❛ I ain't wrapped around no one's finger, especially not Scarlett's. ❜

chapter nine.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

WHILST SCARLETT does the egg toss with Ellie, Opie does it beside them with his son. Even while she's throwing an egg, Scarlett can tell something's messing with Ope. And judging by the way his eyes keep flicking around, she's guessing it's about Kyle Hobart, who Camille had told her was the reason why Opie ended up doing 5 years in Chino.

"Ope," Scarlett hisses.

His head snaps to her just as he throws the egg out of his hands, "Hm?"

"If you keep looking at him, you're gonna end up with egg all over you," She mutters, keeping a smile on her face and her eyes on Ellie whilst they continue tossing.

Opie grunts, "So you know about it then."

"Camille said something about it, yes," She hums, "But I don't think a charity fair in front of kids and families is the best place to get all worked up about the past."

"I know it isn't," He snarls.

"Then stop sulking, because, believe it or not, it's affecting your kids," She nods her head towards his son opposite him, who's tossing the egg between his own hands in boredom.

"You distracted me," Opie argues.

"Multi-tasking," Scarlett shows her egg to him before she throws it gently back to Ellie, "Men are never very good at it."

He shakes his head before turning his complete attention back to Kenny, "Hey, kid, go see if your mom's alright, I'll be there in a minute," He smiles gently as his sons sighs and runs off to find his mother, and then Opie looks back at Scarlett, "I'm off for a smoke."

"Of course you are," She tuts, putting a large smile across her cheeks as she throws the egg to Ellie again, "Come on, Els. We got this."

Under the Samcro stall, Jax sighs as he speaks with his mother, "Come on, mom. She just needs a job, she doesn't want any trouble. She ain't gonna affect you from behind the bar."

Gemma plants her hands on her hips as she scoffs, "And when did you all of a sudden start liking her again, hm? She's managed to get you wrapped around her finger already. Jax—"

"I ain't wrapped around no one's finger, especially not Scarlett's, mom," He grumbles, his hand rubbing at his beard, "All I'm asking is for you to give her the job. She needs it. I'm just trying to help out an old friend is all."

Turning away from him to tend to the products displayed on the table, Gemma shrugs, "I'll think about it."

Jax smiles happily, "Thanks, ma."

His head turns as he watches Opie dismiss himself from the egg toss and go sit alone by the fireworks. Patting Gemma's arm, Jackson makes his way over to his best friend whilst still chewing on some stolen food.

"Yo," He greets, "You bow out of the egg toss?"

Opie sighs, hands fiddling with the thick rings on his fingers, "Yeah. Yeah, I did," He watches as Kyle throws the egg between himself and his daughter, "I wanted the guy to be a miserable broken piece of shit without Samcro. I tell you, I'm having a hard time, man," He takes a cigarette from Jax, "Thanks. You know this club means everything to me. The only thing I ever wanted from the time I went here. But everything else, Donna, the kids," He nods his head towards Ellie as she laughs at something Scarlett says, "work, are all heading in the opposite direction. I just can't hook shit up. I feel like I'm missing on every front."

Jax laughs, "I got no answers. My family plan is right out of the Sid and Nancy handbook. I'm so used to shit moving in the other direction, I don't know what I'd do if something actually hooked up."

"What about Scar?" Opie asks, his eyes inspecting his best friend when he mentions the girl, "You spoken to her much since her return?"

Jax shrugs, "Once or twice. There's something she ain't telling me."

"About why she left?" Opie's head tilts.

He nods, "Yeah. Something still ain't right with her."

The pair of men watch as the egg slam directly into Scarlett's chest, breaking all over her white t-shirt and she laughs as the liquid drips down her front. Opposite her, Ellie is dying of laughter while Donna and Kenny giggle from their bench. Scarlett steps towards the bench, inspecting her t-shirt and groaning in annoyance. Jax tries to tame the smile on his face, but the only way he can hide it from his best friend is to place the cigarette between his lips.

As Kyle's egg breaks on his shoulder, Opie's brows furrow, "You think he's happy?"

"I don't know," Jax answers.

Kyle's new girlfriend begins to pull his egg-covered hoodie off him, and as she does so, his t-shirt gets pulled up, revealing the club tattoo covering his back. Opie's back straightens as soon as he sees it, and Jax's expression falls. Across the grass, Scarlett notices it at the same time, and her head snaps to Opie. She squeezes her eyes closed when she realises he's seen it too. This can only end badly.

"Still has that tat," Opie grinds.

"Yeah," Jax throws his cigarette to the floor as he stands, but Opie rises as well, and pushes him back slightly.

