A Road At Night

Opie sighed, "That came out shitty...I'm sorry. I lost my wife a couple years back; it has been rough. My kids are staying with my mother right now, well, for a while."

She raised an eyebrow, why would he feel the need to be so candid with her. She sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I knew what you meant. Well, kind of. I just, well, I have al ot of things I'm running from."

The urge to run her hands through her hair came on and she pulled out her ponytail to accommodate it. Her red hair tumbled down her back in a mass of unruly curls. She really was the redheaded step child.

Opie nodded, "I get it...well, you can stay here as long as you like. Obviously, I have the room." He handed her a plate of pizza and a can of soda. "Sorry, I don't have much around here."

She took the pizza gladly, "I'll get out of here as soon as I can. no need to turn your life upside down for me.

She didn't know how long she could stay before she'd have to leave again. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to fight off the stress. Pushing the plate away, she shook her head.

"Guess I'm not as hungry as I thought."

Opie shook his head, "I'm not scared of anything, so don't rush out of here on my account. You can stay for as long as you want. It'd be nice to have the company for a change."

Letting her gaurd down she slumped forward and whispered, "thank you."

Everything wasweighing her down. It might be nice to have a friend. She excused herself and went to bed. Some time around dawn she had a terrible nightmare. Her own screaming had woke her up. She made her way to the kitchen and poured some juice.

Opie couldn't sleep and ended up out in the garage working on his bike out of boredom. The mystery behind Corrie weighed heavily on his mind as he worked his way around the bike; trying to keep himself distracted.

The noise in the garage was hard to ignore, so she made her way out there. He was bent over the frame of a bike, concentration all over his face. Despite the stress she was under, a small smile crept over her lips. His hair was long and streaked with gold in places. Under the big beard she imagined there was a kind face to match his eyes.

"Little early for that, isn't i t?"

Opie looked up briefly, smiling a little, "A little. I couldn't sleep. Did I wake ya?"

She sighed, "No, a nightmare did."

She'd tossed and turned all night trapped in the web of indecision. Opie, if he was going to take her in, deserved to know what she was running from. She was damaged, her life was damaged, she didn't want to damage him too. Sitting down her cup, she finally got up the courage to blurt out the truth.

She paced as she spoke a mile a minute, "Look, I think you deserve to know this, especially given the fact you took me in so willingly. I'm running from my family in LA. Well, if you can call it family. My step-dad, he'd abused my mom and me for years, but he crossed a line. He's a big guy, I couldn't stop him," tears started to flow as she looked away, ashamed, "But when he'd had his fill and had gone to sleep, I beat him to a pulp and ran. When you found me I'd been walking for days. He'll try to find me. He's a cop, he has the resources."

Opie looked at her in shock, standing up. He never understood how men thought it was okay to hurt women; to abuse them. He clenched his hands before rubbing his beard, shaking his head, "Jesus....what's this asshole's name?"

He walked over to her, cautiously resting his big hands on her shoulders, "You have to trust me, I can handle this and I won't let him hurt you. I swear it. I have my own connections; I just need details on this guy."

Resolutely she shook her head, "I can handle it."

Though she hadn't known where she was going when she left she did now. Only on a few occasions had she ever met her real father, but, in profession at least, he was the polar opposite of her step father. When Opie mentioned Charming she knew it wasn't coincidence that had put her on that road as he drove by. Her father was in Charming.

"Do you know Clay Morrow?"

Opie looked up from his project in surprise. How did she know Morrow? He nodded slowly, "He is sorta...ah, my boss. How do you know him?"

She tried to read his reaction, but he had quite the poker face. Surprise only registered for a second before he pulled on a mask. Still, it was long enough to bring a blush to her cheeks. She was aware her father probably had a bad reputation, deservedly so, and she hoped Opie would still want to help her after he found out. Looking down at her bare feet for courage, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sheepishly looked up at him. A set of stormy green eyes greeted her.

"I've only met him a handful of times, especially after he got married, but...well....He's my real Dad," her cheeks were on fire, "I swear I didn't know where I was going when you found me, but when you said charming,"she spoke at a feverish pace, "I knew it couldn't have been a coincidence you found me and that it must have been something telling me to go to him for help."

Opie dropped his tool into the toolbox below, shaking his head as he scrubbed his face in disbelief, "Jesus....Jesus....does he know about you leaving? Your stepfather? Anything? " He sputtered out the words, too shellshocked to expand further.

She sat down, his reaction shocking her some. Of course he didn't know, how could he know? Clay was never around. He was a biker who'd had a good night and drove off only to come back three or four times. Tears rose in her eyes, hell he probably wouldn't even care.

"No, he doesn't know. He was never there to know."

She gripped her hands together and looked at them.

Reactionary, Opie got up and went over to her; kneeling down in front of her, "I can go to him...talk it out and see what he can do."

Before she could think it through, she cupped his rough cheek with her hand. The pounding her heart made shocked her.

"No, I have to do this, just get me where I need to go."

Opie's weathered face softened, nodding after some moments passed, "He'll be by the shop in the morning. I'll take you then."

The next morning Opie took her to the shop as promised. She had Clay's eyes, it was what her mom told her all the time. As people stared at her, she wondered if she'd inherited more than that. Her palms began to sweat, but she felt Opie's hand firmly on the small of her back. It was oddly comforting though, she hardly knew him. She slowed some to take a place closer to him, making her feel safe.

Clay was sitting at the bar inside the club house, his face dropping in recognition when he saw her.

"Cor, what are ya doin here?" he rushed over to her.

She swallowed hard and noticed the hard look on Opie's face as he looked directly over Clay's head. She shook her head lightly and then looked at Clay.

"Daddy," she felt stupid and childish calling him that, but it was what he had always asked her to call him, "I need your help."

She told him all about what had happened and how she'd left. As the story went on he leaned closer to her, held her hand, and earned some alarming looks from an older woman Corrie knew to be his wife.

"I'll do what I can. We'll protect ya. You'll come home with me and Gem tonight."

She felt her chest tighten, she wanted to stay with Opie.

"No, I think I'm good where I'm at."

Opie got an unusual feeling of protectiveness. He kept his hand on the small of Corrie's back, "Clay, I got this."


ooc: >:-)

Clay turned red and Corrie had no idea what was going on, but felt like she was in the middle of a power struggle. Clay stood toe to toe with Opie, both men all but growling at each other. Corrie felt Opie pull her closer and blushed. Pushing her way between the two men, Corrie put her hand on Clay's shoulder.

"I'm staying with Opie, Dad."

Gemma came up behind him and whispered in his ear and the old man backed up, "Fine, but that's my fucking daughter, WinstoCn. You watch your step," then he looked at Cor, "I'll take care of this, but you stay here, in Charming, no leaving."

Corrie nodded and watch as they walked away. Gemma casually looked over her shoulder making Corrie feel like someone had dumped ice water on her. She shivered slightly and turned toward Opie.

"I don't know what is up between you two, but I think you need to tell me what's going on here."

Opie shook his head, "Not here. Lets go home...I'll tell you everything then."

She nodded, feeling all eyes on them, and followed him back out to the bike. the ride was short, but enjoyable. There was something about being close to him that way. She scolded herself as they walked into the door.

"Ok, explain."

Opie took off his knitted cap, running a nervous hand through his hair. He paced the living room floor with caution in every step. At last, stopping at the bay window, he stared coldly outside, "Your old man...he was involved in my wife's death. She was gunned down in the truck I was supposed to be in that night. He doesn't realize I know." He shook his head and turned to her, eyes full of hurt and rage, "He killed my old man too...shot him down like a dog; left him laying in his cabin for god knows how long until I found him..."