A week had passed since the incident at the gas station. Tess had been recovering from the shock of being assaulted by the man at the gas station. When they had arrived back at the compound, the news had already arrived too and Stanton had pulled them all in his office to hear the whole story, and to make sure that they were okay. He had instructed Nitro not to leave Tess’s side and that was something Nitro had taken to heart all week. Tess couldn’t go anywhere without Nitro a step behind her, and he’d even insisted that she stayed in his apartment overnight to make sure she was okay.
For the most part, this wasn’t too terrible of a cross to bear. It had given them a lot of time to get to know each other, and they were able to get a lot of work done on her prospect tasks. She was almost done the list of MC leaders, and she had already passed the time track task. She and Nitro had gone riding every single day practicing speed, especially around the corners. Tess was really happy with the progress she was making, and on rides she was able to keep up with everyone.
Tonight, they were going to another MC to see a live singer perform. It was a group in Upper Manhattan called Texas Riders. The owners of the club had moved from Texas to New York a few years ago and were now running a motorcycle club out of an old amphitheater. The snow had been melting from the ground, but it was still clinging to the pine trees in the front of the club. The weather report was saying that there would be a bunch of snow falling throughout the weekend, and Tess couldn’t wait until the ground was white again.
Nitro and Tess headed into the club with the others and the live singer, a girl from the Texas Riders MC, took the stage. She started playing piano and singing Christmas music as Nitro took her into his arms. “You doin’ okay?” He asked her for the millionth time that day.
“I really am,” she said with a chuckle. “I don’t know why everyone’s so worked up about it… He didn’t even do that much. Just scared me a little.”
He nodded, stroking his fingers up and down her spine as they danced close to each other. “We protect you because you’re one of ours now, hon. Like it or not… you earned a bunch of bodyguards when you joined us. Better get used to it.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want to move on though… Rachel was there to keep me safe, you guys came to take us home… I’m good, alright?” She looked up in his eyes and tries to prove it through her expression.
“Okay, but I have kinda liked having you sleeping at my place,” he stated with a grin.
“I think Rachel misses me though,” she said and looked over at her roommate, who was watching protectively too.
Nitro looked from her towards the door and Tess followed his gaze, surprised to see who was at the entrance of the theatre. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, considering what had happened, but she hadn’t seen her brother since leaving home two months ago. It was hard to believe it had been that long already. “Want me to come with you?” Nitro asked her, looking back at her.
“No, I’ll… be okay.” She caught Stanton’s gaze from the other side of the room but she shook her head simply to hold him off and went to the doorway. Her brother was leaning against the Texas flagpole at the entrance, with an expression she couldn’t quite read. “Hey…” she greeted him hesitantly, stepping in front of him.
“Hey yourself. Can we go out and talk?” His voice was soft and friendly, but she could hear the concern behind it too.
Tess led him out to the park beside the theatre where they sat down on a picnic bench beside each other. It was only then that he pulled her in for a close embrace, hugging her tight to his chest. She could feel his heart beating and wondered what had really brought him all the way to New York.
“Andrew… talk to me. I mean, it’s good to see you but there’s something wrong.”
He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I heard about what happened last week. Much as Dad insisted I stay home and let you deal with it on your own, and with your new family… I couldn’t. I had to come see you.”
“How did you hear?” She asked with worry.
“Nitro called me,” he admitted, and she wondered why she wasn’t surprised but he put a hand on her arm. “Don’t be upset… He was right to call me. I’m surprised you didn’t, though.”
“I was scared to… I didn’t want Dad finding out and making a big deal out of it. I’m really fine, Drew. I just want to move on.”
“That’s good to actually hear from you. Nitro tried to convince me that you were fine, and that he was more upset about it than you were, but I needed to see for myself. I also… was wondering if I could stay for a week and hang out here, then take you home for Christmas next weekend?”
Tess blinked and looked at him. The request caught her off-guard and she tried to figure out if he was being serious or not. “You mean it? They actually want me home next weekend?” That part seemed harder to believe than the fact that he wanted to stay with her for a week.
“Mom insisted on it, Tess. She misses you… It’s been hard for her. You know how Dad is. He’s so caught up in the club that she gets lonely and she’d never admit it to him or anyone else, but I see it. I don’t mean to make you feel bad about leaving, because I know you had to and I know this is where you need to be… these are great people, and I’m really glad you and Nitro are getting along so well. In fact, you could even bring him home if it’d make you feel better.”
“Bring him… home?” Tess couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “Bro, we’re not… I mean, we’re just…”
“Sis, please. It doesn’t take a genius to see it. I watched you on the dance floor for five minutes and already I can see it. So what do you say?” He asked, looking at her. “Can I stay for a week?”
“Of course!” Tess threw her arms around him, hugging him close again. “I’m really glad you’re here, it was just a surprise to see you.”
“A good one, I hope…” Andrew smirked and leaned back.
“Come on… before they send a search party out for us.” She chuckled and pulled him up from the table, then led the way back into the theatre. Everyone was excited to see Andrew Crenshaw again, and it was almost like her brother was a legend around them. It didn’t take long for Rachel to take Andrew onto the dance floor and Nitro pulled Tess back into his arms.