"This is me," He spits, eyes never leaving Kyle's body as he strides towards him, dropping his cigarette on the grass below him.

With her hands on her hips, Scarlett's eyes narrow as she watches Opie follow slyly after Kyle and his son as they go into the Junior High gym for some more equipment to do with the fundraiser. Once Opie disappears from her sight, Scarlett moves her gaze to Jax, who's already staring right back at her. She nods her head towards a quiet area before walking to it, and with a sigh he makes his way over too.

"Please tell me he isn't beating a man bloody in the junior high gym?" She tilts her head.

"Opie has it under control, okay?" Jax holds his palms out in front of himself, trying to calm her thoughts, "He's doing what's necessary."

"Well couldn't he wait? His kids are here, Jax. They've only just gotten their dad back, they don't need him leaving again 'cause he beat Kyle up at a charity fundraiser," She hisses, raising her hands to run them through her hair.

His eyes drop to her egg soaked t-shirt, that is now slightly see through due to the liquid from the eggs, "You planning on changing?"

She glances down at herself, "I didn't exactly expect to get dragged into an egg toss by some kids who only know me through stories that Donna's told them. Plus, I don't have anything to change into," She huffs.

Jax is already shrugging off his kutte halfway through her sentence. He then quickly throws his dark blue Sons hoodie over his head before handing it to her and slipping his kutte back over his white t-shirt.

"Jax," She shakes her head, "You don't have to—"

He pushes it into her chest, giving her no choice to latch onto it before he releases it, "Just take it."

She smirks at him teasingly before pushing his hoodie over her head and slipping her arms through the surprisingly long sleeves. He laughs at the sight of her, and how it's completely different to her usual tight shirts. The last time she was wearing his clothes Jax was still relatively small and didn't have the same amount of muscle. His jumpers and shirts used to fit her almost perfectly, just the right amount of oversized.

"Stop laughing or you can have it back," She warns, her finger pointing at him daringly before turning on her heel and heading back to Donna.

"Sorry, sorry," He chuckles as he follows closely behind her, his hands buried deep in his pockets and a small smile stuck on his lips that he can't seem to push away.

Scarlett laughs as she dodges a few water streams coming from the children's water guns and Jax runs after her, arms up as sprays hit him. Eventually, the pair are able to get to Donna without getting dragged into a water gun fight.

"Hey," Jax greets, planting himself on one side of Donna, Scarlett on the other. He nudges Donna, "Your boy looks like he knows his way around a gun."

Donna glares at him, clearly unamused by his words and Scarlett chuckles.

"I'm kidding," He beams while she sighs with relief.

"Thanks for the crib money. Any little bit helps right now," She folds her arm over her chest, her finger tapping her biceps anxiously.

Noticing the seriousness in her tone, Jax repositions himself differently and swallows thickly, "Yeah. I get how rough it is for you guys. I know you always had trouble wrapping your head around the M.C. life, but Samcro is the only—"

Donna completely rotates her body to him, "Your mom's already given me the 'Samcro is the glue' speech."

He shakes his head, "I'm not talking about you and Samcro. I'm talking about you and Opie."

She moves closer to him, her brows cinched together in anger, "What happens with me and Opie is no one's business."

"You're wrong," Jax disagrees, and Scarlett mentally face-palms, "He's my best pal. I love that guy more than anyone. But I also see what's happening to him. And it scares the shit out of me. Opie can't be half in-half out. It'll get him killed, Donna."

Her lip quivers as she thinks of something to reply with, "Then I want him out," She states, "That other guy got out. Kyle."

At the mention of that man's name, Jax grits his teeth, "Kyle was kicked out. You know why? 'Cause that night Opie got arrested for blowing up that truck yard, Kyle was supposed to be his getaway ride. Only the asshole panicked when he heard sirens. Left Opie behind."

"Opie never said anything," Donna says, her voice hinting that she's on the verge of tears.

"Cause Opie's not a rat," Jax scoffs, "Brothers don't turn on each other. He did the time. It's what we do. Opie will never walk away from the club. We both know that. He's like me. It's all we know. It's in our D.N.A. And if you keep pulling him in the other direction. . . We're not the glue, Donna. You are."

Donna slowly nods, knowing deep down he's right, and Jax rubs her shoulder for a moment before nodding at Scarlett as a goodbye whilst he leaves the pair of women alone.

Sighing, Scarlett gently moves her arm over Donna's shoulder and pulls her friend closer to her body. Donna cries quietly, her arms moving to wrap around her torso protectively whilst she rests against Scarlett.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

          SCARLETT STRIDES towards Camille and Luke as they both enter the fundraiser, they're hands interlocked and sunglasses shading both of their eyes.

