A/N: Okay so let me be clear that a fair amount of time has passed since the last chapter here. In the world of Life As We Know It about 6 weeks has passed since Gemma's dinner.
"Cassidy you got a minute?" Gemma called as she locked her car.
"Sure" Cass answered as she saw Hailey giggling at Happy's side as he led her into the clubhouse seemingly with only one thing on their minds. She'd come by the lot hoping Tig would be around. She looked around to see that his Harley wasn't parked in its usual spot. The only other bike missing was Jax's.
"What's up Gemma?" Cassidy asked as she approached the reception area of the garage. "There's a lot of shit going down here lately. I just wanted to check you're okay?" The matriarch asked her.
"I think so.' she replied, "Sometimes I live just to know that he's okay."
"Welcome to the family sweetheart."
"Where's he at right now?" She asked. She had something intuitive going on. That's why she'd stopped by in the middle of the day. Something wasn't right. She always feared losing him but she feared it more right now.
"I don't know sweetheart. He and Jax took off a little while ago." Gemma answered. "But he'll be okay. You're his anchor in this world honey."
"And he's mine." Cassidy said smiling.
"Who would have thought Tig would find his match," Gemma lamented. "He tells you what goes down?"
"Most of it."
"Good. Cause nothing doesn't work so well. He knows that."
"I might wait inside till they get back." Cassidy said distractedly.
"You sure you're okay sweetheart?"
"Yeah. But I'll be better once he's back. Just got a feeling something's not right today."
Gemma stared after her, watching her make her way across the tarmac to the clubhouse. She still marveled that there was a woman in this world who had managed to ground Tig. What surprised her more was that this woman had been under her nose for the past six years while she'd been visiting her salon on a near monthly basis and she had never picked her to be a match for Tig. Whatever it was that she brought into his world she was good for him.
Inside the clubhouse Chibs was stitching up some rather nasty gashes on a dog.
"Where'd she come from?" Cass asked as she entered. "Tiggy rescued her from the dog fighting ring we just raided." She smiled. That sounded like her Tiggy.
"Where'd they go? He and Jax?"
"Out following a lead." Cass noticed he refused to look at her as he spoke.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked.
"Not my place to tell it. But he might be a little messed up tonight."
"He's always a little messed up." She responded without hesitation.
Chibs chuckled. "Maybe a little more than usual then."
"Either you're a very patient woman or the sex is amazing." Bobby piped up from where he sat a little across the room.
"Probably a little of both." She smiled. "What's this little lady's name?" She said turning her attention to the pit bull and scratching behind her ears.
"Hasn't got one."
"Well I'm gonna call you Bonnie." She said crooning at the dog. "C'mon, come with me." She continued to the dog once Chibs was done stitching her up and took her over to the couch.
She glanced up to see Happy and Hailey come down the hallway from the dorm rooms a while later. They were arm in arm seemingly deep in conversation.
"Hey Cass. What brings you here?" Hailey asked as she approached while Happy headed toward the bar.
"I don't know. I just don't have a good feeling about today. I feel like Tig is gonna need me when he gets back."
Hailey nodded. "I guess I can understand that." She answered as Happy came to join them, two beers in his hand one of which he handed to Hailey.
"You want anything Cass?" He asked before he sat down.
"Nah, thanks Hap."
Sometime later Jax and Tig arrived back. Tig said nothing when he saw Cassidy sitting on the sofa in the clubhouse, Happy and Hailey across from her. The dog he'd rescued was next to her its head rested on her lap. He didn't seem surprised to see her despite how rarely she was there. Usually only a lockdown would see her spending significant time at the clubhouse. He sat in the armchair next to her and the dog immediately jumped off and into his lap.
"I called her Bonnie." Cassidy told him.
"Bonnie huh?" he said to the dog as he scratched her ears and nuzzled her face, letting her lick him.
Cassidy could tell by the set of his shoulders, the darkness in his eyes and the blank look upon his face that something big had transpired that afternoon.
As the afternoon wore on, he continued just sitting paying all his attention to the dog. Happy and Hailey had moved away and was playing cards with Phil across the room. Cassidy watched the man she'd grown to have such strong feelings for and knew that this was what he needed. He was already a different man to the anxious and haunted one that had stepped through the clubhouse doors a few hours earlier. The set of his shoulders had relaxed and his eyes had lost the darkness they had held earlier to be replaced with a look similar to the calm she often saw in them as they made love.
