It's arrived! This is the sequel to Home Is Where The Heart Is. If you haven't read it then this story might not make any sense to you so be sure to go back on my page and read the first installment. I'm excited to continue this story and I hope you all are excited to continue reading it. If you get lost along the way and have questions please let me know or message me on tumblr. The snippets will be going with the story too so be sure to check there before the updates are posted. If it weren't for all of you wonderful readers this sequel wouldn't even be happening so thank you. Enjoy the ride. :)

[Rory's POV]

My alarm clock started to blare but it was Max's barking that startled me out of bed. He was not a fan of the alarm clock but then neither was I. I stretched my arms and sat up looking at the clock. I had worked the night shift for the last month and a half waiting to register for the spring classes Margaret Murphy insisted I take to finish my degree in nursing. After talking with Opie I decided it would be best for all parties involved if I kept focus on those on the outside and keep my promises to the boys when I said I'd take care of everyone. Tara went back to work finally and decided she would work until her due date which meant during the day I was a babysitter. I rolled out of bed and jumped in the shower trying to wake myself up but I felt like even with Max in the bed I still didn't sleep as well as I did when Juice was next to me. I had almost made it the whole two months though so I knew I would get better over time. I was drying my hair when I heard the front door open.

"Hey it's just me." It was Tara. I walked out of the bathroom and she had Abel on her hip. It seemed like he had grown so much in only a month's time but he just started walking a few days ago. It was bittersweet having to tell Jax over the phone though.

"Morning. How did you sleep?" I asked her knowing she was starting to have really bad heartburn at night.

"Like I wanted to spew fire but other then that just fine. How was your shift? Margret said she put in your paperwork for your night classes." Tara sat Abel down on the couch before putting a pillow on his side so he didn't roll off in his sleep.

"Yeah I start in another week so we'll have to figure out what we are doing as far as day care for little man." I said as Max jumped up and sat on the other end of the couch protecting Abel.

"Gemma already said she had it covered but I think she said she would need you to open the garage for her." Tara explained.

"Oh great. Morning at the garage, days at the hospital, evenings at the gym and nights back at the hospital for class. My life just got seriously unfun." I said rolling my eyes.

"Just take it a day at a time." Tara smiled at me.

"No! Can't we fast forward 14 months?" I whined and she hugged me.

"I wish but sadly it's just us for now. Speaking of though Jax called last night. He said some of the hangarounds that might want to prospect can help with the gym. He gave me a list of names." Tara handed me a piece of paper and I glanced at it.

"Good. I'll need some helped if I want this place to be ready in a few months." I shoved the paper in my pocket and moved to the kitchen with Tara.

"Have you talked to Juice yet?" Tara asked and I shook my head.

"Yeah briefly but it's hard for us to talk on the phones. Everyone teases the guy with the mohawk." I said and Tara frowned.

"I'm sure it'll grow out by the time they open it up for visitation." Tara said as she watched me take my pills.

"Your head doing better?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Not seeing dead people anymore." I joked and she held the frown.

"The pain staying at a dull roar?" She asked.

"Yeah it's not so bad. As long as I take my meds and promise not to headbang anyone I should be alright." I smiled and Tara returned it.

"Well I better get to the hospital. If he gets too much then Gemma said she would around." Tara said walking towards the door and I followed.

"We should be alright. I'll see you later." I said kissing her cheek before watching her walk to her car. I was able to do my laundry before Abel finally woke up and was wired for sound. Now that he could walk he was all over the place. I packed a bag and made sure Max had food and water before I grabbed Abel up and headed for the garage. When I pulled up I saw Kozik sitting on a picnic table talking with one of the sweetbutts. He got up and left her hanging when I got out of the car and pulled Abel's car seat out.

"Here I can grab him." Kozik took the car seat from me and I smiled.

"Don't let us interrupt. Fish nets in May...that's a classy girl right there." I teased making Kozik laugh.

"Well all the good ones are taken." Kozik smiled. Phil came out of the clubhouse and waved at me.

"Just the man I was looking for. Could you do me a favor?" I asked reaching into my pocket to retrieve the list Tara gave me.

"Sure thing. What do you need?" Phil asked.

"Jax said these hangarounds might want to prospect in a few months and they could earn an in if they helped with the gym. Could you round a few of them up and send them my way?" I asked handing him the list.

"Yeah I know them. I'll be right back." Phil smiled walking off with the list. Kozik chuckled when I looked back at him.

"Something funny?" I asked eying him.

"That boy follows you around like a lost puppy. It's kinda sad." Kozik said as I took the car seat from him.

"You seem to be the one following me around now. What does that make you?" I teased as I walked into the office.

"An admirer." Kozik said as he backed out of the office. Gemma hung up the phone and got up to greet me with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey baby, I wasn't expecting you for a while." Gemma looked down and pulled Abel out of his car seat.

"I wanted to head over to the gym and get started on boxing everything up so it would be ready to paint and tile. Didn't want Abel breathing in all that dust and funk." I said patting his belly as Gemma held him.

"what time is your shift?" Gemma asked.

"10:30. I can swing back by and grab him-" Gemma cut me off.

"No it's fine. I'll just have Tara come get him from the house." Gemma made faces at Abel and he laughed.

"Talk to Clay today?" I asked and she shook her head.

"He usually doesn't call until late in the day anyway. How about Juice?" Gemma asked but before I could answer my cell started ringing. She smiled at me as I walked out of the office and put the phone up to my ear.

"You have a call from an inmate at Stockton Prison. Would you like to accept the call?" The automated voice came through the phone and I smiled.