"You both have fun fucking this entire morning?" Scarlett stops in front of them, hands moving to rest on her hips like a mother.

Luke's jaw drops and Cami groans.

"Yes, I can hear you all the time," Scarlett grits, "Cami, Gemma wants you at the Samcro stall, by the way."

Camille takes a deep breath as she remembers what she agreed to do for the fundraiser, "Great. You manage to get a job behind the Club bar?"

Scarlett clicks her tongue, "I asked Gemma, she declined, obviously. But, Jax said he'll see what he can do."

Cami smirks, "Oh. Jax, huh?"

"You two starting to get close again?" Luke tilts his head teasingly.

"I'm not having this conversation with either of you here," Scarlett rolls her eyes.

"So, later?" Luke's brow raises.

Scarlett hums in thinking before eventually smirking at the couple mischievously, "Later."

Suddenly, a hand taps on Scarlett's shoulder and leaves Cami and Luke to make their way to the Samcro stall before she turns her attention to whoever tapped her. The last person she expects to see is Tara Knowles.

"Tara?" Her brows furrow.

"He's here," She says quietly.

"Who?" Scarlett's mouth stays open in confusion whilst she tries to read Tara's expression. Eventually realisation hits her, "Oh, right, him. Josh Kohn?"

Tara nods.

"Where?" Scarlett snarls, eyes roaming over every person in the crowd over Tara's shoulder.

"In the police department stall," Tara tells her, keeping her tone hushed while she tries to keep her voice steady, "Cooking fucking hotdogs."

Scarlett spots him all most immediately. He's the only man under the gazebo that's not dressed head to toe in uniform, and instead he just has an apron lazily thrown over his front. Her jaw clenches at the sight of him, and immediately she's moving around Tara and trudging over to the stall.

Tara's eyes widen and she swings around to watch Scarlett move confidently towards Kohn. She contemplates rushing after her, but the last thing she wants is to get caught up in a conversation with that man. So instead, she watches anxiously from a safe distance.

Scarlett digs her hand into the back pocket of her jeans, fishing out a few coins. She stops at the table, her eyes not being able to leave his ugly face, "Can I have a hotdog?" She grinds, wanting nothing more than to reach across and slam his face down onto the grill between them.

It's obvious he recognises her. His eyes widen slightly and the ends of his lips top upwards with excitement, but that soon dies when he spots the Sons of Anarchy hoodie covering her torso. He shouldn't recognise her, not when she's never laid her eyes on him before.

"Coming right up," He grins, flipping over a hot dog with the tongs, "You want any toppings?"

"No," She shrugs, folding her arms over her chest and she moves her eyes slowly up and down his body, a grimace forming on her face.

Scoffing, he holds the hotdog out to her, his eyebrows raising daringly as she stares at his hand. Laughing in annoyance, Scarlett reaches for it, holding her hand under his. She waits until he lets go before she moves her hand away, causing the hotdog to fall right back down onto the grill, burning the bread and hotdog even more. He curses loudly, reaching for the food, and accidentally managing to catch his fingers on the hot grill. He shouts louder in pain and Scarlett bites down a smirk.

"Ah, shit," Scarlett gasps, "I'm so sorry."

"It's. . . fine," He bites out, "Just give me a minute and I'll get you another one."

She waves him off carelessly, "No, don't bother. I don't really want one anymore," She sighs before spinning on her heel and trudging away from him, leaving him cursing at the burn on his fingers.

Tara steps in front of her, shaking her head in disbelief, "You're crazy, Scarlett. Did you miss the part the other day when I said he's an ATF agent, a literal fed."

"I know what he does for a job, yes," Scarlett hums, "I also know he's a fucking creep who stalks a woman who already has a restraining order on him. I ain't having a man who looks like that ruin your life, mine, or anyone else's," She grinds her jaw, "Tara, I hope you enjoy the fundraiser. Have fun, and you know where to find me if he doesn't anything. If he speaks to you, I want to know. Gives me a reason to kill him. I'm sure I'll be seeing you later."

Tara watches silently as Scarlett marches away from her and towards the Samcro stall, presumably to mingle with Camille and Luke, who're both stuck working for Gemma. Tara slowly turns back to look at the police department stall, happy to see Josh sat down on a stool, holding his hand in agony.

Oh, the wonders Scarlett Miller can create are endless.

. . .

josh kohn hate club

i'm not sure what opie's son is called, because in ep 5 season 1 jax calls him harry, but on google it says his name is Kenny.

word count,
2727