KIT TAYLOR | kitaylcr​

Several times Kit tried to stand or at least get onto his knees, but he felt as if he were falling into quick sand. Foolishly, the man had no form of self defence on his body other than his own hands. Perhaps he had subconsciously been waiting for such an event to happen just so he could feel something. At times he would feel everything or nothing at all, depending on the level of narcotics burning through his veins. But this was tangible, this he knew was real, and not something his brain has conjured up. Kit’s mind willed himself to fight, but his body couldn’t keep up. He felt as if he were two seconds behind and every swing of his fist felt sloppy and uncalculated. Granted it was five men against one, but they always seemed to have one up on him and it wasn’t long until he felt his fire to survive whither away into ashes. 

Time felt as if it had slowed as Kit hit the floor for the final time, dismally accepting his fate and waiting for the beating to be over. Maybe he deserved it, maybe this was sweet sweet karma for all the shit he had put his friends through over the past few months. Another kick to the abdomen, another punch to the jaw. There was blood from something somewhere, and Kit felt a surging pain in his side that was only worsened by another brute force. He silently begged to slip away into unconsciousness, knowing that way it would be over soon a whole lot quicker. His vision began to blur as his surroundings felt dizzying, but with three harsh bullets piercing the air, Kit fiercely blinked himself awake, wondering if that was his saviour or just someone coming to finish the job.

Any other time, the sight of Andy would cause Kit’s stomach to turn and he would immediately find the closest exit. But in the situation he had found himself in, Andy’s presence brought about a wave of relief. Everything was going to be alright. He was a man who held grudges - clearly - but he had never been a man to turn his back on the club or its members, regardless of the strains between them. Although Andy was more than a club member to Kit, he was family, and Kit hoped that had also influenced the man’s decision to step in. Knowing that the men were hastily fleeing the scene, Kit’s head fell back against the floor as he closed his eyes, his arms wrapping around his torso as if he were holding himself together.

“Hospital.” Kit barely even whispered as any small inhale caused a stabbing pain in his side. He winced and wheezed as he scrambled to roll onto his side, and with several groans through gritted teeth, he barely made it onto his knees. Kit paused there, his head hanging low as his body screamed out in pain. “Take me to the hospital.” he managed to exhale as he tirelessly clambered to his feet, almost putting the entirety of his weight onto Andy just to help him stay upright. 

--

Honestly, Andy’s surprised this hasn’t happened before with the two of them. Kit is on the short list of people he knows would get in over their heads and need back up. And while they’re not really on “speaking terms” per se, Andy’s not about to leave him behind. Plus, the other man  is part of the club (even if he doesn’t /want to be/). Kit’s patch may not mean much to him,  but to Andy — It means he’s going to help keep the man afloat, even if the idea of just turning him on his side and leaving him on the sidewalk crossed his mind. Eyes roll as Kit speaks, glad he’s at least got enough sense to bring up going to the ER instead of popping some pain killers and insisting on “sleeping it off”. “Yeah, no shit.” Andy huffs as he helps Kit roll onto his side and regain his footing. An arm wraps around from under Kit’s shoulder to help hold him up, and so that he can lean his weight on Andy. 

“C’mon,” he begins to move, pulling Kit along with him, slowly but surely making their way back to the truck. The obvious question looms over them, and admittedly, Andy’s curious as to what happened. He can only assume it’s some sort of revenge plot — whether it be because Kit got into it with the wrong group of guys at the bar, or something that has to do with the Club. Either way, it’s thrown off the rest of Andy’s night. After practically dragging the man to his truck, he somehow manages to get Kit into the passenger seat. He buckles the man in, feeling like he’s carting around an overgrown toddler. 

Once he’s back in the car, Andy sends a quick text to Rowan to let her know what’s going on, with a promise to further explain when he gets back home. “I’m makin’ you pay for new seats, just so ya know.” He grimaces, eyes drifting to Kit’s half conscious form, knowing there’s going to be a blood stain or two left behind. He makes a mental note to not let Rowan see the truck until it’s properly cleaned — Andy can already see the conversation in his head, and more insistence on getting rid of the poor excuse for a tow truck. Wordlessly, he starts the truck back up and does a u-turn, so that they can make their way to the hospital. Or well, Andy can dump Kit on the front steps of the ER. While he may be willing to come to his friends rescue, he’s not about to sit at his bed side holding his hand. “You conscious enough to tell me what the fuck happened?” He asks after a few minutes of silence, giving Kit an unimpressed look.