"Yes." I said and waited for the click before hearing chatter in the background.

"Good morning beautiful. How did you sleep?" Juice sounded bright and cheerful.

"Good morning indeed it sounds like. I slept alright but clearly not as good as you. Who are you screwing in there Mr. Cheerful?" I teased hearing him laugh.

"You know how Bobby and Tig are sharing a cell? Well Bobby is having a rough time adjusting to prison food and has been shitting nonstop since we got here and I woke up this morning hearing Tig dry heaving a few cells over because of how bad it was. It was hilarious." Juice explained and I cringed.

"That's disgusting." I said.

"It's the little things in here. So how was work? Night shift killing you?" Juice asked as I sat down on an empty picnic table.

"It's not too bad. Max is hating it but I start night classes next week so I'll be doing the same shift as Tara." I explained.

"That's good. I know it will make Jax feel better about her going to work pregnant." Juice said making me laugh.

"Well I don't know why he worries to begin with. She works in a hospital." I said making Juice chuckle.

"I was sexual assaulted by you in that hospital so he has every right to worry." Juice said reminding her of how she ripped his catheter out all those months ago.

"Must you bring up the past? There are plenty of better moments then that one." I complained.

"Hey it was the first time you touched my dick. It was memorable." Juice said making me shake my head.

"You're an ass." I said simply earning a moment of silence.

"I love you." I smiled knowing he was smiling.

"I love you too." I said missing him that much more.

"We get our visitation soon. You'll be here right?" Juice asked and I sighed.

"Where else would I be?" I said hearing him chuckle but then a clunk that sounded like he dropped the phone.

"Juice?" I said but heard voices that sounded like Russian. There was a few more seconds of silence before I heard him breathing.

"Fucking Russians. I swear we need to get Alvarez to come through with that protection or shit is going to get crazy." Juice said under his breath.

"How do you know it's the Russians that are hassling you guys?" I asked confused.

"Um they're big, scary and speak Russian?" Juice joked but when I didn't laugh he continued.

"Russian ink. Plus we did kind of rip them off before coming in so it's understandable. Trying to steer clear of anchor tats with foreign writing." Juice explained and I felt worry settle in my chest.

"Well I'm pretty sure Opie and the boys are trying to work with the Mayans to hurry that support along. I'll see what I can do to help just be careful." I said running my hand through my hair.

"Don't worry okay? Just stay focused on getting that gym cleaned up so I can go a few rounds with you when I get out." Juice said with a cocky laugh.

"Better make sure you stay in shape then. I'd hate to embarrass you in public." I teased hearing Juice snort.

"Yeah right. You'd love that." Juice said making me laugh.

"I got to go. I'll talk to you soon. Love you." Juice said sounding rushed.

"Take care of yourself. Love you too." I said quickly.

"Always." He said before the phone hung up. Phil came over with some of the people on the list.

"I'm sure Phil here explained to you all what the deal was. If you're interested in helping I would greatly appreciate it." I said looking at the handful of guys.

"Absolutely." One of them said. I got all of their names but most of them preferred I used nicknames. I should be getting used to that by now but I wasn't going to argue. I have a boyfriend that preferred Juice for crying out loud.

"HEY! I'm gonna go with you." Kozik yelled as he sprinted across the lot.

"Don't you have things to do here?" I asked with a smirk.

"No way. I'd much rather check out this new place I'll be training at." Kozik bumped my shoulder with his and I laughed.

"As long as you pay for a membership I won't complain." I teased as I walked to the car. I waved goodbye to Gemma and took off with a van full of hangarounds, Phil and Kozik on bikes following behind. Once we arrived I was able to dish out jobs for everyone. There was one person in particular that was eager to help and I could tell that he wanted to Prospect.

"Hey Kozik, watch him." I pointed out the guy and he looked at me.

"Ratboy? Why what's he done?" Kozik asked me confused and I shook my head.

"He really wants to Prospect. I can tell." I said as I watched him work harder than anyone in the room. I walked back in the office where Lumpy was apparently living out of and started going through his old paperwork. I found an envelope with my name on it and unsealed it. Inside was a letter from Lumpy.

If you're reading this then I must have kicked the bucket. Hopefully the poor bastard that offed' me got what's coming to him but if not I know you'll have the boys do me one.

I read the letter and knew Lumpy would be happy to hear about Salazar's demise considering he was the one responsible for his death.

I bet you're wondering why I passed the gym over to you but honestly you shouldn't be. Even if you hadn't returned I would have left it to you. The spirit of Charming died the day you left us. Everything was going downhill and the moment you came home it all made sense again. I know you didn't get a lot of time with your Pop before he went in but he's a good man. I left you some pictures and letters that we'd exchanged during his training here before he got locked up I think you should read. I also left you a set of blueprints that won't be on record. Use them to your advantage in case anything goes wrong. Take care of yourself and remember that your heart will always lead you back to Charming.

I folded the letter up and looked in the folder at the pictures and letters dating back even before I was born. I jumped when Kozik spoke.

"What do you have there?" He asked and I shoved the stuff back in the envelope and grabbed the blueprints Lumpy mentioned in the letter.

"Um...some sort of emergency blue print that apparently isn't on any town records." I explained looking at it as Kozik walked around the desk to look at it.

"It looks like there is some sort of basement to this place." Kozik ran his finger along the page and I shook my head.

"No all these shops were built too far back to have basements. Everything is one level plus the attic storage." I said getting up and following the prints.

"Well that's a whole line under the property where it seems a room would be. Right around...here." Kozik and I walked through the back where the bathrooms were and into the men's room.

"So in case of an emergency he wants me to go to the men's room?" I said but Kozik started knocking on the walls.