Cassidy rose and placed her hand on his shoulder as she passed by him. He met her eyes and she saw there the unspoken understanding of what he needed from her. She knew he'd fill her in on the events of the day that had left him so rattled after. She kissed the top of his head in acknowledgment as she moved away to go join the others, leaving Tig alone as she knew he wanted.
Later, when they were alone she could feel his need. She sat waiting at the bar in the clubhouse while he locked up the garage.
"We going home?" She asked as he came back in.
"Not yet." He joined her at the bar and slid his hand up the skirt of her ruffled, short, black dress and parted her legs. He pulled her to him sliding her underwear down. He stroked her clit feeling her shudder at his touch. He unbuttoned his jeans and bit her neck as she touched him. He was hard, hot and ready. She wasn't as wet as he wanted but he didn't care. He muffled her scream with his hand as he thrust his entirety into her. She grimaced painfully until her insides expanded and the initial friction eased.
She hooked her legs around his waist allowing him to plunge his entire length deep inside of her. He plunged his tongue deep into her mouth and kissed her fiercely, thrusting wildly as her hands pulled at his hair and clawed at his shoulders. He wasn't usually so rough and he was hurting her but she knew he needed this. His hands held hard to her hips as he thrust into her again and again. He pounded her harder, her back pounding against the edge of the bar behind her.
Tears began to well in her eyes at the pain building in her back but as he came closer to his climax she felt him relax. His grip on her hips lessened and his thrusts became less hard and deeper. The fire building inside her masked the pain in her back. He slid an arm around her back and pulled her against him. She gasped and moaned breathlessly almost in disbelief of how deep inside of her he now was. His pace slowed and a deep moan escaped his throat as they both climaxed together.
He scooped her into his arms and carried her over to the couch still inside of her.
"Holy crap babe. What's gotten into you tonight?" She almost whispered as he dumped her down on the couch and landed on top of her. He slid out of her and pulled away just a little before he spoke. He saw the tears that lingered at the corners of her eyes.
"Sorry," he said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'll mend. What was that all about?"
"I nearly fucking died today baby." He said buttoning his jeans back up.
She was sure she felt her heart stop for a moment. "Are you serious?"
He nodded as he sat up and pulled her up with him. They sat, legs entwined, his arms around her shoulders as he continued. "Jax handed me over to Pope. Had some kinda deal going on."
"Wait babe. Pope's the one that killed Dawn?"
"Yeah. Jax had been plotting this. He fucking handed me over to him. Gave me to him like a lamb to the slaughter baby. Fucking Pope, he had a gun to my head when Jax came in guns blazing and called his bluff. Jax gave me the gun and I killed him baby. I killed the fucker that tortured my baby girl to death."
She held him close.
"I swear I thought he'd betrayed me Cassidy. I thought I was gonna die and never see your beautiful face again."
"I knew something big was going down today Babe. I could feel it. That's why I was here when you got back.
He held his hand against the back of her head and brought her lips to his. "How did I get so lucky finding you Cassidy?"
She smiled "I can't imagine my world without you in it Tiggy." She buried her face into his shoulder before she whispered into his ear, "I love you." He dragged his fingers through her hair before kissing the top of her head softly.
"Let's go home now baby." He whispered back.
They made love a second time that night. He gently kissed all the bruises that were forming across her hips and her back before making love to her slowly and sensually relishing every crevice of her body. Each and every touch made her burn with building ecstasy. It was the first time she felt that he was truly making love to her. For the first time it wasn't just about sex and his need to use her to feel calm. He had been completely calm when they'd started. Afterwards he looked her straight in the eyes.
"I love you too baby. Marry me Cassidy."
She explored his eyes to check it wasn't just the aftermath of sex talking. "Are you sure?"
"Be my Old Lady Cassidy." She knew for him to use the dreaded OL term that he was definitely serious. She smiled the most contented happiest smile that he had ever seen on her face.
"I'd love nothing more than to be your Old Lady Alex. Yes. A million fucking times yes."
A/N: So from here on in I am pretty sure that Tig and Cass will continue on in Life As We Know It being integrated in and out of Hap and Hailey's story. Thanks for your reviews and if there is ever anything concerning these too that I may only touch upon in Life As We Know, please let me know and I'd be happy to look at making it into a one shot or chapter to add here.
Hope you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't seem too out of character for Tig but Cass really is his grounding point and who knows - he's had a really stressful day. I've always wondered what would have happened if Tig had a lady to go home to after this day and not just the dog to take comfort in!