~𝙼𝙾𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙽 𝙳𝙰𝚈 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙻𝚈𝙳𝙴~

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖

The party dragged on for hours, until the sky started to lighten, but everyone was passed out by about 4:15 AM, especially Bellatrix and Tig, who were cuddled up on the pool table. Tig lay on his belly, with the tiny woman he loved tucked beneath him like a teddy bear. Croweaters and hang-arounds began to stir around 7, while the rest of the Sons and company were passed out well into the mid-morning.

That was until someone pounded on the steel door of the clubhouse, causing every man in the building to wake up and point their gun at the door. "PROSPECT! Open the door!" the President bellowed, sleep evident in his voice. Halfsack ran to the door and pulled it open to find an angry woman standing there.

"Finally! I've been standing here for ten minutes! I need my car fixed, and you biker lowlifes are the only idiots I trust to do it!" said the angry soccer mom as she placed her sunglasses atop her head.

The woman's squeaky, high-pitched voice felt like nails on a chalkboard to Bellatrix, who hopped off the pool table as soon as the door opened. "Look here, lady, I ain't got nary a clue who you think you're gonna talk to like that, but it damn sure ain't gonna be one of my boys," said Bellatrix as she walked to the door. 

The soccer mom stepped back, slightly intimidated. "I-I-I'm so sorry, miss," she said, in a scared and mousey tone. Bellatrix's face contorted into a satisfied grin as she placed her hands on her hips. "Good. Now, what you're going to do is park your car in front of one of my shop doors and wait patiently for one of my boys to come service your lil' shitbox Expedition. Capisce?" she said, exasperation and venom only a southern woman could produce leaking into her words. The soccer mom ran back to her car, as Bellatrix turned to face the boys. "JAX, HAPPY, OPIE! Go help that insolent broad so the rest of us can go back to sleep," she said, with pure authority.

                                                                             ***

The boys sprang up, knowing better than to poke the tiny bear any further, and headed towards the shop. At about two PM, Bellatrix rose from the pool table, absolutely ravenous, she roamed into the chappel, to find her father sat at the head of the table, deep in thought,  going over some paperwork at one of the tables. She approached him, taking a seat across from him.

"Hey, Dad," she said, trying to sound casual, "Can we talk for a minute?"

Clay looked up, noting the seriousness in her tone. "Sure, what's on your mind, Princess?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the club's current gun trafficking status," Bellatrix said, leaning in slightly. "I know things have been tense lately with the Mayans and the Niners, and I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page."

Clay nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"I've been hearing some rumors that things might be getting a bit out of hand," Bellatrix said carefully. "I just want to make sure we're not getting in over our heads."

Clay sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I appreciate your concern, Trixie. And I can understand why you're worried. But we've been doing this a long time, and we know how to handle ourselves."

Bellatrix nodded, but she didn't look convinced. "I know, Dad. But things are different now. The club's under a lot of scrutiny, and we can't afford any slip-ups."

Clay studied her for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'll look into it, make sure everything's running smoothly. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Princess."

                                                                             ***

Days later, Tig found Clay in the garage, tinkering with one of the bikes. He approached him, clearing his throat to get his attention.

"Hey, Clay, can we talk for a minute?" Tig asked, a nervous edge to his voice.

Clay looked up, wiping his hands on a rag. "Sure, Tig, what's on your mind?"

Tig hesitated for a moment before plunging ahead. "I wanted to talk to you about Bellatrix," he said, his voice steady. "I love her, Clay, more than anything. And I want to ask her to marry me."

Clay raised an eyebrow, studying Tig for a moment. "You serious, Tig? You want to marry my daughter?"

Tig nodded, his expression earnest. "Yes, sir. I know we've had our differences, but I love her, Clay. And I want to make her my wife."

Clay considered this for a moment, then sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, Tig, I'll be honest. I never thought I'd see the day you'd want to settle down. But if you're serious about this, if you truly love her and are willing to take care of her, then I'll give you my blessing."

Tig's face lit up with a grin. "Thank you, Clay. I promise I'll take care of her, always."

Clay clapped him on the back. "Alright then, Tig. Looks like you're gonna be a part of this family for real. Just don't screw it up, or I'll have to kill you," he joked.

Tig laughed, relieved. "Don't worry, Clay. I won't screw it up." He turned to leave, a spring in his step as he went to find Bellatrix and ask her the most important question of his life.