"What are you doing Sherlock?" I teased as I watched him look for some sort of secret passageway.

"He wouldn't have pointed it out if he didn't want you to find it. Try helping Watson." Kozik teased back as I let out a sigh and started to look over the blueprints again. I saw a star near the windows on the prints and walked over to where it seemed it would be. I started to feel around on the bottom of the window when my fingers grazed a latch of some sort. I pulled it with my fingers and the shelf with the bathroom supplies popped open.

"Holy shit." Kozik jumped because he was standing in front of it when it popped but he moved around and looked inside.

"What is it?" I asked and he rooted through his pockets pulling out a small flashlight.

"Stairs?" He said and I followed him down the dark steps. He shined the light down the hallway and as we rounded the corner there was a wide room with long wooden tables that were dusty and covered in boxes.

"Wow...this is crazy." Kozik said as I gripped his arm walking through the darkness.

"I guess when you survive World War II you pick up a few tricks." I said as I stayed close to Kozik. He followed the hallway out until it became a ladder. He shined the flashlight up and climbed the ladder.

"It leads to the side of the highway. This is pretty fucking cool." Kozik laughed as I heard the chimes on the front door jingle. I tugged on his pocket.

"Someone's here. I'll be back." I said running down the hall and up the stairs making sure to put the bathroom out of service sign in front of the door to see a guy looking around.

"Sorry we aren't open yet." I said out of breath.

"Dat's okay. I'll be quick." A man with a Russian accent turned around with black gloves on and a switchblade in his hand.

"Oh shit. KO-" I tried to yell to Kozik but he gripped my throat and shoved me into the wall. His grip was tight and I wished I had gotten one good breath before he cut off my oxygen but that wasn't my luck.

"Consider dis' a message to your crow family. You take from us, we take from you." The man said as he pushed the blade into the side of my face but before he could do any real damage he was tackled to the ground. I fell to the floor and tried to get my breath back.

"Rory are you okay?" Kozik yelled as he fought the guy but I couldn't get my breath back to answer.

"We take care of your VP anyway." The man said and I felt a panic set in.

"You son of a bitch." Kozik jerked him off the floor and started to punch him in the face. The Russian got a few good punches as well before getting his knife once again.

"I came to cut the bitch. My mission is already completed." He said but Kozik ran at him again this time spearing him through the plate glass window. I ran outside to see a cop standing there with a gun on the Russian.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on here?" The black man asked. I looked over at Kozik and saw that he had a gash in his arm.

"Kozik!" I ran to him and he seemed to only notice the gash after I brought attention to it. Phil and the others ran to the front looking baffled.

"Phil I need a clean rag." I said frantically.

"It's just a scratch. I'm okay. Are you okay?" Kozik touched my cheek and I felt a sting where the blade was.

"HEY! What the hell is going on here?" The cop said again.

"What the hell does it look like? This roidhead came in here looking to score. What he didn't know was the gym is under new management so he needs to keep his ass out of here." I spat at the cop. He took off his sunglasses and looked me up and down before calling for backup.

"We need to get to the hospital." I said as Phil gave me the rag. I tied it around the bleeding wound and Kozik flinched.

"No we need to get back to the clubhouse. We need to check on Jax." Kozik said trying to stand up.

"Whoa where do you think you're going?" The man said as his backup arrived to take the Russian into custody.

"He needs medical attention and I'm a nurse at St. Thomas. I need to take him to get this cleaned up." I said and the man looked at Kozik.

"Someone needs to stay on scene." He said and I looked at Phil.

"I can do it." He volunteered.

"Fine but I will be following up with you." He pointed at me as I read the name on his uniform.

"Sure thing Officer Roosevelt." I said leading Kozik to the car. I helped him inside before peeling off towards the clubhouse.

"He got your face." I felt Kozik run his finger down my cheek and I shivered slightly.

"I'm fine. Just keep pressure on your arm." I demanded. I could only think of Jax. I prayed he was okay.

[Gemma's POV]

I had Abel sitting on the couch with his toys while I worked at the desk trying to keep all of the garage paperwork together when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Before I could even say hello I heard Clay's voice.

"Hey baby. How are y-" Clay cut me off.

"Listen up baby. I've got something I need to tell you but I don't want you to get too worked up. I know how your ticker is." Clay said and I felt a panic set in.

"My tickers fine. What is it?" I said getting out of my chair and waving one of the hangaround women to watch Abel as I stepped out of the office.

"Jax was shanked at the payphones." He said and I felt my stomach tighten as I put my hand to my face as I sobbed.

"Oh God. Tell me he's alive Clay." I begged.

"He is. They got him three times in the belly but he made it through surgery. I'm sorry I have to do this over the phone baby." Clay apologized and I tried to take a deep breath.

"Do you know who did it?" I asked.

"It had to be the Russians paying us back for the Jimmy thing. I've contacted Opie already and I'm sure the infirmary has called Tara so be on the lookout for her...are you gonna be okay baby?" Clay asked me.

"Are you sure he's gonna be okay?" I asked hearing him sigh.

"Yes baby. He's gonna be just fine. We're all fine." Clay said making me feel slightly better but that feeling went away when I saw Rory pull in quickly helping a bloody Kozik out of the passenger seat. They ran up to me as I kept the phone to my ear.

"What happened?" I asked seeing bruising on Rory's neck and a cut on her cheek.

"What's going on?" Clay asked.

"Is Jax okay?" Rory asked sounding like she had a sore throat.

"He was stabbed, three times, Clay said he's fine. What happened to you two?" I asked again hearing Clay curse on the other end of the phone.

