The entire crew stood outside in the parking lot, Wolf stood on a picnic table in the center of the crowd. Their brothers from the other states had finally arrived and Raphael was prepared to lead them into battle so that Wolf could control his own men.

"It's going to be a hard fight, we don't know what we're walking into. We don't know if King has ten men, or a hundred. We don't know what Lacy has told him about us but we know she can not be trusted. I can't promise you that we will all come home, so take tonight and spend it with your loved ones. Relax and try to enjoy your time together, tomorrow we ride."

He stepped off the picnic table and the crowd began to dissipate. Wolf met Morgan and Iris off to the side, taking Iris in his arms and placing a kiss on Morgans forehead.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Morgan said.

"I know but I do."

"I know."

"Can I have ice cream?" Iris asked, having no idea what was going on.

"Absolutely, I don't think I'd like anything else for my night."

Iris beamed at him and Morgan forced herself to smile up at him. He knew it was hard for her to see him go into this fight, but it had to be done and he appreciated her not making it into a bigger issue than was needed. He leaned down to kiss her lips, keeping it chaste in front of Iris. He put his arm around Morgan and led them towards her car.

He gently settled Iris into her booster seat in the back and Morgan climbed into the passenger seat. He liked it that she automatically assumed he would drive, it gave him a sense of calm belonging that they had a normal routine down.

He finished fastening Iris in and then settled in the drivers seat, taking Morgans hand and kissing her knuckles.

"When we get back, let's find a babysitter." He said gently.

"Okay," She replied, reading his mind.

He turned onto main street and headed towards the ice cream shop, hoping this wouldn't be his last night with his family.

SKY

Jenny was sitting at one of the picnic tables, Raphael was seated across from her. She'd accidentally bumped into him in a hallway and couldn't help her curiosity. They'd struck up an unusual relationship, not really friends but he put up with her presence and sometimes answered her questions. She wasn't afraid of him most of the time but she was constantly aware of how dangerous he really was.

Sky stood a few yards away, watching the two interact and Jenny laugh at something he said. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. Ty walked up beside him and turned his gaze to wear Sky was watching.

"Everything okay?" Ty asked.

"Look at that! I told her a hundred times to stay the hell away from him."

"Why?"

"Would you want your sister to talk to him?" Sky asked.

"She's not your sister, and I don't have one."

"Becky then, would you want Becky with the likes of him?" He demanded looking at Ty.

"No, but I'm in love with Becky." Ty pointed out.

Sky clenched his jaw and fell silent, turning back to looking at Jenny and Raphael. He watched them only for a minute longer before striding over to the picnic table, catching Jenny by the arm.

"I thought we'd go to your favorite place for dinner."

"Alright," She agreed.

She stood and then turned back to Raphael, he was smoking a cigarette and seemed uninterested in the pair of them.

"Would you like to come along?" Jenny offered.

"No, thank you. I believe your brother wants some time alone with you."

"He's not my brother," Jenny replied.

"Step-brother, close enough." Sky said.

Raphael finally looked directly at Sky with a slight smirk, he took another drag on his cigarette then stood from the picnic table.

"It's been a pleasure, Jenny."

He turned and walked into the compound and Jenny turned to Sky, hands on her hips.

"Want to tell me what that was about?!" She demanded.

"What?"

"All that macho bullshit!"

"I told you I wanted you to stay the hell away from him, he's dangerous."

"We were just talking, why do you have to be such an ass all the time?"

Sky caught her by the arm, all but dragging her across the parking lot. She didn't fight him but had to nearly run to keep up with his long strides. He reached his bike and released her to grab a helmet and shove it at her.

"I want you to promise me you'll stay away from him," He said.

"Sky...."

"No, just listen to me." He interrupted.

She sighed heavily but took the helmet from him and then motioned for him to continue with whatever speech he was about to give her.

"I can't always be here, Jenny. I can't be with you all the time, hell I might not even be here at all after tomorrow. I want to know that you're not making bad choices."

"Is that what this is about? You think you're going to die?"

"It's a possibility Jenny."

She didn't say anything but she took a step forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He hesitated a minute before pulling her closer.

"I love you and you're not going to die," She said softly.

"I love you too, Jenny."

When she pulled away he smiled at her and then turned to his bike, settling on the seat. She put her helmet on and then taking his hand climbed on behind him. He started his bike and carefully pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street, still worried about Jenny and Raphael.

Jenny was sweet, kind and completely naive about people in general. Sky had been watching out for her since their parents got married and he worried about who would after he was gone.

Zeke

Zeke was sitting alone at the bar, downing shots. Ty and Becky had invited him out to have drinks with them but he'd insisted they go alone. Ty slid onto a stool beside him just as he was pouring another shot.

"I thought you were going out with Becky," Zeke said.

"I am, she's getting ready. I wish you would come with us."

"No, you need to be alone."

"You're my brother, my family, I love you and I want you to go."

"I love you too but you have one night to tell her how you feel, I suggest you take advantage of it."

"I can't tell her tonight, not with everything being so dangerous. What if I don't make it back?"

"You'll make it back."

"I want to spend the night with both of you, can't you just get along for a few hours?"

"You know better," Zeke said, downing a shot.

"Fine, when she come out tell her I'll be in the car."

