lauren // tig trager

12. I was elsewhere

"You know I didn't want to" Lauren cried to Brea as she walked in on her.

Brea had come home, Lauren was shooting up in the living room. Her heroin addiction was stronger than her. Vegas was no place for any type of addict to be. Sex addict, drug addict, gambling addict, alcohol addict. Any of those you could find on every street in Vegas and Brea knew it.

"I know" Brea said, that was all she could say.

She'd been in the situation every now and then. Lauren was pretty good on staying clean but one bad day and it was all over. She couldn't blame Lauren. It was like cigarettes, but deadlier, it was more than her wanting to quit. Her body needed the drug, her mind needed it. Everything in her would break down if she stopped using. Brea would have to wean her off.

"Maybe we should get out of Vegas. Go back to where you grew up, Charming, right? Small town living, get you away from the craze of Vegas" Brea said as she held Lauren who was trying to stop crying for what she had done. The situation she out herself and her only friend in.

"Maybe. Only if you want to, you don't owe me anything" Lauren said "this, this is my fault"

"It's okay, just-just relax now"
*****
"Lauren! Hey, it's just me" Brea spoke, knocking on the bathroom door.

"It's open" she sniffled, wiping the tears from her face.

"Hey," Brea spoke as she walked in the room "you know that was nothing personal out there, right?"

"I-I know but just a lot of memories came back to me" Lauren spoke as she composed herself from her previous breakdown.

"But that's behind you"

"No, it's clearly not" she sighed, running a hand down her face "I bet he thinks I'm a freak"

"And? If he thinks that, he doesn't deserve you. I mean, I think you'll have to bring it up sometime. Maybe sooner than expected if you two are as close as you looked out there"

Outside, the boys continued on a conversation of a fight that Half-Sack was going to participate in. Tig though, he wasn't in it, he was thinking about Lauren and what caused her breakdown. He could make assumptions but she doesn't look like she had any drug history.

"You in, Tig?" Bobby asked.

Tig jumped, raising his brows towards the group. He then nodded, in agreement to whatever they had agreed on previously.

"Bettin' on Half-Sack, that's what we're doin" Jax said taking a drag, filling Tig in.

"Check on her" Clay told him seeing that his mind was elsewhere.

He didn't hesitate, hopping to his feet. He kept a swift pace, keeping his eyes open as they swept the clubhouse. When he spotted the two girls coming from the dorm hallway.

"Hey," he said seeing Lauren.

"Maybe not now" Brea whispered, concerned for her friend.

"It's okay. You go on, I'll be out in a second" Lauren assured Brea.

"Okay" she nodded with a smile, leaving her and Tig alone.

"You okay, doll?" Tig asked her.

She scanned his face, his blue eyes were glistening with concern. His brows furrowed, leaving wrinkling to form on his forehead. His eyes were darting over her face, looking for any hint to what emotion she was feeling.

"I'm fine. Just, something came over me. It's not important, not to you at least" she muttered the last part, trying to wiggle out of the conversation and the clubhouse.

"Woah, woah, doll. Who says it's not important to me? It obviously was to you, therefore it is to me" he clutched her arms in his hands to keep her still, looking him in the face to search for sincerity.

"It's old, stuff that comes back to haunt me every now and then. But until I think the time is right, I'll keep it to myself, Trager"

"Alright, that's okay with me. Just know I'm here" he smiled towards her.

"Yeah" she nodded, pulling him in for a hug, one she much needed.

"Hey, Tig. We got some old bones to deal with" Clay bellowed from the door way.

Tigs body went tense, not wanting to leave her so soon. He groaned.

"On my way!" He replied and looked down at Lauren with apologies written on his face. 

"It's okay, duty calls" Lauren nodded to him, understanding his situation.

"See you later" he smiled, jogging out the clubhouse.

He put an arm around Brea, "watch her for me" he spoke in her ear.

"Not like I'm her best friend and I'm looking out for her myself or anything" she said as he left before he could hear her smart comment.

Clay, Jax and Tig left on their bikes to somewhere and the others stayed behind. Brea stood watching Chibs train Half-Sack while his girlfriend did the same. They didn't ever attempt to talk to each other, nor was she going to.

"Hey" Lauren said joining Brea outside.

"How'd that go?" She asked.

"Fine, I kept it brief. If we become something serious, I'll tell him then" she shrugged "any progress with Chibs?"

"If staring counts, yes" she nodded with a laugh.

"Well, it doesn't, so no. You've made no progress"

"He's never around, and now he's busy training Half-Sack. I'll leave him be. I don't need to get caught up with a biker anyways. I mean, it's just a crush"

"He convinced you to stay so he clearly doesn't not like you"

Chibs watched Half-Sack as he punched the bag mindlessly and sloppy, not stopping him as his mind was on Brea. He saw how Tig has gotten along with Lauren so well and so quick, he was jealous. Of course the week they arrived, he had business with the Irish and wasn't around. Now that he was, he was training Half-Sack in his free time and Brea was on the verge of leaving him and everyone else.

"Take a break, fella" he called out and took a deep breath to prepare for what he was about to do.