"Russian came in and attacked the gym. Got a pretty good hold on Rory's neck and nicked her cheek." Kozik pointed out and I ran my hand through my hair.

"God, another Russian attacked the gym. Tried to hurt Rory." I explained to Clay.

"Is she okay?" Clay sounded worried.

"She's a little banged up but not as bad as Kozik. Honey you should get him stitched up." I said looking at Rory who was holding onto her necklace tightly.

"I'm fine. It's no big deal." Kozik said but Rory's eyes shot open towards him.

"No you're not. You saved my ass. Let me get you stitched up." Rory said and Kozik smiled as she pushed him towards the clubhouse.

"Jesus Christ, we need to get this damn protection inside and out it looks like." Clay said.

"It would seem Kozik saved Rory from any terrible damage so you boys just make sure you take care of each other in there. I'll give Piney the burn phone in case you need something okay?" I said.

"Thanks baby. You stay safe okay? I'd be lost without you." Clay said and I smiled.

"I love you too. Keep me posted about my boy." I said.

"I will. I'll talk to you soon." Clay said before I hung up the phone. I looked over at Abel playing on the swing set and felt my chest ache slightly. I wanted to break down again but I knew I couldn't. I wiped my face and took a deep breath before walking into the clubhouse to see Kozik pull his shirt and cut off tossing it onto Rory's bag. Rory tossed her cell in the mess before handing Kozik a bottle of whiskey for the pain. She cleaned the blood off his wound and started stitching his arm while he drank whiskey out of the bottle. I walked silently over and touched her cheek making her jump and Kozik jump as well.

"Ow! What the hell?" Rory asked and Kozik looked at his arm where she must have poked him.

"You need to get that checked so it doesn't scar." I said.

"I've got plenty of scars." She said keeping her eyes on what she was doing. She reminded me too much of myself. I knew this was hard on her like it was on me the first go around but having half of the people you love behind bars was never easy.

"Clay said Jax was doing okay?" Kozik broke me from my thoughts.

"Yeah he said he had made it through surgery and would probably be in recovery for awhile." I said and Rory shook her head before rubbing at her throat where there was a clear outline of a hand.

"Chucky, get me a bag of ice." I said and he ran to the kitchen.

"Is there a bruise or something?" Rory asked me and Kozik's eyes went to her throat.

"Yeah baby it's pretty bad." I pointed out.

"Jesus, I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner." Kozik said touching the bruise.

"Shut up. You saved my life. I owe you." Rory said and I watched the both of them. I could tell that I was going to have to keep an eye on them while the boys were inside if I wanted to avoid any drama ensuing. I heard the roar of bikes pulling onto the lot and knew it had to be Opie and the boys. They came in and looked confused.

"I talked to- What the hell happened?" Opie asked as the others came in behind him.

"Russian came to the gym. Roughed Rory up but I took him down." Kozik explained.

"Are you alright?" Opie asked Rory seeing the cut on her face.

"I'm fine. It just looks bad." Rory said and Chibs touched her face.

"Aye' it looks like shite. Yeh need to go to the hospital." Chibs said as Piney walked in.

"Tara just pulled up." Piney said and Rory looked at me.

"I'm almost finished. I'll meet you both out there." She told me.

"Church in 5." Opie said to Kozik. I walked out of the clubhouse and Tara looked frantic.

"They called me from the infirmary. Jax was attacked. I don't know what to do. They said I couldn't come see him." Tara started to breakdown and I wrapped my arms around her tightly crying with her. I knew this was going to be extremely tough on Tara because she'd never had to go through this. Rory had experience with it but not as much as me. I was practically a veteran but it was different this time with having Jax looked up for so long. I just hugged her. When Rory came out she walked over to us and gave Tara a hug but Tara noticed she was hurt. Before she could ask I spoke up.

"Clay said Jax was in the infirmary recovering from surgery. He's gonna be okay baby." I said wiping her cheek.

"Do they know who it was?" She asked and I shook my head. Her getting involved this deeply could be bad for her.

"They're gonna take care of things sweetheart. You just take care of my grandson and the baby you got in your belly." I gripped her hand and she looked like she was getting angry.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Gemma?" Tara pressed and Rory spoke up.

"It means thinking about all the possibilities will make your head spin. The boys are handling it and should have the protection they need by tonight. This isn't going to go unpunished." Rory said trying to comfort Tara.

"What happened to you?" She asked testing her.

"I insulted one of the guys helping with the gym and got into a scuffle. Kozik stepped in though and took care of it. No worries okay?" Rory rubbed Tara's arm and I watched Tara look back at me before letting her guard down and running her hands down her face.

"Stay strong baby. Jax needs you to be that right now." I said before pulling her into another hug.

"I'm trying." She sighed into my shoulder.

"Why don't you go ahead and take Abel home. I'll cover your shift okay?" Rory said pointing at Abel on the swing set.

"Are you sure?" Tara asked her and Rory smiled.

"Get out of here. If there is any word on Jax you know someone will contact you or I will myself." Rory reassured her and she smiled slightly.

"I guess. Let me just clean myself up first. Are you going to come with?" Tara asked me and I nodded.

"Sure baby. We'll start working on that baby room." I said stroking her hair before she walked off. Rory ran her hands through her hair and I looked at her.

"You did good...not telling her all of that. She doesn't need to be involved that far into it." I said and Rory cut her eyes at me.

"I didn't lie to her because of the club. I lied because she's pregnant and if she loses that baby because of this bullshit she'd be devastated." Rory said putting me off a little.

"But you're good with what you know?" I asked her and she rolled her eyes.

