Living with the Club

The Push

Veronica rolled onto Juice the next morning, he had just gotten off the phone with Ricky and was stretching.
"Patching in Kozik today," Juice tells Veronica.
"How does Tiggy feel about that?"
"He isn't too happy about it."
"Oh and Clay wants you to come to the meeting."
"Why?"
"Ricky didn't say."
"When do we have to be there?"
"Half hour."
She rolls out of bed and goes to the bathroom.
She brushes her teeth and braids her hair in a nice, tight French braid. She then proceeds to put on light wash jeans and a lose fit, black T-shirt.
"Are you Ready?" Juice asks when he saw Veronica appear in the kitchen.
"I suppose."

Veronica is told to sit outside with the prospects while the members talk.
"You're a sweet looking thing aren't ya?"
"My old man is in there, I would shut your mouth now."
He does immediately and the other guys laugh at him for even trying.
Tig comes out, "c'mon."
"Me too?" Veronica asks.
"Yes, let's go," he replies, short-tempered probably because the patching in of Kozik to this charter.
The three prospects and Veronica follow Tigs into the meeting room.
Chibs stands an starts to hand out cuts, "well boys, the easy part is.. over."
"I get it, man," one of the prospect says.
"Shut up!" Jax shouts.
"you don't say anything unless a member tells you to," Jax says.
"Prospect Period ends minimum one year today" Tig adds.
"Dues are $75 bucks a month, due on the first," Bobby says.
"Welcome. Don't get yourself killed," Clay says.
"Now get the hell out of here," Opie says.
Veronica watches as the prospects leave.
"Shut the door!" They all yell and the last skiddish prospect close it quickly.
They laugh.
Clay looks at Veronica, "what are you waiting for. Take a seat."
"Where?"
"I would suggest your old man, considering there are no open seats."
She looks at Juice and he pushes his chair back to make room between him and the table for her.
His hands rest on her lap, easily.
She sat, "why am I here exactly."
"We'll get there," Clay says.
There is a pause and Clay continues, "I got two request for transfer, one from Tacoma, one from the nomads. Kozik and Happy both want to be a part of SAMCRO. Just want to say, for me, both these guys would make welcome additions. And to be honest, we need you. So, let's vote it. Happy. Yay."
"Yay," Tig says.
"Aye," Chibs says.
"Yay," Opie says.
"Yes," Piney says.
"Yay," Juice says, glancing around Veronica at Bobby.
"Yeah," Bobby says.
Jax takes a long time then times, "Yeahhhhh."
Laughter fills the room and Clay bangs his gavel.
"Kozik. Yay," Clay says.
"Nay," Tig says.
"Jesus Christ. Really?" Clay says.
"I don't trust him, man."
Clay bangs the gavel angrily.
"Last thing. Veronica. Yay."
"Yay."
"Ayee."
"Yay."
"Yes" Opie says, looking directly at Veronica.
"Hell yes," Juice says.
"Yeah."
"Fuck yeah," Jax says.
Clay lifts his gavel, "Veronica will be considered a substitute member for Juice while we're in prison. She has the right to wear a cut if she chooses, make any needed decisions while in this room, and to be respected as if she we're any of the guys. Of course, this is temporary and only if she agrees."
Veronica stares at her father, amazed. She knew what the old rules said. No women or black men could hold the position of club member.
He slams the gavel.
"You looked surprised. You know we don't have a sufficient amount of members to keep the club and running. I hope you don't mind."
"I'm very surprised, but--"
She was going to bring about the rule, but she couldn't get it out of her mouth. Not really.
"What?"
"Nothing.
"You're good with this right?"
"Of course."
They all shuffled out of the room but Veronica stayed put which meant that Juice would have to stay there a well.
"Are you okay, baby?"
"Did you know about this?"
"I brought it up with Clay two days ago."
She turned her body so she could look at him.
"Are you mad?" He asks.
"No, really surprised. I thought they we're pretty keen on the rules."
"It doesn't break the rules. You're a substitute not a full member."
She could hear the cheers of welcoming Happy.
"Welcome to the club, baby girl."
She got up and he followed her out of the meeting room.
She saw Tig and Kozik begin to wrestle, they almost knocked her over.
Clay approaches, "I have the guys on something today. I want you to go with them. Here."
He hands her a gun.
"Okay."
She put the gun in the back of her jeans.
She felt nothing. She felt like she should feel terrified about being in possession of a gun, but she thought that maybe her mind had calloused about those things. It was all just part of this life.

