DEATH TOUCHES EVERYONE AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFE. If you're one of the lucky ones then once is all you'll have to get of death's cold and unforgiving hand but, if you're one of the unlucky ones like Shay Miller, then death is like an old friend.

"We need more ice." Gemma announced as she looked at Shay and Donna with a raised eyebrow.

The matriarch of SAMCRO had been shocked to say the least when Donna offered to stay behind and help clean up Abel's welcoming home party. Donna had exactly been fond of the club but, it was nice to see the Winston woman warming up some.

"I can go get it." Donna volunteered with a small smile forming on her face.

Donna was happy with her decision to stay later. It not only showed she supported Opie and his decision to be all in with the club, but it also showed Shay that she wasn't turning her back on her.

Shay was the only person to keep her sane when Opie got locked up in Chino. The only person to check in on her and the kids. Shay was a true friend through everything in Donna's life while everyone else she had thought was a friend had left her high and dry when she began dating Ope but not Shay — never Shay.

"I'll go with you." Shay offered while already grabbing her car keys from her pocket.

"No, it's okay." Donna shook her head. "Stay here with Leela and Abel." The short haired woman added with a small smirk on her face.

She wanted to add Jax name to that list too but figured her best friend wouldn't be too fond of that, though by the roll of Shay's eyes she was certain she knew exactly what she was thinking — the smirk on her face probably didn't help at all.

"Smart ass." Shay muttered with a roll of her eyes while playfully hitting her shoulder against Donna's.

Donna let out a laugh, "I'll be gone for five minutes. You won't miss me that much." She teased.

Shay dramatically put a hand over her heart, "I'll miss you so much. I don't know how I'll go on." She teased with a pout on her face.

"You'll survive." Donna promised with a laugh. "Do you need anything else besides ice, Gemma?" Donna asked, turning her attention onto the older woman.

"No." Gemma shook her head while handing a ten dollar bill over to Donna. "Thank you." She added with a barely there smile.

"No problem." Donna smiled, taking the money from Gemma's manicured fingers.

"I'll be back." Donna promised with a smile looking at back at Shay before leaving the kitchen.

Shay watched Donna leave before walking over towards Gemma, placing the back of her hand on the older brunette's forehead.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Gemma asked as she stared at Shay with a raised eyebrow.

"Just making sure you don't have a fever because that was actually nice of you." Shay joked with a smirk forming on her face as she removed her hand from Gemma's forehead.

Gemma smacked Shay's shoulder playfully, "smart ass."

"That's why you love me." Shay laughed as they exited the kitchen with their arms around each other and smiled on their faces.

SHAY SCRATCHED AT HER FOREHEAD, HER LEG BOUNCING UP AND DOWN as she sat on the couch next to Jax. She had been trying to keep calm but with no luck. Anyone could tell she was a nervous fucking wreck right now.

"Stop." Jax's voice whispered into her ear as he placed a firm hand onto Shay's bouncing leg. "You're getting anxious for no reason."

Shay's head snapped in Jax's direction at his words. They were harsh and cold unlike his usual comforting words when Shay got anxious. Her blue eyes grew icy as she stared into his, wishing she knew what it was he was thinking right now.

"Don't fucking tell me to stop." Shay seethed as she pushed his hand off of her leg. "Donna has been gone for way too long to just get getting ice." She added as her voice dropped to a venomous whisper.

"What are you saying?" Jax questioned, looking at the hand Shay had pushed off of her as though she had burned it. "She probably get held up doing something else. You don't need to let your fucking anxious mind go into overdrive every time."

Shay shook her head and stood up from the couch. She wasn't going to argue with Jax ( at least not here and not now ) if he wanted to be a dick about things then fine but she wasn't going to sit around and take it.

"I'm not doing this with you tonight." Shay said with a sigh.

A sigh left Jax's mouth as he watched Shay head towards the door. He didn't mean to act so harsh and cold towards her but, Shay's anxiousness was rubbing off on him and he couldn't handle it.

"Ben? What are you doing here?" Shay's voice pulled Jax's from his thoughts.

What the fuck was Benny Boy doing at his house? He stood up quickly from the couch and made his way towards the door in a few quick strides.

Jax stood close to Shay with his hand on her lower back his hands were focusing on Ben though in his deputy uniform and a look of shock on his face.

"Ben?" Shay questioned again her voice soft as she stared at her boyfriend. "What's wrong?"

Shay knew it even before Ben spoke. She knew it by the look on his face and the way he wouldn't look directly into her eyes. In the back of her mind she probably knew it the minute when Donna didn't walk back through the door after ten minutes.

"Donna's dead."

It didn't feel real. The words falling from Ben's mouth didn't feel real. How could Donna be dead? Shay had seen her just twenty minutes ago yet here was her boyfriend standing in front of her speaking these words.

"Where's Opie?" Jax demanded, keeping his hand firmly on Shay's lower back.

"At the scene." Ben said as his dark eyes took in Jax's hand planted on his girlfriends back. "The club is there too." He added.

Jax nodded, whispering something into Shay's ear before pushing past Ben and heading towards his bike and speeding away from his house.

"I can take you and Leela home." Ben spoke, clearing his throat.

"No." Shay shook her head. "I need to be here." She added before closing the door in Ben's face without so much as a goodbye.

Shay felt her legs shake as she tried to walk back into the living room. A sob broke from her throat as she felt her legs give out and her body fell onto the floor. The Miller woman didn't even know she was screaming until Gemma rushed into the room, pulling her into her arms.

"Shh, baby." Gemma comforted as she held tightly onto Shay. "It's okay."

"It's not okay. She's dead." Shay sobbed as she clung tightly onto Gemma.

DEATH — IT COMES FOR THE ONES YOU LOVE WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT.  And it stays with you forever. They say time heals all wounds but that isn't true, the wound never heals — it's a scab that you pick at until Death comes again. It's cold and unforgiving, it's grip tight and it sink into your skin — never letting go.

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𝐀𝐍 —
I really thought about not killing Donna off but, it's such a big part of SOA that I had to. Shay is gonna be going through it the next couple of chapters.