As much as Andy loved to cook, he enjoyed the unexpected arrival of food much more. It wasn’t often that someone showed up to the clubhouse with something to share – that wasn’t stale beer and a pack of cigarettes – unless it was around Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Admittedly, when it came to people bringing food to the clubhouse, he liked judging the dishes with Rowan at home after Thanksgiving instead of actually eating it) Though in Izzy’s case, he’s had some of her cooking before – So when she enters the clubhouse with an aluminum foil covered dish, Andy’s first thought isn’t to toss it out. The Siren turned Old Lady seemed to be able to hold her own well enough in the kitchen, based on things Wyatt’s told him and left overs Andy’s had himself. “M’sure I can toss someone the sludge Carrie tries to pass off as casserole to make room,” he answers with a shrug, more than happy to have an excuse to toss the offending food – He’d tried to be nice, given how excited Carrie, a newer member’s wife, had been about making some family recipe, but it tasted like mush he wouldn’t even feed the twins. “What’d’ya got with ya?” He asks, nodding towards the dish in question, curiosity piqued.

@andythane​

Since getting together with Wyatt, things had been moving rather quickly. She’d definitely gone headfirst into this one, which seems to be going well so far. Not that there weren’t a lot of people doubting it, she’s sure. From the face of Reina in her home recently, Izzy’s sure that Reina thinks she’s on the way out at any point— or at least hopes. But considering Izzy had been a Siren and then an Old Lady in a past life, she knew there wasn’t much to change her mind. But she tried to be a team player, at least making sure that the Primordials liked her, even if the women would never. That’s how she found herself at the Clubhouse on an afternoon, bringing an extra tray of food for the general Primordial population. Izzy loves to cook and being that she ends up being pretty good at it (most of the time), she might as well share the wealth. The thing about learning to cook in the household of a large family, her four siblings and her parents, she never really learned to cut down the recipe. Lifting her sunglasses quickly as she steps inside, she smiles as she finds the Vice President. “Andy— hey, do you think there’s room for this in the fridge?” she says lifting the pan a little higher. “I suck at cutting down my mom’s recipes so it’s either leave this here or Wyatt is going to have leftovers for like a year,” she jokes. “I’m no Harper but I have a little something up my sleeve.”

Andy knows they’re living on borrowed time when it comes to Otto -- While a few club members (mainly former members of the Crooked Bastards) try to play oblivious to the obvious, for people like Andy and Wyatt, it’s a difficult feat to be in the same room as Otto without losing their shit. He can see the tension rolling off the latter during Church, at least finding comfort in the fact that Wyatt knows better than to try and challenge the man at the head of the table in the middle of a club meeting. “You look like you’re gonna pop a fuckin’ blood vessel.” He greets him, not bothering with any social formalities as the two clearly hang back and end up the last to leave. Andy gives Wyatt a look, one that easily conveys patience when it comes to Otto -- Getting rid of someone like that takes far more patience than either have combined, but the plan is slowly moving. “Guy really gets off on the sound’a his own voice.” 

starter: @andythane​ location: clubhouse

Sitting in church watching that man at the head of the table will never not get under Wyatt’s skin. Under the table his fingers curl into tight fists, flex and release. Over and over until the gavel bangs to dismiss them. He’s all but accepted that there’s nothing he can do about Steel, but that doesn’t stop his blood from boiling. Everyone makes their way out of the main room, bottlenecking at the door. Wyatt hangs toward the back of the crowd, eager to put some distance between him and Steel, who had been one of the first out the door.

He ends up shoulder to shoulder with Andy Thane. Better than any of the former Bastards. “Whole meeting and he still ain’t say a single productive thing. Could’a been a text message and save us all the gas,” he says in a low tone knowing he can’t wear his disdain as openly as he’d like.

