SOA Short Stories

Don't Stop Believing

Jax had made his way over to the bar as the party started to wind down. He smiled as he watched his brothers start to relax. It had been just over a year since things had finally slowed down and was happy to say that they had officially gone legit. No more watching over their shoulders or wondering who was going to die next. He took the bottle of beer the new prospect handed him and raised it to him in thanks before he felt a familiar presence beside him. “Shouldn’t you be taking care of your old man right now?” he asked with his signature smirk on his face. 
“Notice the unusual smile on Happy’s face?” she asked with the same smirk. 
He cringed and shook his head. “Jesus Christ” 
She shrugged and chuckled. “What’s going through your head right now?” she asked as she stole his beer. “I know you got something on that small brain.” 
He rolled his eyes and grabbed his beer back. “Just thinking that we finally did it. Just wish there were some people still here to see it.”
She gave him a sad smile. She knew exactly who those people were. People who she missed just as much as her brother did. “Hey, Jake! Two shots of Patron.” 
“What are you doing?” Jax asked as Jake poured their shots. 
“What we would be doing if Piney and Ope were here with us right now.” she said as she picked up her shot. “To the ones we lost. May they rest in peace and be watching over us as we navigate this life.”
Jax gave her a smile and nodded before clinking her glass and downing the shot. “Leave the bottle Jake.” 
-
A couple of hours later, Tasha is sitting on the bar, beer in her hand laughing uncontrollably at Jax. “I can’t believe you remember that!” she snorted. 
“How could I not?” he laughed. “It was the only time I ever saw Ope dance.”
Tasha jumped off the bar and headed over to the jukebox. “I call bullshit on that.” she said as she punched in the code for a song. She waited a second before a very familiar song started to play. “I seem to remember two wanna be bikers in the garage singing and dancing to this very song.”
 
Flashback

“You two are the worst!” Tasha groaned as she jumped off the work bench. 
"We did it for your own good, little bit." Opie sighed as he pulled her into his side. "The guy was a douche. You deserve better."
Tasha rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Did you have to hang him from his ankles though?" 
Jax snorted. "It was that or a punch to the throat." 
"Fine!" She huffed, finally wrapping her arms around Opie's waist. "You're lucky I love you guys."
Jax quirked a brow at that. "Lucky?" He asked as he stepped closer. 
"You heard me." She said with a smirk. 
Opie grabbed her and held onto her as Jax started to tickle her. “Think you got it twisted there.” he laughed as she screamed. 
Just as she was about to give in, Gemma turned up the stereo to drown out the three teenagers. They all froze staring at one another, the same smirk crept onto their faces as they fell into the music. 
Opie took Tasha's hand and twirled her as Jax started to sing along with the song. She couldn't hold onto her laughter anymore and started to giggle as Opie's bigger form engulfed her and started to dance with her. Only to have Tig notice the three and cut in. 
"Don't stop believing…." The small group sang.
Gemma watched from the door way of the office snapping a picture, forever capturing the smiles on their faces. 

Tasha laughed as she pulled Jax from his seat at the bar. "C'mon, Jackie boy." She teased just as the chorus kicked in. They loved to the center of the room and started to belt out the chorus, laughing like they had years ago. 

Tig noticed them and the song and chuckled. Abandoning the crow eater who had his attention, he made his way over to the siblings. He cut in and twirled Tasha around, eliciting a laugh. The three looked over at the bar and just like that Opie and Piney were there. Their spirits filled the clubhouse along with John and the rest of their fallen brothers.  
Tasha looked at her brother through unshed tears and pulled away from Tig and wrapped her arms around her brother. 
Jax led them back to the bar where Tig, Chibs, Juice, Bobby and Happy joined them. He poured the shots and raised his in the air. 
"To all the brothers that aren't here today to see this." He started. "You will forever be missed."
"Ope, wherever you are… " Tasha's voice broke. "Hold on to that feeling…"
Jax smirked at the reference and clinked his glass with hers.