The redhead sat on the overheated bus, her nose wrinkling at the assault on her senses. She wasn't sure what was worse, the smell of burnt engine oil, other passengers or herself.
It felt like years since she'd had a shower when realistically it had been days, her need to get to her Dad more important to her than cleanliness.
She knew she looked awful, the other passengers must have figured she was homeless or something with the layer of dirt that covered her visible skin.
Finally she spotted the "Welcome to Charming" sign that was burned into her brain and she felt the teeniest bit of relief.
She got off the bus at the next stop, taking her small backpack containing the only items she had left to her name and trudged down the dusty road.
Finally spotting the Teller- Morrow sign she practically crawled the short distance, hoping beyond hope someone was there.
***
Tig noticed the dishevelled woman walking slowly onto the lot, an errant thought that a homeless woman was lost he headed over, calling for Tasha to join him.
Tasha looked up from her seat at the bar, pushing away the order form in front of her and joined Tig as he slowly walked towards the new woman in an effort not to spook her.
She held back a giggle as she watched Tig wrinkle his nose at the smell that seemed to emanate from the woman. "You lost doll?" He asked gently.
It was then that the woman looked up and Tasha sucked in an audible breath. "Oh my god." She whispered.
"Long time no see Tasha." The woman said, her clearly Irish voice raspy through lack of water.
"You know this chick Tasha?" Tig asked, confusion evident on his face.
"So would you if you you took your head outta your ass for one damn minute." Tasha laughed.
The woman joined in with the laughter, a sound that soon turned into a cough with the lack of liquid hurting her throat.
"Cammy?" The voice she longed to hear in so long came from behind her.
"Hey Da." She said, tears filling her eyes.
"Jesus, come here my girl." Chibs said, shock coating his features.
"That's little Cammy?" Tig asked. "Damn she ain't little no more."
Tasha lost it at his words. "Still the same old Tigger, dumb as a box o' rocks."
Cam ignored the banter going on behind her as she walked into her fathers arms, sobs wracking her body when she felt the familiar warmth.
"It's ok love, you're home now, you're home." Chibs cooed.
That was the moment that Jax and Opie pulled up. Jax took in the scene quickly and met his sisters eyes and raised a brow in question. Tasha nodded to confirm what he was thinking. "Wow, really?" He asked.
"Shut it Teller." Cam sniffled, leaving no doubt in his mind.
Opie stood silently watching everything, taking it all in.
"Can I please get some water?" Cam croaked.
Opie took that as his cue. He headed to the bar and grabbed a cold bottle of water, cracking the seal and handing it to Cam. He chuckled as she drained half of it in one go. While she was catching her breath he struck, pulling her close for a hug. "Damn it's good to see you." He said, his lips on her hair.
"Jesus you got tall." Cam laughed.
"Yeah and you're still a shrimp." Opie retorted.
"At least I can still hide from your ass." Cam giggled, feeling relieved that it felt just like it did before she left at 8 years old.
"Ugh, dude you know I stink right? Any chance of a shower? Catch up properly after?" Cam asked, looking up at the much taller man and batting her grey eyes at him.
Tasha stepped up to take Cam back to one of the dorms at exactly the same time Jax did, one Teller one side, the other on the opposite.
Cam laughed loudly, a memory of playing pig in the middle to the Teller siblings growing up flashing through her mind.
"Come on guys, I'm not going anywhere, I just wanna get clean, then we can catch up." Cam offered.
Jax reluctantly let her go and gave her the infamous Teller smirk, one Cam noted hadn't changed, just made him more handsome in his older age.
Tasha walked her down the hall and gestured to a closed door. "This is a spare, or was a spare, yours now." She smiled.
Cam returned her smile in thanks and opened the door. She put her solitary backpack on the bed, unzipped it and emptied to contents, grimacing when there was only a few pairs of underwear and one shirt inside.
Tasha's eyes bugged at the small amount Cam had to her name. She cleared her throat quickly. "There's toothbrushes and other shit in the bathroom, use whatever you want, give me your sizes and I'll have one of the girls get you some things, for now I'll grab you some of my sweats."
Cam nodded with a small smile and headed into the bathroom, stripping out of her dirty clothes and stepping into the shower. She turned the nozzle and sighed at the sweet relief of the water cascading over her head. It was then she allowed herself to cry again, a different cry to the one where she found herself in her dad's embrace, this one was more sorrowful, mourning what she had missed with growing up with family.
She took her time, washing her body methodically, following it with her hair, only stepping out when she was satisfied she was clean. Tasha must have come back in as there were a clean set of sweats on the bed. Cam knew she must have heard her little breakdown, just hoped she wouldn't say anything.
She got dried and redressed in the borrowed clothes, laughing when she realised it was a SAMCRO shirt. She kept the smile on her face as she headed back out to the bar, secretly hopeful she could get her hands on some alcohol.
Cam smiled when she saw Jax with a bottle of bourbon, pouring several shots. He held one out to her and she accepted with a grin. "Not that it's not good to see you but how come you're here?" He asked.
Cam was aware of a sudden silence, like everyone was waiting for her answer. With a sigh she said what she was hoping to avoid so soon. "Uncle Galen said you're welcome."