"Gemma, I know the secrets that fill this family like thorn bushes okay. I can handle it just fine. I don't like lying but I agree that Tara doesn't need to get involved in the giant hole we've dug for ourselves over the years." Rory explained and I nodded as a silence fell between us.

"So Kozik seems to be your knight and shining armor." I said breaking it only to hear her groan.

"You know what? I got my ass kicked, I've gotta go to work early and I have to pay for a new window that Kozik went through so I'd really rather not get into anything else okay?" Rory complained and I put my hands up.

"Just thought I'd point it out." I said as a police car came onto the lot.

"Great. Not this guy again." Rory sighed as the black man got out of his cruiser.

"I thought you had a crime scene to cover Officer?" Rory asked him as he took his sunglasses off.

"And I thought you were taking your friend to the hospital." He said smugly.

"What do you want?" Rory asked him as I stood there confused as to who he was.

"I thought I would come by and introduce myself. I'm the new Sheriff here in Charming." He stood with his chest out.

"How thoughtful of you to come by and introduce yourself." I said catching his eye.

"You must be Gemma Teller. I've heard many things." He said with a laugh.

"Don't believe everything you hear." Rory said.

"And I know that you're Aurora Janowitz, daughter of Lenny Janowitz, one of the first nine in the motorcycle gang Sons of Anarchy." He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not a gang Officer...Roosevelt. Just a motorcycle club." I correct him.

"I'm sure. Those gun charges that put your husband and son away for the next year or so must just be...coincidence." I felt the verbal slap to the face and shook my head.

"Well you know who we are and now we know who you are. Is there anything else?" Rory asked getting impatient.

"Just to let you know that I'm not Chief Unser. I follow the law to the letter and as of now, so will Charming. Things are going to be very different and as long as you stay off my radar we will have no problems." He explained.

"We'll be sure to do that." I said with a smile. He put his sunglasses back on before walking to his car and pulling off the lot just as Phil pulls up. He runs up out of breath.

"That cop...is coming." He said making me shake my head.

"He already came but it's okay. Thanks for sticking around Phil." Rory thanked him as Tara walked out of the office.

"Hey why don't you have him stick around the hospital just in case okay?" I whispered to Rory and she laughed.

"How could you not feel safe with Sheriff Roosevelt watching our backs?" She said sarcastically as Tara picked up Abel and walked towards us.

"Just be careful okay?" I said sternly and she kissed my cheek.

"Aren't I always?" I watched Rory get in her car and Phil looked at me. I gave him a nod and he quickly got on his bike and followed after her. I looked at Tara as she held Abel and smiled. This was going to be a long go of it.

[Opie's POV]

Sitting at the head of the table was still something new to me but after hearing about Jax I knew that actions needed to be taken and taken quickly. I had no idea that they had attacked Rory either until I arrived back at the clubhouse and saw a bloody Kozik and the bruising on her neck.

"Shit that happened with Jax can't happen again. Clay reached out to Alvarez and set up protection inside. We've gotta meet with them first though." I explained and they nodded.

"We're gonna need more bodies. Lee ain't gonna be able to jump charters." Piney pointed out and I nodded looking down at Kozik.

"You stepped up today and kept Rory from getting hurt. I can't thank you enough." I said and Kozik shook his head.

"I'd protect her with my life man. You know that." Kozik said.

"That's why I want to patch you over officially. You deserve it." I said confidently thinking about how bad any run in with the Russians could have been for Rory.

"Amen, brother." Chibs agreed.

"I told Tig I wasn't gonna patch in-" I cut him off.

"Tig ain't here. Club needs a body and you're it man." I said before looking around the table.

"Let's vote it. Yay." I said looking at Piney.

"Yay." He agreed and Chibs was quick to show his enthusiasm.

"Hell yay!" He clapped Kozik on the back as I slammed the gavel down.

"Welcome to Samcro, brother." I said as we all got up and embraced him. I knew we would have to celebrate later but for now we needed to meet with Alvarez.

"Hap is gonna' be pissed to miss a patchova' party." Chibs said with a laugh as we walked out of the chapel.

"First we meet with Alvarez, then we party." I said with a laugh as we got on our bikes and headed out to meet with Alvarez. We didn't have his full shipment yet because that would mean going to the Russians who had our entire operation and until we got the new deal from Clay we couldn't make any moves. Alvarez was standing with two of his men as we rolled up and I shook his hand.

"Talked to Clay. Told me about Jax. Glad he's okay." Alvarez said and I nodded.

"We only have a portion of your shipment until the deal with the Russians is completed but we'll make sure it gets to you as soon as that's finished." I explained and he shook his head.

"Yeah I worked out the details with Clay as far as making up for a halfass shipment but I'm not so sure I want to run into this problem in the future." Alvarez explained.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked.

"You get the shipments from those Russian putos and hold them until delivery. I don't want anymore late or light shipments." Alvarez said and I let out a sigh.

"We don't have a warehouse or anywhere to keep them." I said frustrated.

"Then you besta figure something out if you want your boys safe in there. This is business to me too." Alvarez said turning his back.

"Come on man-" I started to raise my voice until I heard someone clear their throat.

"Actually...I think we may have a place." I turned around to see Kozik standing there. I looked back at Alvarez and put my hand up.

"Give me a second." I said before walking over to him.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him confused.

"Today before the Russian attacked the gym, Rory and I found some sort of underground storage under the gym. Plenty of room for stock and a secret outlet to the highway. We could easily say the boxes coming in are equipment and get them out unnoticed." Kozik explained and I thought about it for a moment. This would mean Rory's business would be linked to Samcro directly and as much as I hated it, I knew we didn't have a lot of options.

