Runaway ✔

005 • Dana

When they'd returned to Teller-Morrow, Opie took her to one of the rooms behind the clubhouse.

"Are some members sleeping here as well?" She asked when he handed her a key.

"Yeah. We all have our own apartments or houses, but sleeping here is often easier. Especially for the ones who have no kids or old ladies." Opie leaned with his hand against the door frame. "But this room is yours now, Dana. No worries." He winked and looked at his watch. "Within half an hour dinner will be ready." He smacked at the wood by way of goodbye and turned around.

Dana entered her room and looked around, shaking her head. People were even cooking for them as if they were one big family. They probably really were. Dana didn't know if she would fit in if she wanted to fit in. Would she be cooking and doing the dishes from this day on?

Would that really be so bad? You're quite safe here, and there's a roof above your head, and you don't starve. You're treated like a lil' princess.

Her lips curled in a sneering grin. It was an enormous change of circumstances, and even in jail she'd be better off than in the house she'd fled from.

She turned her attention to the room. There was a bed, a chair and a closet. There was this strange smell, something sweet and cigarette smoke. On the walls hung yellowed posters of bikes and scantily dressed women.

It wasn't much, but she wouldn't dare to complain. She put the bags on the ground, she would unpack them later. She sat down on the bed, the sheets smelled clean. For a while she was just sitting there, staring. She realized she was pretty tired.

. . .

Two knocks on the door startled her. She jumped up and needed a few seconds to remember where she was. She was safe, wasn't she?

She shuffled to the door, opened it a little. Relief flushed her sorrows away when she saw Jax's blue eyes. "You ready to eat?"

She nodded and stroked her hair. It must be a mess, she had fallen asleep. But hey, she wasn't here to impress anyone. They were just going to eat.

"Are you okay?" Jax gave her a penetrating look.

"Yea... I am..." She smiled. There was something familiar with him, with one look he could create the impression that he cared about you. A loyal type, she suspected, who would step into the fire for his friends. Although that probably went for all of them. The club above all.

Jax took her to the canteen, there stood a long table that was surrounded by mostly men. There were a few children and women, but they were clearly a minority. A middle-aged woman put a large pan on the table, then she walked to them.

"Hi, great that you're here, sweetheart." The woman laid a hand on her upper arm and kissed her cheek. "Let me know if ya need anything."

"That's Gemma," Jax explained. "My mom."

"Not only his, I often get the impression." Gemma smiled.

"Dana."

Gemma looked well for someone of her age. The first wrinkles had found her face, but she had a nice figure and a heart-warming smile.

Dana found a chair between Opie and a man with wild, grey curly hair. She felt everyone was watching her, and got over it immediately. "Thank you for being so nice to me." She bowed her head to the man who sat at the head of the table, who nodded to her. The patch on his cut showed that he was the club president. With his grey hair, he looked older than most others, although the ages varied from late twenty to seventy.

The plates were filled. Dana didn't say much during dinner, but she observed the others. She listened to the tall tales of Bobby, the blue jokes of Tig and was surprised to see that both Jax and Opie had children.

It was cozy, she realized when she put her plate away when she was finished. The last time she'd enjoyed a meal, was too long ago to remember.

Slowly her smile grew bigger.