Tig's hand with the other.

"Come on, Mr. Tiggy. Let's go get something to eat with Miss Gemma," she said, smiling up at the man. Tig's heart swelled at how much trust this injured little girl had in him. He squeezed her hand and smiled back.

"Sounds like a plan, princess," he said. Gemma smiled at the two of them and led the way to the Clubhouse. Before they entered, Lennan could hear voices. She tensed a little bit, but kept walking, taking comfort in the fact that she had Mr. Tiggy and Miss Gemma with her.

Gemma opened the door and stepped inside, finally seeing what had caused the ruckus. Jax, her blonde haired and blue eyed son was running around with something in his hand, while his best friend, Harry "Opie" Winston chased after him. "Give it back, Jax!" Opie yelled, chasing his friend over to the couches. Jax jumped onto one, out of Opie's reach, as he read from a book.

"'She's so cute, but I don't know if I should tell her. Maybe I should wait a while'," Jax recited, hopping over the cushions of the couch to stay away from Opie's out reached hands. "Seriously, Ope. Bikers don't keep diaries," Jax scoffed.

"We're only nine! We're not bikers yet! And it's not a diary, Jax. It's a journal!" Opie retorted, making a swipe for the book again.

Gemma pulled off her sunglasses, resting them on her head, and placed her hands on her hips. Tig rolled his eyes, but Lennan peeked out from behind SAMCRO's matriarch's legs to see what was going on.

"Jackson Teller! You give that back to Opie right now, young man," Gemma loudly scolded, tapping the toe of her heeled boot on the concrete floor. Jax and Opie stopped what they were doing immediately, with fearful eyes. Jax dropped the book he was holding, and Opie was quick to scoop it up. Jax was the first to get his composure back, and gave his mother a sheepish grin.

"Ma, I was just playing around with him," he claimed. Gemma shook her head and sighed. Her son was at the ornery stage. She only hoped he would be nice to little Lennan. Jax had a habit of trying to imitate the tough exterior of his father and his stepfather, even though he was young. And what Lennan didn't need right now was someone else to be mean to her.

"Jax, Opie. Come over here a second. Tig has someone you need to meet," Gemma said, looking back at Tig. Lennan backed up so that she was against his legs, and grabbed his hand. Tig looked down at her in concern. She didn't look scared, necessarily. Just a little apprehensive.

Jax and Opie wore similar looks of curiosity as they came closer. Gemma stepped aside, revealing Lennan tucked to Tig's side. Jax looked taken aback, but Opie, being the more compassionate of the two, looked at the girl with sadness and a little pity. Both boys could tell that she was smaller than she should have been, and she was pale. What they didn't understand, however, was why she was with Tig.

"Jax. Opie. This is Lennan," Tig said, bringing the girl closer. She gave them both a tentative smile. Both boys smiled back, unsure of what to do. Tig took it as a good sign to continue. "I'm adopting her. That means I'm going to be her dad," he announced. Jax and Opie looked at him shocked. Tig didn't seem like the type of person to want to keep a kid around, especially with how involved in the Club he was. Jax and Opie didn't know the specifics of the Club that both of their fathers worked together to create, but they knew that the men who belonged to it didn't go by the rules. And Tig was the biggest rule breaker of them all.

Opie was the first one to move, slowly walking forward with his hand held out. "Hi. I'm Opie," he said as he reached her. Lennan put her small hand into his and shook it, giving him a genuine smile.

"Hi, Opie," she said softly. She blushed a little. Boys didn't normally talk to her because she was quiet and she didn't wear pretty clothes. But this boy was nice. She looked over his shoulder at the one they called Jax, who was looking at her now. At first, he had been suspicious. Then curious. But now, he was looking at her with sadness. And she noticed in his gaze something she had only seen in Tig's. Protectiveness.

Jax finally made his way over to her and instead of shaking her hand like Opie did, he pulled her into a hug. "Welcome to the family," he said after releasing her. Tig sighed in relief while Gemma beamed with pride. Opie grinned at his best friend, who shrugged.

Lennan's eyes sparkled as she looked at Jax. "Thank you," she said. Jax smiled at her and nodded.

Gemma cleared her throat. "Tig, why don't you take her into the kitchen and see what she wants for lunch. I'm gonna talk to these two for a minute," she said as Tig threw her a knowing look. He led Lennan into the kitchen as Gemma walked over to Jax and Opie.

"I want you two to look after her. She's been through some real bad stuff. Like, really bad stuff, and she isn't going to trust people easily. Her mom isn't a good person. So Tig is going to be taking care of her. If I ever get wind that either of you two are treating her like an outsider, you'll prospect for at least three years, and it'll be miserable," Gemma threatened. She knew that this was the best way to get the boys to do what she asked. They had been talking about joining the Club since the training wheels came off of their bicycles.

Jax and Opie looked at each other with wide eyes before Jax glanced at the kitchen. From his angle he was able to see Tig stand with the refrigerator open, taking out what looked to be chicken and cheese. He looked over at Lennan, standing close by to the crazy eyed man, happily drinking a juice box. Jax looked at his mother again, nodding his head.

"That sounds fair, ma. Don't worry. She's family now. The guys will protect her and so will you. That means we will, too," he told her, with a determined look on his face. Gemma looked at him with a mixture of surprise and pride as he said, "No one's gonna ever hurt her again."

Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you think. Some of it may not make sense, like legal wise. But I figured since it's fiction, whatever.

And with the Tig randomly thinking to adopt her thing. I was trying to depict the bond he feels with her. And he didn't even care that he just met her. Lennan needed someone in his life, and he was willing to be that someone.

I was planning on skipping years, to when she is sixteen in the next chapter. But if anyone wants to know some details about her younger years, let me know. Like I said, I'm new to this and I'm still trying to learn how to even publish it. So please bare with me. Thanks!