The club piled into the back van expect for Kozik and Piney who took the tow truck.
"What exactly are we doing?" Veronica asked Ricky.
"You'll see. You will be using your gun. I will tell you that much."
They pulled up at a light and watched as Chibs pulled out a gun with a silencer, shooting out a tire of the van next to them.
They turn the opposite way when the light turns green and stops the van on a dirt road, waiting.
Twenty minutes pass, "alright let's do this."
Veronica looked at Juice.
"Just stay in the van."
She doesn't, she wants to know what's going to happen.
She stands behind him, waiting to see the outcome.
She watches as two Mayan bikers come up an the club starts firing at them, they retreat immediately.
Juice guides-- rushes her toward the other van, the one they took from the Mayans.
They opened large barrels, filled with white powder.
Bobby tastes it, "that'll get rid of some stains."

They meet up with the Mayans.
It wasn't just Veronica but the niners too.
"What is this, Clay?" Alverez asks, his eyes scan the niners then Veronica.
"We know your passions over the calaveras," Clay says.
"Cutting an bagging heroin at the Janitorial supply house, piping it to Stockton," Jax says.
Juice looks very serious about this business.
"If you're here to declare war, consider it already on."
"I'm tired of getting bloody. Your attack at the wake, our attack at Zobelle's getaway. Why don't we just call it even?" Clay suggests.
"Too much history to call it even, Clay."
"That's my point. We've been doing this too long, Marcus. Nobody ever wins."
"Get to the point, ese."
Chibs drops a bag in front of Alvarez.
"I think that you lost something."
"You stupid little shit," Alvarez says going for one of his guys.
They guy tries to explain himself.
"Callate(shut up)."
"Moving high-risk cargo is tricky. Things tend to get lost in transit. However, if it comes across our borders again, we can guarantee safe passage to Stockton."
"And that's why you're patching over these idiots, so shit like this don't happen. We got a better idea. Our brothers in Lodi are more capable, with our support, your new enterprise is protected," Jax says.
"Were trying to make peace here," Clay says.
"How much is peace gonna cost me, Clay?"
"I'll let the bastards negotiate their own fee. For us, just a toll. 25k a run."
"We'll consider this the first run," Jax says.
"Last time we made a deal, I lost my son."
"Yeah, and you tried to assassinate me. It's what we do. It ain't personal. It's just about the cash. This is the best play for both of us."
Alvarez looks from Veronica to Clay to his own man, deliberating what was best for his people.
He whisper something then turns back to Clay.
"Okay."
"Means no Mayan charter in Lodi."
"Shit. None of these guys would have made the cut anyhow," Alvarez says.
"I need one more thing. There is a rat up at St. Thomas. Testifies at the end of the week."
"Pozo," Jax says.
"Yeah, you handle that and we'are good."
"Handled," Clay says.
They shake hands.
"I'm glad we found you merchandise," Clay says.
"Hey, I think you lost something too."
They toss Juice his cut.
"How could you let this bitches take your cut, ese. An embarrassment to Latinos everywhere."
The Mayans chuckle.
"Just gonna bow to this assholes, huh?" Salazar asks, angrily.
Jax pushes Salazar toward Juice, "make this right."
"Yeah."
Juice avoids looking at Veronica before he starts to beat Salazar. She can't help but to cringe. She'd seen the club do a lot, but watching her old man beat some poor bastard up, was not something she liked.

Veronica was offered to sit in at the meeting, but she was exhausted from the day, so she went to take a nap in Juices dorm room at the club. She heard noises outside an soon enough the door was kicked open and she was being dragged out by cops. They push her to the floor.
"Hey! Be careful with her," Juice yells, his eyes black with rage of the mistreatment of his old lady.
"Shut up!" One of the cops say.
They push the club out an begin to search the garage and the clubhouse.
"This is search and Seizure. They are looking for scrips," Jax says.
"How could they know?" Juice asks, refering to the black market prescriptions that Jax and Tara had sold today.
"This is bull shit," Clay says.
Juice rests his arm around his old lady's waist.
"Gem just called. Oswald is on his way now," Tig says to Clay as he approached them again.
"Call our friend. We got a half an hour to pull this shit off."
They walk off.
"I'll meet you at home," Juice says.