"I don't know. She's gonna be pissed." I said shaking my head.

"You want to keep the boys safe? She'll agree to it." Kozik said and I looked at him before walking back to Alvarez.

"We've got a place." I said trying to picture how angry Rory was going to be in my head.

"Then we got a deal. I'll have my boys get in touch with Clay to let him know." Alvarez shook my hand and I nodded at him before walking back to the others.

"Did we get the protection?" Piney asked.

"Yeah...but the deal changed a bit." I said.

"Christ, what now?" Chibs asked.

"They wanted us to store them in case the Russian's decide to dick us again." I explained.

"We ain't got no warehouse anymore." Piney pointed out.

"Rory's got some sort of underground bunker in the gym. It's pretty hidden and will be perfect for storage." Kozik said and both Piney and Chibs looked at me like I was crazy.

"You agreed to use Rory's gym for the club without asking her?" Piney asked me and I didn't respond.

"Oh Opie, yeh are gonna get it." Chibs rubbed his face.

"What's the matter with you boy? Are you stupid?" Piney said and I looked at him.

"Listen Pop, I didn't have a choice. You want the guys in pieces or what? She'll understand. I just have to explain it to her." I said and Piney stepped closer to me.

"But it puts her on the line. If things go south or the Russian's find out we're back dooring them it comes down on her. Do you understand that?" Piney asked before huffing and walking away. I looked over at Kozik.

"Show me this bunker thing." I said getting back on my bike and trying to ignore the risks that Piney had pointed out. When we arrived at the gym there was a cop car parked down the street. We walked in to see some of the hangarounds working on taking everything off the walls so it could be repainted.

"Hey Rat, what's with the cop outside?" Kozik asked as one of the hangarounds I knew wanted to Prospect walked over.

"The new Sheriff left them here in case anything else happens." He explained.

"There's already heat here now Op." Chibs said and I looked at Kozik.

"Let's go." I said and Kozik led me to the back. The out of order sign was on the restroom door but he pushed it open. We walked around the stalls and he felt along the bottom of the window before pulling something and having something pop. He pushed the cleaning supplies shelf out of the way and led me down some steps.

"Jesus Lumpy didn't play around." I said looking around at all the storage space.

"Here's the outlet." Kozik led me to the drain that led up out of the bunker just like Kozik had said.

"Well what do you think?" Kozik asked and I thought for a moment. It was going to be tough trying to convince Rory but I knew I was the only one who could and if it was to save our family then she might be understanding.

"I think I gotta call Rory." I said with a sigh before pulling out my phone and dialing her number.

[Juice's POV]

I knew the moment I had stepped into the Rec room something was up. The boys sat around a table looking more intense then usual.

"What the hell's going on?" I asked sitting down.

"Jax was shived at the payphones earlier." Bobby said trying to contain his anger.

"Jesus Christ, is he okay?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah he's fine but he'll need some recovery time." Clay explained.

"It had to be the Russians." Tig said shaking his head.

"It was the Russians." Clay confirmed.

"How do we know?" Bobby asked and Clay glanced at me.

"They sent someone to Charming to rough up Rory too." I felt my chest tighten.

"What?" I asked standing up.

"Is she okay?" Bobby asked in shock.

"She's okay. Gemma said they attacked her but Kozik got there before they could do any real damage. She's fine." Clay said putting his hand up to me.

"Good man Kozik." Tig said shaking his head. I gripped the table tightly feeling the anger building.

"Mother fuckers think they can mess with my old lady..." I said through gritted teeth as bulky guys with Russian tat's walked through staring at us.

"Just say the word, Clay." Happy said and Clay stood up putting his hand on my chest.

"No one's doing shit. Not yet, we got the boys reaching out to brown right now. Once we get the word back from them then we can worry about that." Clay said but my eyes were glued to the smug Russian who smiled at me.

"Juice! I mean it. Keep your shit together." Clay snapped at me and I shrugged away walking towards the door.

"Juice!" Clay yelled.

"Where you going?" Tig asked.

"To make sure my girl's okay. Is that alright with you?" I stressed and Clay just nodded. I practically ran to the payphones and was glad there wasn't much of a line. I called her cell phone and it rang a few times before a male voice answered it.

"Um hello?" I felt fire in my stomach.

"Who is this?" I asked confused.

"Who's this?" He asked back.

"You're holding my girl's phone fucker. Who are you?" I asked sternly.

"Oh this must be Rory's phone. Sorry man, this is Kozik. My shirt must have hidden it." The more Kozik talked the more I wanted to burst into flames.

"Where the fuck is she?" I asked hearing him laughing.

"She's fine man. Calm down. She took Tara's shift at St Thomas but she's-" Before Kozik could even finish I hung up and dialed the hospital. I asked to speak with Rory and within minutes she picked up the phone breathless.

"Hello? Hello this is Rory." She said quickly.

"Rory, are you okay?" I asked and she was quiet for a moment before letting out a breath.

"Juice? The nurse said Stockton was calling and I thought it was someone about Jax." She said sounding slightly annoyed.

"No I just heard about what happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay." I said.

"I'm fine just a scratch. It's no big deal." She brushed it off.

"Are you sure?" I asked again and she groaned.

"Yes Juice. I'm fine thanks to Kozik. He's the one who saved my ass." She said.

"Yeah speaking of him and your ass, he's got your cellphone. Apparently it was hidden under his shirt." I said earning a huff.

"So in your mind I repaid him by giving him some ass? Are you seriously calling me to accuse me of something because I've had a shit day already and I don't have time for it." Rory cut me off and I couldn't help but be angry.