Ty slid from the stool and walked from the building. Zeke watched him go, wishing he could do something to keep his brother safe.

Becky came down the hall and walked directly towards him, he planned on ignoring her but she took up the seat Ty had left.

"He really wants you to come out with us," She said.

"I know but I have something I have to do."

"Like what?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I am worried about it, I'm worried about Ty and I'm worried about you!"

"Well don't," He said, downing another shot.

"Zeke, what happened? Why do you hate me so much?"

"You know why," He said.

"It wasn't my fault, it's not fair. You've been holding it over my head for ten years."

"Damn right I have. You shouldn't have been there, Becky."

"Your parents loved me! You know they did!"

He shook his head and poured himself a drink and downed it, slamming the glass down hard onto the counter top.

"That doesn't change what you did."

"I'm going to tell Ty, tonight. I can't stand letting him go out there with this on my conscience."

"No, you're going to keep your damn mouth shut. I won't let you do that to him, not now."

She bit her lip and then grabbed the bottle sitting in front of him, she tipped it back finishing it's contents and then she purposely leaned over him to slam it back down on the bar.

"You're a piece of shit," She said.

"Maybe, but you know I'm right."

"At least talk to your brother, before you leave tomorrow."

He gave her a look that spoke volumes of his dislike and she walked away.

TY

Becky crossed the parking lot and climbed into the passenger seat of Ty's car, she pulled on her seatbelt as he pulled onto the road.

"What took you so long?"

"I wanted to talk to Zeke," She replied.

"About what?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"Are you sure? You seem upset."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just worried about you two that's all."

"Well you don't need to worry about Zeke," He said, turning down a street.

"Why?"

"Because he's not going tomorrow, he's not strong enough to fight yet."

"Does he know he's not going?"

"Not yet, I'm sure Wolf will tell him."

She fell silent, if Zeke didn't know that Ty was the only one going he'd be furious when he found out. He'd also want to spend time with his brother, if he knew it would be the last time and she was starting to fear that it might be.

DEMON

Demon had walked to the diner where he first met Lacy, he took a seat in the back booth she had sat in and for a long while just watched the people come in go. Tomorrow he was going to war, with his club against the only person her would die to protect. He tried to think back to the past few months, years even, tried to pinpoint the exact time he started to lose her and came up empty.

He flipped open his phone and with a heavy sigh dialed her number, as it rang endlessly on the other end he took a drink of his coffee.

"Hello?"

"It's me," He said.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Why are you calling me? What if someone finds out?" She asked.

"No, they won't. It doesn't matter if they do."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"Demon, why did you call me?" She asked again, this time her voice demanding an answer.

"I just wondered, when it happened....when did you decide that you didn't want to be a part of the Animals? When did you decide it was okay to do this to me?"

She was silent on the other end of the line, he waited for her to answer but it quickly became obvious she wasn't going to.

"Lacy? When did you decide I wasn't good enough?" He asked.

"I.......I didn't, this isn't about you."

"The what the hell is it about?"

"I can't tell you."

"Lacy....I..lo.."

"Don't, don't say that," She interrupted.

He took a deep breath and fell silent, he heard her sigh on the other end of the line and it almost sounded like she was crying.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away, every time I thought it was the best thing for you."

"You should have killed me when you had the chance."

"Is that really what you want?"

"Sometimes."

"Come back to me, Lacy. I promised myself I wouldn't ask, I promised myself I wouldn't ask you to come back to a life you didn't want for me but....come back to me."

"I can't, I don't know how."

He leaned forward in the booth, using his elbows to hold himself upright. He suddenly felt exhausted and weighed down by everything. His life was meaningless without her in it and it had taken him so long to realize it that she had already let go.

"I just wanted to hear you voice I guess," He said.

"Why don't you come over?"

"I can't, not tonight."

He didn't say it out loud but he didn't want to risk going to her, he didn't trust himself not to warn her about the attack tomorrow and he knew once he was there he wouldn't want to leave her again. He couldn't afford to be caught with her and he couldn't stand to let her go down alone.

"When can I see you?" She asked.

"Tomorrow, I promise."

"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow then."

"Okay."

"Goodbye Demon," She said softly and he knew by the tone of her voice she already knew.

She knew what this call was really about, it was about hearing her voice one more time. It was about clearing his conscience, it was about him silently sealing her fate. She wasn't stupid and she could read him like a book, one phone call and she knew. He heard it in her voice.

"Goodbye Lacy, I'm sorry."

"Me too, I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up tossing his phone roughly onto the table, she knew they weren't going to talk tomorrow. She'd been with the club long enough to understand that tomorrow she would be fighting for her life.

LACY

Lacy hung up her phone and wiped her eyes, she knew what the call was about. Tomorrow there was going to be a fight. She didn't know where or when but she knew that the Animals wouldn't hold back forever. She knew what Demon sounded like before a fight, she recognized the barely there tremor of fear.

She was sitting on her window seat in her apartment, Mr. Darcy snuggled up on her lap. She wiped another tear and stared out the window. Somewhere in that dark city Demon was sitting in a diner alone because she wasn't there to sit with him, somewhere in that city two clubs were planning a war and come tomorrow she would be caught in the crossfire.

Tomorrow she was going to finally be forced to decide who died, her or Demon.