lauren // tig trager

45. Close encounter

Tig followed Gemma back after a while. He found her at the end of the hall, trying to reach her stash from a top shelf in her closet.

"Hey, I got it, I got it" he said, putting an arm on her waist.

He reached above her head, shaking as he tried to reach the box. When he did get it, it fell right out of his hands and onto the ground. He sighed as Gemma ran her hands down his torso.

"I'll get it, sorry" he mumbled.

As he knelt in front of her, picking up guns, Gemma's leg was poking out of her robe. She looked down at him, trying to get a reaction. She took his head and buried it between her legs, making it impossible for Tig to say no. He looked up at her and stood up quickly, kissing her hard. Their hands on each other, he pushed her against the wall, knocking a picture frame down in the process. She ripped open his shirt as he pushed her robe down from her shoulders, revealing her exposed in only a bra. When he started to take off his pants, Gemma turned around, waiting for him. He bunched up her robe in his hands but he then saw a photo of Jax as a child, reminding him of who Gemma was, who he was.

"Jesus," he said as he backed away, both of them still panting from the intensity of the moment "what the hell are we doin?"

Gemma pulled up her robe and left while Tig fixed himself. He quickly left to the kitchen to pack the guns before leaving. As he arrived, he saw Opie working on a bike. This was the time to come clean, maybe it was in hopes he would die so he wouldn't have to deal with telling Lauren what had just happened with him and Gemma. Maybe it was in hopes that it's make himself feel better and get him out of the hole he was in.

"Looks sweet, Ope," Tig said as he approached him "you've done a great job restoring that bad boy, need a hand?"

"Nope, I'm all good" He answered.

Lauren saw him arrive and stood at the office doorway. She wanted to get out of the room with Brea, as well as just watch him from afar. She still loved him, no doubt about it, but wouldn't let him touch her.

"Alright," Tig said, he considered walking away but came back "Awful thing, Gemma"

"Yeah," Opie nodded and looked up at him "You okay?"

"I'm fine" he nodded, turning to walk away once again but couldn't. He ran a hand down his face before turning back once again.

"Can I ask you a question, Opie?"

"What's that?" He stopped working on the bike to look at Tig.

"The night that Donna was killed, why was she driving the truck?"

"I was taking the kids home, needed a backseat. Why do you ask?"

"She wasn't supposed to be in the truck, Ope" Tig shook his head, recalling the night of his grave mistake.

Opie stood up and Lauren tended as well. Opie lunged forward at Tig, realizing his confession as he threw a punch to his face. Lauren watched the first two, knowing Opie needed it as much as Tig. But when Tig was thrown to the ground she ran out. Opie threw Tig back against the truck, holding a fist up to punch him.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" Opie shouted.

Lauren grabbed his arm to try and stop him, Opie pulled his gun on a whim and held it to her head. He had Tig in one hand, the gun in his other pointed at Tigs old lady. People had caught on, seeing the sight but no one dared say a word to a son with a gun.

"It was Stahl, Ope. She made you look like a rat. She's the one who killed Donna, me and Clay, we didn't wanna believe it" Tig explained.

"I came clean! Clay and I were good!"

"Found wiretaps in your truck, in your phone. Feds put money in your account. It was supposed to be you in the truck, Ope. Not Donna"

"What about now? Should it be Lauren?" Opie shouted as Jax arrived on his bike.

"You have the gun in your hand, it's not my decisions to make"

"Opie!" Jax shouted in an attempt to stop him "Clay" he shouted next as he wasn't around.

"I'm sorry, Opie, I'm so sorry" Tig was almost in tears at this point.

"What the hell happened?" Jax said as he walked past Brea as she had been a part of the audience.

Opie put his gun away, ignoring Jax's protests for him to stay. Lauren wanted to hug Tig but felt it'd be best not to.

"Call Tara, she's at my house" Jax told Juice as he ran off to do so.

"What'd you tell him? Tell us!" Clay shouted at Tig.

"I don't even know who I am anymore, man" Tig said.

"What are you talking about?" Clay asked as Brea arrived to the group.

"I had to tell him"

"Tell him what?" Bobby questioned.

"That I killed Donna. It was Stahl's fault, that's what Opie knows"

"Opie knows what?" Jax asked.

"It was Stahl who really killed Donna"

"Shit, he's going after Stahl. Shit!" Jax shouted as he ran to his bike to leave.

Tig walked to Lauren next, grabbing her hand, she followed. He took her to the clubhouse, to their room and sat her down.

"Babe?" She asked.

"I almost slept with Gemma today," he confessed "This, not touching you thing, I can't do much longer. I get if you don't want to have sex, I know you were just through something rough, but I need a reason or this won't last"

"I don't want you to see me, not yet at least," she whispered, voice cracking "I look disgusting, all bruised and beaten"

"But I love you, not just your body, but who you are. That, those bruises are superficial, I'm all about you, doll, all of you" he said and kissed her forehead "I love you, Lauren"

"And I love you, Alexander" she replied as she kissed him on the mouth for the first time in days.