Simple Fire

Stubborn

She left her bedroom not knowing what to say to the two men in her house. Chibs was standing at the stove tending to a skillet of scrambled eggs while a pan of sausages were frying next to them. Jax handed her a cup of coffee before she even said a word. She just nodded in thanks and set down at the dining room table. It was an awkward silence especially after Tig entered the room.

Chibs finally set two plates down and then set down with a cup of coffee. Tig thanked the Scot for making breakfast earning a head nod in reply. Jax was dying to know so he finally just asked.

"So. How long has this been going on?" The blond asked.

"A week or so." Tig shrugged.

"Not that it's any of your business." She added in making the Scot smile at her.

"Is this why you've been...acting so strangely lately?" Jax questioned.

"No." Tig was quick to say, "Whatever's going on between us is just... (he sighed) ...I'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

"Tig, things with you haven't been fine. We're all worried about you." Jax softened his voice, "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm upset over this. I'm really not. Just worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about." Tig stated.

"And you call me stubborn?" Teegan piped up with an eyeroll.

"Not you too." Tig sighed.

"What?" She innocently stated before taking a bite of her sausage.

Jax's pre-paid went off so he left the room to answer it.

"The whole club knows about us, don't they?" She suddenly asked.

"Jax told Clay we found Tigger at yer place. Didn' give much more detail than tha'." Chibs explained.

"So, yeah, everyone knows." She sighed.

Jax returned to the dining room, "Clay wants you with him today and I'm to head to the tattoo shop with Teegan."

"Ugh. I thought I got rid of you lot?" She huffed making the blond smile.

"Sorry, Darlin', more trouble I'm afraid." He told her.

Once she'd cleaned up from breakfast, and thanking Chibs for cooking for them, they headed off to their respective locations. Tig and Chibs to the clubhouse. Jax and Teegan to the tattoo shop. As soon as Tig had parked his bike, Clay was stalking over to give him an earful. The SAA apologized and said he must not have heard his phone ring. "Getting' pussy ain't no reason to not hear your phone ring!" Clay bellowed at him making Tig ball his fists.

"Is there something you need?" Tig asked through gritted teeth.

"Accompany Chibs and Quinn to Lodi. We have a meeting there in an hour." Clay huffed before walking back to the clubhouse.

Chibs gave his shoulder a light squeeze before hopping on his bike. Quinn walked over and climbed on his bike ready to follow the other two. Teegan opened her shop and flipped the 'open' sign on. She told the blond to just have a seat as she went to get her broom and dustpan. He watched her sweep the whole shop before turning on the TV and cable box.

For once she didn't have to wait for hours for her first customer. A teen had come in with her dad for her first tattoo. Jax watched as Teegan explained the legal stuff about teens getting tattoos and needing a parent signature before handing over the right page. They talked about her tattoo and where she wanted it. Teegan drew her something up which she had to tweak several times before the girl was satisfied with it.

The blond biker watched as Teegan told the girl everything she was doing as she was doing to in order to keep the girl calm and relaxed. The father stayed right there with his daughter as she got her first tattoo. The father-daughter pair talked about various things as Teegan remained silent doing her work. She was so tunnel-visioned on what she was doing that everything else faded away around her. When she was done with the tattoo, the girl went to check it out in the full-length mirror.

She squealed seeing her design on her skin then flung herself into her father's arms. Teegan told the teen all about the aftercare as she wrapped it up then gave her a paper on it knowing the girl wasn't going to remember any of it. Her father paid for the tattoo and the pair left the shop. Jax watched her head to her workstation and start cleaning up and preparing for the next customer. He wondered about her. Would she ever warm up to the club? His pre-paid went off so he stepped outside to answer it.

Gemma was calling to tell him she was throwing a family dinner and she expect him there at seven pm. He laughed and said he'd be there. Walking back into the shop, he found her sitting in one of the lone chairs on the phone with someone.

"It's slow-going but it's picking up!" She smiled.

She laughed making him chuckle too.

"Definitely. You'd love it. I've somehow got myself saddled with the local biker gang." She rolled her eyes making him smirk at her.

"Well...maybe. (She giggled) Yeah, one. It's a bit more complicated than that."

He wondered if she was telling whoever she was talking to about Tig?

"Well, he's their Sgt-At-Arms so he's a bit..." She started out then huffed.

'Who the hell is she talking to?' the blond wondered as she watched her. Her body was relaxed so it was someone she knew very well. Someone she was very, very close to.

"No. Over-protective maybe." She laughed, "Reminds me too much of you and dad, to be honest."

He nodded. Talking to her mother perhaps?

"The over-protectiveness is suffocating, though! (She huffed) I know and it's appreciated but I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself."

Jax smiled. Still feisty even with her own family it seemed. That fact didn't surprise him in the slightest.

"Outside of that I think you guys would actually like him. He was a Marine too. Even showed me his Marine tat."

The overhead bell rung so she told whoever she was talking to she had a customer and had to go. She told them she loved them and that she'd talk to them again soon. Putting her phone in her pocket, she turned and greeted her next customer. "A friend of mine gave me your business card and said I'd love the work." the guy told her. She showed him a book of her previous work and then the book of potential tats before telling him she could also draw up something new if he wanted.

Jax sat there the rest of the day watching her tattoo people. Some she talked to, some she didn't. She was always courteous, professional, and kind to everyone. Nine times out of ten, they left her a tip which she always thanked them for. He called for the prospect to come and bring them lunch so they didn't have to leave. She was in the middle of doing a cover-up when the prospect arrived with their food and drinks.

He'd finished his meal by the time she was done with the cover-up. The girl loved and continuously thanked her for the work. She paid for the new ink, grabbed a business card, and left the shop. Jax nodded towards the paper bag and drink on the floor making her sigh happily. Her stomach started making noises making him chuckle.

A/N: Think her and Jax will get along?

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