"Oh I'm sorry you don't have time to talk to your boyfriend who is worried about you but you have time to get Kozik out of his shirt?" I asked and she clicked her tongue against her teeth.

"No I don't have time for you being a child and for the record I was stitching up Kozik where he managed to get slashed by the same knife that ran across my face today. Why don't you just do us both a favor and call me back after you pull your head out of your ass." I heard the dial tone and smacked the wall with my palm before hanging the phone up. I sat in my cell thinking about what I'd do if something happened to Rory while I was in here. If something truly awful happened and I wasn't there to see her or protect her, I'd lose my mind. I guess I couldn't be too mad at Kozik if he saved her from a fate worse then a few stitches but I also knew that he wanted Rory for his own. I just hoped that Rory's love for me would be enough to keep her faithful. I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it. By the time dinner came around I had managed to go from pissed off to completely blown because of how I left things with Rory. I sat down with the others and they looked at me silently.

"Did you talk to Rory?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah but I managed to piss her off in the 3 minutes that I had her on the phone so I don't look for her to be visiting anytime soon." I said pushing the slop around on my plate.

"How did you manage to do that?" Happy asked and I shrugged making Tig laugh.

"You accused her of screwing Kozik didn't you?" He said with a chuckle.

"Shut up man." I said not looking up. The table got suddenly quiet and when I looked up I saw what they were all staring at. A group of inmates with Russian tats walked into the mess hall and locked eyes with our table. One of the Russian's looked at Clay and started laughing and it was like a switch snapped in him. Before we knew what was happening Clay was halfway across the mess hall. They didn't even see it coming as Clay threw a devastating blow to the laughing Russian's nose, hearing it crack as it shattered instantly. Happy dove on the man next to him like a wild animal and Bobby gripped the back of another's head, slamming it into the table. I saw a guy going for Clay and speared him to the floor before kicking him in his throat. I watched as Tig headbutt one of them making his teeth fly from his mouth. We continued to pummel the Russians while others inmates hooted and hollered trying to join in. I took a few good hits to the face and was elbowed in my thigh which hurt like a bitch but before I could slam the tray into the guys face for the second time a loud alarm went off. The other inmates scattered as guards poured into the mess hall in full army gear as they threw tear gas canisters at us.

"DOWN! DOWN NOW!" They screamed at us and we got down on our stomachs with our hands out. I tried to keep my eyes closed from the tear gas but when I felt someone step on my back I opened my eyes. I was cuffed and hit with the heavy baton as I was yanked to my feet.

"TAKE SAMCRO TO THE HOLE!" One of the guards yelled as my eyes watered from the gas. We were dragged out of the mess hall and one by one we were thrown into dark rooms. We'd managed to avoid the Hole since being here but it would seem we were all in for it which meant that everything would be set back now. I just hoped by the time I talked to Rory she wasn't still upset with me.

[Rory's POV]

After getting off the phone with Juice I was completely irritated. This day was quickly turning into a shit pile and all I wanted was for it to end. Once I realized my cell was at the clubhouse I knew I would have to stop on the way home but Phil informed me that Opie wanted to meet with me anyway so I just added it to my list of things that was prolonging this day. I also had to explain to Margaret that I simply ran into my cabinet this morning which is why I needed a butterfly bandage for my cheek but I could tell she knew I was lying. I tried to stay focused but with Phil lurking around for hours on end I finally had to tell him to go on without me. He was hesitant but I was two seconds from losing it on him right there in the middle of the hallway. He took the hint and split before things got ugly. By the time my shift ended it was a little after 1 AM and all I wanted to do was crash but I remembered that Opie wanted to talk to me so I got in my car and headed back to the clubhouse to see things in full swing. I saw Miles sitting outside with a sweetbutt next to him and asked him what was going on.

"They patched over Kozik." Miles said with a smile as the sweetbutt whispered in his ear.

"Ah I see. Have you seen Op?" I asked and he seemed pretty caught up in whatever the girl was saying.

"Um..uh I think he ran out but he'll be back any minute." Miles stuttered and I rolled my eyes as I walked into the clubhouse to see the party in full swing. Chibs had a lady on each arm and one in his lap. Kozik looked completely trashed as he let some girl who looked at least 18 tattoo his arm. Chucky waved at me from behind the bar as I searched for my phone with no luck. When things started getting loud I walked back outside to have a cigarette. There were only a few people outside so it was a lot quieter as I lit my cigarette and massaged my temples. This day was never ending and all I wanted to do was go home and get into bed with Max. Before rushing Phil off I had mentioned that he'd been home all day by himself so if he could check on him I'd appreciate it but who knows if he actually heard me as I was ranting and raving at him. I was startled when someone plopped down next to me quickly and I jumped.

"Jesus!" I mumbled with my cigarette hanging out of my lips.

"No just me." Kozik had a wide grin on his face. He was sitting shirtless next to me completely wasted and bleeding from the awful tattoo the girl had done.

"I can't believe you let someone tattoo you. What is that even supposed to be?" I touched his bloody arm and he looked at it lazily.

"I'm not sure." He mumbled looking at it.

"Congrats on the patch over. It's about time you finally decided to settle down here and stop skirting around it." I said taking a hit from my cigarete.

"Well it would be awful nice to have someone to settle down with." He put his arm around me and smirked.

"That's funny, that's exactly what Juice said." I said teasing him but he waved his hand around.

"You know he called your cell earlier and hung up on me. I think he was pissed I had your phone." He reached into his pocket lazily and I took my phone back from him.

