lauren // tig trager

81. Fundrasier

In the morning, Brea was startled awake by knocking on the door. She sat up, seeing Rat scrambling awake and getting his gun. She laughed to herself before turning and seeing Tara going to the door with Thomas. Her and Rat met at the door. They talked quietly before Tara sent Rat to the back of the house.

"Roosevelts here" Tara sighed, letting Brea know as Roosevelt entered the house.

"Morning" he smiled and Brea returned a fake one back.

At the clubhouse, Lauren and Gemma were in the office. There was a full table vote going on in the clubhouse. Gemma liked to keep stuff neat in the office, so they were cleaning up and sorting through old stuff. It was quiet, a dull humming from the radio playing music. But then gunshots fired, Lauren and Gemma dropped to the ground. Gemma hid behind the filing cabinet and Lauren crawled under the desk. Lauren's heart was beating out of her chest as the bullets made her ears ring.

When it was quiet, Gemma was already up and ready to see what happened but Lauren was more hesitant. She tried to get her own breathing under control, but couldn't. She was shaking, her heart racing and head spinning. She was unable to move as she sat in a ball.

"Lauren!" Tig shouted from outside, running towards the office.

He found her crying under the desk and he kneeled to her. He pulled her out and pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, you aren't hit, right?" He asked her.

"N-no" she stumbled over her words as sobs shook her voice.

"Hey, doll, it's alright. I'm here" he cooed.

Outside was a different story as everyone scrambled to know what was happening. They had a shooter, the gate was broken and a bag full of heads.

"Call Rat, I need to know if Tara, Brea and the kids are alright!" Jax shouted to the prospects.

"Mary mother o' Christ" Chibs sighed, roughly running his hands through his hair.

Police sirens filled the air as everyone was just settling. Jax, Clay, Tig, Gemma and Lauren were in the office.

"We got it handled" Clay said.

"Handled? They left a bag of heads. I'm living in goddamn Juarez here" Gemma scoffed "garden fundraiser is tonight"

"There ain't gonna be any fundraiser after this" Jax said from the window.

"We can't back out"

"We don't know what the hell we're dealing with here, mom!" Jax shouted.

"This noise is gonna be all over Charming. We don't go, it looks like we've something to hide" Gemma stated as she walked closer to Jax.

"Fundraiser makes sons look like they give a shit, we need that" Clay told Jax, backing Gemma.

"Have Phil shadow me, and Lauren" Gemma said, adding Lauren into the equation "take a grenade to get past him"

"No, Tig. Only one I trust to keep you safe"

"So I'll be third wheelin? Great" she snickered, winking at Lauren.

Outside they met with Roosevelt, Tig and Lauren sat at the picnic tables. He wanted her to get some space but still wanted to stay close. Roosevelt had turned the place into a crime scene and it was locked down.

"Tara and Brea are fine, just talked to them" Bobby said as he walked out the clubhouse "Tara's on her way to work, gonna drop off Brea here and then Rat is gonna go with Tara to work"

"Tell Chibs that, bet he's losing his damn mind" Opie snickered.

"I'll call him" Lauren offered and stood up to call Chibs.

"Tig, take care of her" Clay said, motioning to Gemma.

"Always" he nodded back with a funny face as if he wasn't gonna watch Gemma.

Lauren came back to sit with Tig and he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her head firmly, not wanting to let her go.

"We'll be alright, doll. I just know it" he spoke into her hair.

"We got the house, Tig. I was gonna wait to tell you until after all this shit blows over but this felt right"

"Seriously!? We got it?" He asked, thrilled and grabbing her arms.

"Yeah, it's all ours as soon as we get the keys"

"God, what great but horrible timing"

"Tell me about it" Lauren sighed and fell into his side, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
*****
The crowd going to the fundraiser grew quickly. Now Tig was tasked with watching four old ladies; Tara, Gemma, Brea and Lauren. It wasn't hard, they stayed together throughout the event. Clay had joined later on, even was making a speech.

"My wife grew up in this town, watched her best friends daughter grow up here," Gemma squeezed Lauren to her side "It became my home thirty one years ago, I love Charming. I know some of you may have an opinion about my club, like we may have overstayed our welcome. But, ask yourself this, what's worse? A few broken windows, fighting now and again or bulldozers gutting the heart of your town? Sons of Anarchy always stand up for Charming. Have always prided ourselves in keeping this town tight knit. Protected and supported small business owners. Charming Heights is the beginning of the end. Sooner or later your businesses will end up like this garden—hanging on by a thread, going, praying on the charity of others. Tonight I offer that charity in two checks," Clay pulled an envelope out of his pocket "seventy five k"

He handed the envelope to Roosevelt's wife. A round of applause was given.

"One of those is me and I know you're probably thinking blood money, I must've stole it. It's okay, you can think that, but the other one comes from a man who loves this town even more than I do. Whose family had pumped lifeblood into this community for almost fifty years. So if you can't thank me, thank him, the guy who should be mayor. Elliot Oswald"

The applause was restarted as Elliot made his way to the stage. He hopped on and shook hands with Clay. This would be good for the club, keep the Sons on the good side of Roosevelt, at least for the time being.