SOA Short Stories

Saying Goodbye-Kozik

 For Cji1i85 

Hope ya like it doll. 

"You stupid fool." she chided as she pulled her sweater tighter around her. "Two tours of duty and you get blown up by a mine playing GI-fucking-Joe in the middle of a mine field state side? Like what the fuck, Hermie?"

CJ Kozik had just gotten to Charming to finally say goodbye to her older brother. It had been close to a month since the "accident". She still shook her head as she thought of the term her other brother Christopher, had used. She couldn't bring herself to see him when she got the news. Her mind couldn't grasp the reality that he was actually gone. She sat for a little while, just staring at the headstone in front of her. A steady stream of tears free falling. Cursing at herself and at Kozik one more time, she wiped her tears and stood up. Saying a silent prayer for him, she kissed her fingers and pressed them to the headstone. "I love you, Hermie." she whispered. "Not gonna be the same without you." Sighing, she started to head to her beat up pick up truck to head off towards the clubhouse, where Christopher said she could pick up his things.

As she drove through the small town, a smile crept onto her face. It was everything that Hermie had said it was. She thought of the last time she had spoken to her brother. "Hermie, I should have taken you up on that offer." she said quietly. "This is everything you said it would be. Should have packed up all my shit and followed you down here. Maybe I'll finally do it."

It didn't take her long to find the auto repair shop that the clubhouse was adjacent to. Smiling as she saw the familiar reaper staring at her, she hopped out of the truck. Her eyes going to the perfect row of bikes and seeing three familiar ones. "No fucking way." she said to herself. Her head snapped up as she heard the familiar rasp of an old friend. "Hap?" she called.

His eyes scanned the lot and landed on the girl that had called his name and headed right for her. She met him half way and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Letting her cry a little, he finally pulled her away and took a good look at her. "Knew you'd finally show up." he teased.

She nodded and wiped the stray tears away. "Had to." she admitted. "Needed to see for myself for it to be real."

Nodding, he slipped his arm over her shoulders and led her towards the clubhouse. He introduced her to the few men that were sitting out on the picnic table. Jax, Opie and Bobby all gave her their condolences and headed off to do whatever it was that they did.

Happy sat with her at the picnic table as the others left the lot. "How you doin, kid?" he asked, eyeing her as he played with his toothpick.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Alright, considering." she admitted. "Been thinking about moving down here. Be closer to you and him."

Happy gave her a small smile. "Think he'd like that." he said as he looked over to his bike. "I've got something to give you. Kozik gave it to me a few years ago. Said if anything happened to him to give it to you."

CJ's hand went to the locket that hung around her neck. Kozik had given it to her just before he shipped out for his first tour. He told her it was a way for him to be with her all the time. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of never seeing him again. Seeing Happy turn back towards the picnic table, she quickly wiped her tears and watched as he played with an envelope and a lock box. "What's that?" she asked.

Before he could explain, they were interrupted by the sound of the clubhouse door being swung open and the laughter of Tig and Juice coming their way. CJ's heart stopped as her eyes locked with the crystal blue eyes of a man who once rocked her world. "Shit." she cursed.