“Everything okay?” He asked, stroking her hair back as he studied her.
“Everything is perfect,” she exhaled with relief as she leaned against his chest, dancing safely in his arms.
~Come to Sons of Anarchy Texas on Tuesday’s at 7 pm SLT for live performances!~
For the most part, this wasn’t too terrible of a cross to bear. It had given them a lot of time to get to know each other, and they were able to get a lot of work done on her prospect tasks. She was almost done the list of MC leaders, and she had already passed the time track task. She and Nitro had gone riding every single day practicing speed, especially around the corners. Tess was really happy with the progress she was making, and on rides she was able to keep up with everyone.
Tonight, they were going to another MC to see a live singer perform. It was a group in Upper Manhattan called Texas Riders. The owners of the club had moved from Texas to New York a few years ago and were now running a motorcycle club out of an old amphitheater. The snow had been melting from the ground, but it was still clinging to the pine trees in the front of the club. The weather report was saying that there would be a bunch of snow falling throughout the weekend, and Tess couldn’t wait until the ground was white again.
Nitro and Tess headed into the club with the others and the live singer, a girl from the Texas Riders MC, took the stage. She started playing piano and singing Christmas music as Nitro took her into his arms. “You doin’ okay?” He asked her for the millionth time that day.
“I really am,” she said with a chuckle. “I don’t know why everyone’s so worked up about it… He didn’t even do that much. Just scared me a little.”
He nodded, stroking his fingers up and down her spine as they danced close to each other. “We protect you because you’re one of ours now, hon. Like it or not… you earned a bunch of bodyguards when you joined us. Better get used to it.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want to move on though… Rachel was there to keep me safe, you guys came to take us home… I’m good, alright?” She looked up in his eyes and tries to prove it through her expression.
“Okay, but I have kinda liked having you sleeping at my place,” he stated with a grin.
“I think Rachel misses me though,” she said and looked over at her roommate, who was watching protectively too.
Nitro looked from her towards the door and Tess followed his gaze, surprised to see who was at the entrance of the theatre. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, considering what had happened, but she hadn’t seen her brother since leaving home two months ago. It was hard to believe it had been that long already. “Want me to come with you?” Nitro asked her, looking back at her.
“No, I’ll… be okay.” She caught Stanton’s gaze from the other side of the room but she shook her head simply to hold him off and went to the doorway. Her brother was leaning against the Texas flagpole at the entrance, with an expression she couldn’t quite read. “Hey…” she greeted him hesitantly, stepping in front of him.
“Hey yourself. Can we go out and talk?” His voice was soft and friendly, but she could hear the concern behind it too.
Tess led him out to the park beside the theatre where they sat down on a picnic bench beside each other. It was only then that he pulled her in for a close embrace, hugging her tight to his chest. She could feel his heart beating and wondered what had really brought him all the way to New York.
“Andrew… talk to me. I mean, it’s good to see you but there’s something wrong.”
He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I heard about what happened last week. Much as Dad insisted I stay home and let you deal with it on your own, and with your new family… I couldn’t. I had to come see you.”
“How did you hear?” She asked with worry.
“Nitro called me,” he admitted, and she wondered why she wasn’t surprised but he put a hand on her arm. “Don’t be upset… He was right to call me. I’m surprised you didn’t, though.”
“I was scared to… I didn’t want Dad finding out and making a big deal out of it. I’m really fine, Drew. I just want to move on.”
“That’s good to actually hear from you. Nitro tried to convince me that you were fine, and that he was more upset about it than you were, but I needed to see for myself. I also… was wondering if I could stay for a week and hang out here, then take you home for Christmas next weekend?”
Tess blinked and looked at him. The request caught her off-guard and she tried to figure out if he was being serious or not. “You mean it? They actually want me home next weekend?” That part seemed harder to believe than the fact that he wanted to stay with her for a week.
“Mom insisted on it, Tess. She misses you… It’s been hard for her. You know how Dad is. He’s so caught up in the club that she gets lonely and she’d never admit it to him or anyone else, but I see it. I don’t mean to make you feel bad about leaving, because I know you had to and I know this is where you need to be… these are great people, and I’m really glad you and Nitro are getting along so well. In fact, you could even bring him home if it’d make you feel better.”
“Bring him… home?” Tess couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “Bro, we’re not… I mean, we’re just…”
“Sis, please. It doesn’t take a genius to see it. I watched you on the dance floor for five minutes and already I can see it. So what do you say?” He asked, looking at her. “Can I stay for a week?”
“Of course!” Tess threw her arms around him, hugging him close again. “I’m really glad you’re here, it was just a surprise to see you.”
“A good one, I hope…” Andrew smirked and leaned back.
“Come on… before they send a search party out for us.” She chuckled and pulled him up from the table, then led the way back into the theatre. Everyone was excited to see Andrew Crenshaw again, and it was almost like her brother was a legend around them. It didn’t take long for Rachel to take Andrew onto the dance floor and Nitro pulled Tess back into his arms.
“Everything okay?” He asked, stroking her hair back as he studied her.
“Everything is perfect,” she exhaled with relief as she leaned against his chest, dancing safely in his arms.
~Come to Sons of Anarchy Texas on Tuesday’s at 7 pm SLT for live performances!~