"Yeah he thought something was going on between us. We got into it earlier too." I said looking away from Kozik.

"Well it doesn't have to be a lie you know? There is such a thing as a prison clause. I'm sure he's heard of it." Kozik scooted closer to me and I cut my eyes at him.

"I'm sure he has but that's the last sort of drama I need in my life right now. I care about him a lot and I promised I'd wait for him to get out." I explained and Kozik pushed some of my hair off my shoulder.

"Everyone's got...needs that need to be taken care of. I could always help out until he gets out." I could feel Kozik's breath on my neck and I laughed.

"You are so wasted right now." I pushed him away and he laughed as well.

"Hey didn't I save your ass earlier?" Kozik reminded me and I shook my head.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean you're getting any ass from me." I said patting his cheek.

"Well you can't blame a guy for trying." He laughed sitting back. I finished up my cigarette and looked at his arm again.

"How about I fix up your tattoo for you as payment. Sound good?" I asked him and he smiled.

"It sounds great. It's a date." He grinned and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah sure. Whatever makes you feel better." I said looking away.

"Really? Whatever?" He asked and I eyed him strangely.

"Yeah...I suppose." I was confused by his question but before I could blame his drunken stupor he gripped the back of my neck and brought my lips to his. I felt my eyes bulge out of my head as he kissed me. I was stunned. It was a sloppy kiss and he finally pulled away with a smile and his eyes barely open as I sat frozen.

"Uh...wh-er." I tried to speak but nothing really came out audible. A crowd of girls came out and started cooing at Kozik.

"Your...em...you should get on that. They are waiting for you." I pointed and he smiled looking at them.

"I almost forgot about them. I'll see you later." He tripped over his feet as he stumbled back to the clubhouse with the women. I tried to wrap my head around what the hell just happened and how I was supposed to explain it to Juice but instead of sitting around waiting for a repeat I took cover on the roof of the clubhouse. It made me think of Jax and my mind started to drift to thoughts of him. I wasn't big on prayer but I felt like it was the only thing I could do for him at this point. I lit another cigarette as I checked my watch. It was about 2:30 when Opie finally onto the lot. I whistled and caught his attention making him climb the ladder and sit next to me.

"Sorry for making you wait. I had to meet with Lowen." Opie said and I looked at him.

"Everything okay?" I asked and he frowned.

"The guys retaliated against the Russians. They'll be in the Hole for about 2 weeks." Opie explained and I rubbed my eyes.

"Great. That's just great. Are they at least okay?" I asked feeling my headache getting worse.

"Yeah they're fine but we wont be able to communicate or visit until they are out." Opie said and I shook my head.

"Well at least they'll be safe. Did you manage to get Alvarez to agree to protection for them?" I asked and Opie looked more distressed then what he was when he sat down.

"Yeah...that's kind of why I need to talk to you." Opie said unable to look me in the eyes.

"How bad is it?" I asked unsure if I was prepared for anymore bad news today.

"It really depends on how you look at it." Opie said finally looking at me. I held an unamused face as he continued to stall.

"Alvarez said he didn't want to risk anymore issues with the shipments since the Russians pretty much have us by the balls so he wants us to revise the schedule with the Russians once we get the new deal finalized that way we get the entire shipment instead of the shipment in pieces." Opie said.

"Get to the point Op." I said exhausted.

"He wants us to house the merchandise until delivery." Opie said clapping his hands together.

"But you guys don't have a warehouse anymore and you can't go popping up anything now with the boys inside or the cops will know for sure. Especially since the shit with Stahl. ATF will be looking for Samcro to start a new big warehouse business." I said pointing out the obvious. It took me a second before my eyes shot to Opie.

"No...he didn't." Opie just looked away and I stood up infuriated.

"Motherfucking Kozik. I'm gonna punch him in his dick tomorrow." I said clenching my fists.

"Rory we didn't have another option." Opie said and I looked at him.

"Are you kidding Op? You mean to tell me that the only option you had was to turn something I'm doing as a tribute to my father and best friend into another Samcro business? That's total bullshit." I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"It was the only way he'd agree to protect them on the inside Rory. I will make sure this doesn't fall on you." Opie stood up.

"Even you know you can't promise that. You know this business. You know if something happens the club pushes it off on the business owner. The only thing being in Samcro's pocket does for Charming is guaranteed protection from other outlaws. It cant do shit against the law." I said and Opie looked ashamed.

"I didn't know what else to do Rory. I'm new at this-" I cut Opie off.

"Oh please Op don't give me that shit. Don't play the sympathy card on me or I'll chuck your giant ass off this roof. You know for a fact that I didn't want any involvement in the business side of Samcro and now I'm practically a gun mule." I ran my hand through my hair.

"Don't think of it as a club favor." Opie said and I looked at him with disappointment.

"That's exactly what it is. If I get burned I will lose everything. ATF would do anything to burn my dad for what he did in the past. If I get caught up in this shit-" He cut me off.

"I wont let that happen okay? Please just trust me." Opie put his hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him.

"I guess I don't really have a choice do I? You took that away from me." I walked over to the ladder but before I could climb down I looked back at Opie.

"Don't worry about being President, you're doing a bang up job at it. Clay would be proud." I said knowing it would get under his skin. I climbed down the ladder and got in my car to head home. I felt so mentally and physically exhausted I didn't know if I felt angry or sad or just plain disappointed but as I walked through the door of my house it was a little after 3 AM. I had to keep reminding myself that I choose this life. I made the choices and I will make them work even if it kills me. In this case, it may be more than a metaphor. This was my home and it was time I started to make it exactly what I wanted it to be.