lauren // tig trager

108. Clubs hatred

The reception progressed, Lauren switching dresses into something she would be more comfortable in. Brea spent most of the night with Juniper, using her as an excuse to be alone and not be partying. Chibs couldn't focus on having a good time, he had tried but he just felt like shit. Clay had shown up finally, he was SAMCRO and they wanted him there.

Lauren and her dad were together on the dance floor, dancing to some upbeat song. He had taken off his tux jacket so he was in his white dress shirt and wife beater underneath. Clay saw the outline of a Sons tattoo and clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. He got up and walked through the other people dancing and yanked back Charles shirt to reveal his tattoo.

"Clay! What the fuck?" Lauren shouted.

"His tattoo, he can't have that!" Clay shouted out.

"Man, it's her wedding" Bobby tried to reason with him.

"Wedding ain't shit to the rules. He gets this off, tonight" Clay said and let him go.

Laurens stomach had dropped thinking about it. She remembered Kyle from a few years back and how they burnt off his tattoo. She shook her head with disgust at herself. She should've never asked him to come. She hadn't thought of it but she should've. That damn tattoo. She sighed and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, daddy, I love you" she kissed his cheek and hugged him before she left the dance floor.

She went and found Brea, sitting next to her and Juniper. Tig followed her out, joining her at the table with Brea and Juniper. Then Chibs joined them as well.

"It's a party!" Tig joked, he was buzzed.

"You alright, Lo?" Brea asked her.

"Just, his fuckin tattoo has him screwed. I shouldn't have asked him to come tonight. I just wanted my father to walk me down the aisle" she shook her head.

"You didn't know it, that's not on your mind because ye aren't a son. He knows he should've gotten it removed but he chose not to" Chibs replied blatantly.

"Asshole" Brea scoffed at him.

"Don't make this personal, it's about Lauren, remember? Today is about Lauren, that's why ye won't talk to me. That's why we came up in with facade as a happy couple when we're falling apart" Chibs took this moment to make a scene.

"What is he talking about?" Lauren had furrowed brows, sitting up in her chair.

Tig knew where this was going, Chibs was bitter about the breakup. She just wouldn't listen to him the way he wanted her to. He wanted her to just walk away but she put up a fight.

"We're broken up!" Chibs announced.

Brea bit her lip, looking towards the ceiling with tears in her eyes. She shook her head, not believing Chibs would be such an ass like this.

"I waited so long for you, so patiently, could've left and stayed in Vegas multiple times but I chose to stay for you! and somehow you still don't want to make this work. We have a child for heavens sake, Filip. I can't fucking believe what a dick you're being" she shouted and left the table with Juniper.

"I can't do this tonight," Lauren shook her head "I can't believe you, Chibs"

"No one can" he shrugged.

"Split your head open and it makes you a whole new person. Is that what this is about? The cut on your head?" Lauren motioned to her own head.

"It's about how I got it. How Brea had a gun in her mouth in front of me while I watched helplessly. How easily she could've died, in front of me. It's makin sense now, why she left the first time. This is no life I want for them. For her to suffer, my daughter to suffer"

"But she wants to, you can't make her leave. She'll be everywhere you go so you might as well make seeing her a happy occasion and not a bitter reminder of what you used to have"

Brea was outside with Juniper when Juice also walked out. He could see Brea had been crying.

"Hey, Brea, you alright?" He asked, slowly approaching her.

"Can you hold her and bum me a cigarette please?" She asked, skipping to the part where he'd ask if he could do anything.

"Yeah, yeah" he nodded and took Juniper, letting Brea get the cigarettes from his pocket.

She took one and lit it, inhaling a deep breath. She coughed a bit but it didn't phase her.

"God I miss smoking" she whispered.

*****

Clay had the boys get Charles out back. Clay had more plans than just burning off a tattoo. He abandoned the club, first nine, and just left. The boys all were there for it, except Tig.

"Do we have to do this?" Charles asked on his knees "on her wedding day?" He knew where this was going already.

Inside, Lauren noticed her dad was gone. She cursed at herself, having a clue on what was happening. She ran around the barn just looking how to get out or find a son. She needed someone or something to help her. Brea was inside again, with Juniper who was falling asleep despite the loud music. The tattoo was his downfall and she hated herself for not thinking of it. Thinking of the hatred that ran in this club for traitors, runaways.

"Chibs" Jax said, nodding to him.

Clay handed Chibs a gun as he stood over Charles. The gun was aimed at his temple.

"Stop!" Lauren screamed as she had run out just in time to see Chibs with the gun.

Her eyes scanned the scene and her heart broke. Seeing her dad, her best friends old man about to kill him.

"Lauren, it's okay, baby. Let it happen" Charles told his daughter.

"I won't let it," she shook her head as she took Juice's gun from him and aimed it at Chibs "put the gun down"

"Maybe you should kill me, I know ya want to" Chibs shrugged.

"I don't want to kill you, you can't apologize to her if you're dead. I want you to just let him go"

Happy took her by surprise and knocked the gun from her hand. He took her by her arms as she kicked and screamed. He dragged her away from the scene. Finally a single gunshot was fired as she defeatedly laid on the ground, tears pouring from her eyes.

"But you won't die so it doesn't matter" she whispered to herself numbly, remembering what she told him when she invited him to the wedding.

How stupid.