45Opie Winston walked into the clubhouse. Things had not been going well for him since he was released from prison. Donna had been murdered and now he was trying to pick up the pieces from his second marriage falling apart. His best friend, Jax Teller, was sitting at the bar. His fiancée Tara Knowles was with him. That meant the kids were around the club somewhere. Opie sighed and ran his hand thru his hair. Jax looked over at him as the door closed behind him.
"Hey Op," Jax smiled.
"Hey," Opie tried to manage a grin.
He wanted what Jax and Tara had. He had been there once when they were kids. Around the time his mom had taken him from Charming, Opie had met someone. She was the only one who understood what he was going thru in the town he had ended up in. She had done everything she could to help him get back to Charming and he had never forgotten it. She had been in an abusive home and was always trying to find ways to hang out with him instead of going home. Opie had gone back and killed her father after becoming a patched member of SAMCRO. She had been long gone by then and he had moved on with Donna. Now that Donna was gone and things with Lyla had fallen apart, he found himself thinking more and more about her.
"We gotta go up to Lodi today." Jax told him.
Opie nodded. Jax was staring at him.
"Where are we going?" Opie asked.
"Clay says they are using this daycare center to cover up a weapons storage place and we are going to get some more guns." Jax said.
Opie frowned upon hearing this. Guns and small children didn't mix in his book and he was not happy about having to go on this run. Gemma walked in to check on them.
"Clay's looking for you two," she said.
Tara, Jax, and Opie walked out of the clubhouse to get ready to leave. Tara kissed Jax before he started up his bike. Opie put his helmet on and started up his bike.
"You both better be careful." Gemma told them.
Opie nodded and followed Jax out of the lot. It was only a thirty minute ride to the daycare center. They walked in like they were there to check out the center at first. The lady gave them a tour of the building. They walked into a class room of two year olds and in the middle of this group of kids, was the girl who had occupied most of Opie's thoughts for the last few months. His jaw dropped. She looked up and smiled but shook her head when the lady wasn't looking. Jax looked at Opie but kept his mouth shut. They knew who ran this building and they weren't prepared to do anything about it. They didn't have the backup to do anything.
"Staci, you will be in charge of putting our friends here up for the night," the owner of the company told her.
He was a member of the IRA and she nodded. The boys were told to leave their bikes for the night and go home with Staci. They weren't going to argue because Clay told them they had to appease this man to get the weapons for transport. They followed Staci out to her van. She looked at Opie as he slid into the passenger seat.
"If you want to talk we have to do it on the way to the house, they have it bugged," she said.
"How the hell did you end up with these guys?" he asked, as she pulled out of the lot.
"My mom married one after she left my dad. I have been forced into this since then. I don't mind being with the kids but they are building up the kids to become IRA members when they are older."
"Jesus,"
"Yeah, it's no joke around here, Harry."
"I go by Opie now."
"Again?"
"Yeah. I joined SAMCRO as soon as I got back."
"Yeah, well I tried to run once and was beaten worse than my father ever did to me."
"Your father?"
"Opie, I know you know about him and I know it was you that took him out. Believe me I appreciate it but I need out of this situation. It's not good for me or my son."
"Your son?"
"Yeah, he's almost to the age they want him to join the IRA. I've protected him so far but I don't know how much longer that can go on."
"How old is he?"
"He's only 10."
"You have a ten year old."
She nodded, looking at him to see if he had caught on. Jax's eyes widened, in the backseat, telling her that he understood what she was getting at.
"What's his name?" Jax asked, softly.
"Tyler," she said. "You will meet him when we get to the house."
She pulled into her driveway a few minutes later. A kid came out the front door. She waved to him and shut the van off. The three of them got out.
"Ty, we have visitors for the night," she said.
"Why?" he asked, looking a little upset by it.
"Liam's idea."
The kid's face clouded over at the mention of Liam's name. She sighed.
"It's all right son, these two are good. I knew Opie a long time ago before Liam was even around but we can't let him know that." She told him.
He nodded not even questioning why. Opie looked at Jax, knowing he had to get them both out of here. Jax was in agreement with him without him even saying anything. Opie stared at this kid for a minute. Jax thought he was seeing double for a few.
"Is he?" Jax asked, as Opie followed Tyler in the house.
"Yes, he's Opie's. I found out after Op had left and I had no way to contact him," she said.
"Wow, crazy how life works huh?"
"I guess."
