A Road At Night

Her mouth went dry and her palms sweated. She was sure this was why Clay didn't want her here. She backed away some, afraid she'd just found herself in the middle of a biker vendetta. A hand covered her mouth, tears sprang into her eyes, and she shook her head, "Jesus. how could he do that? What the fuck did I walk into?"

Opie shook his head, "I don't know...I just know I don't want you to be around him by yourself...that's why I was so persistent with him when it came to you staying with me. Clay plays dirty and destroys everything he can get his hands on."

"He's my Dad, Opie. My father," she paced, "How do I know you aren't going to use me to get to him?"

She crossed her arms.

Opie sighed, looking down, "You can't...but I hope someday you will. Let me ask you this: how many times did he send you a birthday card? Called you just to say hi? Or stop by to take you out for dinner? How many Christnas parties did he invite you to?"

She knew he couldn't know how much his words hurt, but she couldn't keep the heat out of her voice, "Not very many. I already chose to stay with you, god knows why as I barely know you, but I barely know him either."

The pain in his eyes made her want to comfort him. Without any real self control, she cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes.

"What is it about you?"

Opie shook his head, mesmerized by her eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm not trying to hurt you...I just felt like you needed to know. I don't expect you to take sides."

She laughed bitterly, "I suspect you may be the only one who doesn't."


Though she'd been hiding it all day, she had a splitting headache from all the stress. Exhaustion didn't begin to cover how she felt. Her body leaned against him for support and she didn't even realize she was doing it. He smelled like leather and a spicy cologne. She would bet, if she was a betting woman, that her eyes were glassy and bloodshot.

"Just promise me I'm not mistaken in trusting you."

Opie wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the smell of her apricot shampoo, "On my life."

The next morning she woke up in his bed, though she had no idea how she had gotten there. The bright sun streamed through the windows and birds chirped outside. She tried to stretch but found Opie restricting her movements with his sleeping form. Even sleeping, his face seemed troubled. though she knew she was overstepping boundaries, she brushed her fingers gently down his cheek and then played with his beard.

Opie had been having the same nightmare for weeks now; of Donna and Pop. He was reliving their death, watching them suffer, and ultimately, blame him in the end.

He jerked as Donna aimed for his face in his dream, grasping a tuft of hair. He woke with a start, gasping in panic. It was so real.

Shocked by his sudden movement, corrie gasped, her fingers still tangled in his beard. There was sweat on his forehead, buts of his hair matted to it, and his eyes looked haunted. He called out a name when he woke up, but she couldn't quite understand it.

"Shhhh," she hushed him and stroked his face,"It's ok."

Opie tried catching his breath; it was so real and it took him forever to realize it was only a nightmare. "...Jesus....Jesus..." He clung to Corrie protectively.

She didn't want to know what the nightmare was about if it left him looking that horrified. Instead, crossing all kinds of boundaries, she pulled his head to her chest and pressed her cheek to his hair.

"It's ok, it was just a dream, Opie."

He couldn't hold back the tears, "God, I'm sorry. I'm not a good man, Corrie...I'm not."

"It doesn't matter to me if [/i]you[i] think you're a good man or not. A bad man wouldn't have picked me up on the side of the road and offered me a home," she held him close, "It's ok, you'll be ok. If you can't do it yourself, I'll help you be ok."

Opie continued to hold her, "I got Donna killed...even after she warned me. I didn't protect my old man, I failed my kids, I rushed into a marriage with a porn star...I'm just bad news all the way around, Cor. My luck is bound to run out."

She knew he was losing it, she didn't know how she knew because it wasn't like he was her best friend, but she knew. Running out of options, she pulled him to look at her face-to-face, "Your luck will not run out. Not as long as I'm here."

Then, before she could think twice, she pulled him into a hard kiss.

Opie was struck dumbfounded, slowly kissing her back; his large fingers getting tangled in her hair.

Two months later.


After the incident involving Opie's nightmare, he'd pulled back from Corrie. She was still living with him and had become much more attached to him than any man she'd ever met, but he had his own hang ups and she knew that. So, she was willing to give him time. Though he had pushed her away, she could still see a difference in him. He played with his kids more. He smiled more. His edges seemed to soften. She hoped her patience would eventually pay off.

She'd gotten closer to Clay, too. Even though she could tell Opie didn't like that. She'd had dinner with Gemma, Clay, and Jax. She could see they were dysfunctional. Still, Clay really seemed to be trying to protect her. Her step father had beat her mother. It tore at her heart to know that was probably her fault, but she wasn't going back.

When that didn't bring her home he sent some false reports about her being tied to drug running, bringing in the FBI. Of course they would investigate her, she was living with and a daughter of SoA members. She was stressed, tired, sick to her stomach.

To top it all off she'd found something out that morning and had no idea how she was going to tell Ope or how he would take it.


She sighed as she threw her keys down on the kitchen table. The kids were staying with Mary, they loved to do that. Opie was in the garage working on the bike. She made her way out and just stood, watching him work. She loved his big hands and the way he moved with confidence.

Opie looked up to see her, smiling softly, "Hey, I didn't hear you come in." Even though he had his fucked up problems, he loved having Corrie. She made him feel more together and not as disjointed as before.

She walked over to him and sat on a stool near where he was working. Gently, she put a hand on his. She knew this wasn't going to go over well. For all she knew she could end up at Clay's before this was all said and done. She sighed, knowing she couldn't put it off any more.

"I have to tell you some things," she looked down at her feet, "First, you need to know that, even though I've only been here a couple months, I love you. I know you don't want that, but there it is. Second," tears stung her eyes as she used her hair to hide her face,"I know it was just the one time, but Opie, I'm pregnant."

Opie stared at her in shock before standing up and walking Over to the nearest workbench. He leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest. He looked away, shaking his head, "I can't do this....are you sure it isn't his?"

She'd prepared for him to say a million hurtful things, but not that. The tears flowed down her cheeks and she glared at him.

"How dare you."


And with that she packed her bag and left for Clay's.

Opie sat there in shock, watching yet another viable person in his life disappear.

For months she waited for Opie to come bang down Clay's door. For the giant to come to terms with what he said and realize he wanted her, but it never happened. She moped around Clay's and Gemma tried to get her to perk up, but it never happened. When she did leave the guys told her that Ope was a mess, drinking, being out of control, reckless. A few times they told her he had shown up at Clay's but Clay hadn't allowed him in, but she wrote that off as untrue. Her own father wouldn't do that to her, surely.

Finally, after four months apart from him, not even going to the clubhouse Corrie went to Teller-Morrow. She couldn't take it anymore. She was a mess, he was a mess something had to break. When she got there Clay was screaming at Opie, Jax holding him back.

"You knocked up my daughter, insulted her, then left her by herself and you expect me to let you near her?"