Here She Comes

Never a Son

Tig and AJ had went back to his house to talk. They sat opposite each other at the kitchen table, each staring at the cups of coffee sat in front of them. 

"The club life, it's a dangerous one so when I met your mom, I kept it hidden from the club, from everyone, we got married at the town hall, kept it private, then you came along and as the years went by it became harder to hide you from the club and hide the club from you so I left"

"Without saying anything, without saying goodbye?" AJ snapped.

"It would have been too painful baby, that's why i wrote the letter and I wrote birthday cards and Christmas cards. I did want to see you but I was scared if the club found out about you then you'd get caught up in the club life.. I just wanted to protect you" He explained, his voice breaking as he watched tears well from his little girls eyes as she sat there shaking her head.

"I never got no letter daddy, or any cards, mom must have kept them from me"

"Oh baby-girl" he cried, standing up and moving around the table to hug her. 

"She said you walked out and forgot about us.. she said it was my fault, she blamed me for you leaving.."

"I could never forget about you AJ, I thought about you everyday and kept this picture in my wallet" he sighed, pulling away from the hug and taking his wallet from his pocket. He pulled out an old worn picture from the back of his wallet handing it to her.

More tears slid down her cheeks as she gazed at the picture. "You and me, down at the beach.. that was a few days before you left I remember, you saw a couple of guys in kuttes like yours and we went and hid behind the rocks, you and ma made it out to be a game but i knew something was up"

Tig nodded, staring at the floor, too scared to make eye contact with her. "That's why I left, I figured while I was around you and your mom couldn't ever be safe, I never knew that your mom became an alcoholic I didn't hear nothing until Chibs rang me to say he found you"

"I'd always go back to that beach, if my mom was in a particularly bad mood I'd go and I'd take her red mustang and I'd sit there in the car, looking out, trying to make sense of everything, for the first few years I'd dream about you coming back and you and mom getting back together, then I began to hope you would come and save me but once I turned 12 I just stopped hoping..." her voice broke and she broke down crying. 

Tig pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm here now baby and I'm not going anywhere, I'm gonna keep you safe little girl"

AJ cried silently into his chest. 

"Come with me, I've got something to show you" he said, letting go of her and walking upstairs, AJ trailing closely behind. 

He walked down the hall and into a room at the end. 

"This is your room, I want you to stay here with me AJ, let me have a second chance at this and I mean, you're a minor if not me then they'll take you into care..." he trailed off, his brow furrowing. 

AJ looked around the room at the posters fixed up on the light pink walls. "How did you know I liked The Vampire Diaries?" she asked, a small smile now present on her face.

"Well actually I got Gemma to do it, while I was away, she looked through your CD's and DVD's and books and picked out some posters" he chuckled. 

"Thank-you Dad" she murmured, hugging him before walking over to the bed and sitting down. "Well, it's comfier than the mattress I had on the floor at moms so sure I'll stay" she chuckled.

"I'm so glad baby, you won't regret it, I promise. Now how about we go get something to eat and celebrate"

"Sure, any chance we could invite Juice? he's cute" she smirked. 

"No way young lady, I have two rules here when it comes to dating. You can't date anybody till you're 18 and you are never allowed to date a son, okay?"

AJ nodded, smiling lightly.

"Promise me?"

"I promise Daddy"