The Scottish Thistle and The English Rose by HaylsValo

Chapter 9: Heartache

Two years later – March 2005

Things in Charming soon settled again over the next two years - save for the usual club trouble - within days of Boo moving in with Tig things between Tig and Clay had improved greatly and by the new year's their relationship was as it had been, with the pair seeming closer as a result of everything that had happened with Boo. Clay and Boo's relationship also improved, but although they never became close, Boo developed great respect and sense of gratitude to her father for what he had done for her. All that had passed between them became one of the clubs worst kept secrets, although none of the club dared to speak about it. Not around Clay anyway. Jax saw what had happened between Clay and Boo as a warning and took the time to get together with Boo once or twice a month, usually taking her out for dinner or to see a film. He and Boo became fast friends, but they were never that close, however Jax remained fiercely protective of his little sister.

Tig and Boo remained, and continued to grow ever closer to one another despite the occasional fights they had over chores, curfews and whose turn it was to attempt to cook. Neither of the pair had even the remotest cookery skills (despite Gemma's frequent attempts to teach Boo to cook) and they often resulted in ordering take-outs – especially after the time Tig almost burnt the kitchen down trying to cook a chicken. The bond between Boo and Tig was strengthened even more so by the shared affections they had for Boo's pet Rottweiler Tillie. When Tillie was just a few months old both Boo and Tig became incredibly concerned when they realised that the puppy wasn't gaining much weight and hadn't grown very much at all. A check up at the vet's assured them that while Tillie was as healthy as could be; she was suffering from dog dwarfism and would never grow to be a full sized Rottweiler. Tillie never grew to be much bigger than Jack Russell terrier. Many people mistook her for a puppy, with the only features to give away her true age being her eyes and her face. Despite her small stature she had a big place in Boo's heart who took her everywhere, uncaring that her pet was just a fraction of the dog she should have been. Tig was rather annoyed that she'd stayed so small as he'd been hoping Tillie would grow into a large, protective guard dog for Boo.

Just after Boo turned 17 SAMCRO celebrated Chibs first year in Charming as well as the patching in of Juice, their new intelligence officer. His prospect cut was swiftly given to a string of new hopefuls, but not a one of them seemed to last more than a few weeks or in the case of one yellow bellied prospect, minutes, fleeing after Tig punched him square in the nose for daring to say that he thought Boo was 'cute'.

By the spring after her 17th birthday Boo had completed and passed all her A – Level exams and her GED with high end marks. She choose to wait just over a year to go to college (where she wanted to study History and Creative Writing, intend on one day becoming a historical novelist) wanting a break from schoolwork before she went on to University. Much to everyone's surprise she started looking at college's close to Charming. Everyone had expected her to pick a college in another part of the country, but Boo had been adamant that she didn't want to stray far from Charming. In her eyes she'd only just gained the loving family she had around her, and she wasn't prepared to lose them just yet. What she didn't admit to was that she's miss her family – in particular Gemma, Tig, Jax and Chibs – far too much if she moved and was scared to live without the protection of the club. Tig had been elated when he realised that Boo wasn't going to be moving out – he'd been terrified at the thought of losing her, although he'd never admit to it.

Chibs and Boo remained friends, although their relationship was often strained and tense as Boo's feeling's for Chibs came and went sporadically. She was determined to do as Tig suggested and get over Chibs, and often she managed to dull the feelings she had for him, but they always came back, each time stronger than before, often through little more than a smile from the Scotsman. She kept her altering feelings to herself feeling it the best option to get past him. Every time she tried to talk to Tig about it he made fun of her, swiftly followed by a long boring talk where he repeated that Chibs was a club member and that she deserved better than that. Chibs was ever confused by the fact that Boo's behaviour frequently changed around him. One day she'd be chatty and friendly, even teasing him and the next she's barely say a word to him, would barely be able to look at him. He was always trying to figure her out, and while the thought occurred to him many a time that she might have feelings for him, he always brushed it aside for in his mind, what would a sunny, intelligent young woman like Boo want with a bitter, cut up old Scotsman like himself? Over the years Chibs tried to date a few women – mostly skinny brunettes – but was never able to hold a relationship down and always fell back on the croweater's and whores that SAMCRO had to offer. Boxes of tea continued to arrive monthly on Chibs pillow, and although he always tried to catch Boo out he was never able to. When he finally moved into his own apartment, the tea instead found its way to the seat of his bike. After the first month Chibs made sure a large bar of chocolate found its way into Boo's bag every time tea appeared. They never talked about their silent exchanges but both were very grateful to one another.