ANDRES MARQUEZ | andrsmarquz​

ANDRES smirked and tapped his hand on Andy’s shoulder. “I knew I could count on you. You’d hold my head up and mouth open?” He asks and waits a beat before laughing. “Not that good of a friend, huh? Had to try man, but I appreciate it.” Andres was doing the worst part of his job as of late and that was being a fucking exterminator. Luckily for him, he’d gotten a few men to help out and he paid them until the next body slumped on the ground and he’d have something exciting to do. “Four kids. Fuck that. I don’t know how you do it.” Andy and his girl were saints and doing the lords word by raising a whole litter. It also explained the short fuze. “Got my car to get checked up but I was hoping to catch up.”

--

Eyes roll at Andres, but Andy shares the same bit of laughter. “Don’t push your luck.” He advises the man with a serious look, though there isn’t much heat behind it. Besides, if it came down to it — They both know Andy would just have a Prospect to handle things, rather than deal with Andres’ drunk ass on his own. Eyes narrow as the man in front of him speaks, the look clearly painting a small warning. He didn’t care if Andres didn’t want a family or kids or anything of the like — It was just a thin line to walk when teasing, especially if it involved his family. “Lotta coffee and will power.” Andy shrugs, “And a nanny.” He adds, knowing they wouldn’t be able to stay afloat without an extra set of hands — Rowan’s parents have been a help too, though his pride won’t let him praise the Fishers. A small chuckle passes Andy’s lips at his friend’s explanation. “So really you were just lookin’ to fuck around for a couple hours.” He shrugs, taking a drag of his cigarette. “M’game. Keeps me from havin’ to do of the borin’ shit in there.” Andy nods to the garage as he speaks.

Thanksgiving had gone off without a hitch, the day being the perfect mixture of good food, time with the family (and thankfully his Ma, too), and watching the game. Once dinner was said and done and they were all left to their own devices — He found himself in the kitchen with Wes, brow arched as the man spoke. His friend had certainly stepped up when it came to fatherhood, especially since he was thrown into single fatherhood — Though he wouldn’t put it past Wes to suggest getting high between dinner and dessert. Honestly, Andy was kind of surprised he hadn’t. “S’the kinda stuff ya save for after bedtime,” he points out with a knowing look, having spent plenty of nights on the back porch with Rowan, sharing a joint while the baby monitor sat between them. “M’willin’ to make an exception. C’mon, we can go out to my workshop. We got time to kill.” He nods towards the back door, leading the way.

@andythane​

Thanesgiving 

What a difference it had been since last Thanksgiving. He had Ryan now where last year he was childless and still with his ex. With Ryan in the other room, bouncing on someone’s lap, he went to find Andy. “You got no idea how badly I wanted to bring somethin’ for us to smoke between dinner and dessert but y’know, we’re dadding now and all. It’s not appropriate to do right now, right?” He was asking for approval to do it more than anything. “I got one in my pocket, actually.”  

MATT RIVAS | mcttrivas​

He pushed his foot, looking down at the ground, “That some Rogues were found dead. I’m trying my best to make sure it just seems like a random act of coincidence but that’s a provin’ to be a little harder. If it was one of ‘em, I could chalk it up to something different. But a few?” Finally, he looked back up at the man. He didn’t want to lecture Andy, but both of their asses were on the line if some shit was found out, “Just gotta be more careful. Or y’know, give me a heads up when there’s gonna be some dead bodies that belong to your rivals, man. I don’t want this comin’ back to the Club.” 

--

The moment the words pass Matt’s lips, Andy knows exactly what he’s referencing. He nods as the Chief Deputy speaks, knowing the man isn’t coming here to threaten or gain something — He’s been working with them for too long for that to be much of a suspicion. (Though, that doesn’t mean Andy is going to give him every detail right off the bat) “We’ve got it handled, Rivas.” Andy answers simply with a nod, understanding what the man in front of him means. While everyone knows the club is typically behind any mysterious deaths, they didn’t want to risk leaving an actual trail behind. Rumors were on thing, but actual proof that could lead someone to the MC was unacceptable. At least they had Matt as a buffer, if anything came up. “It’s not exactly like we schedule that kind of shit,” he rolls his eyes as he speaks, “Anyone sniffin’ around?”

SETH CARTER | scthcartcr​

Seth hasn’t really been sure what to make of the glimpse in the window. He knew that there were a lot of things that it could’ve been and considering he’s only got one eye— well, it’s hard to trust what he saw. Seth shakes his head with a shrug. “I dunno. Like I said it was just a quick thing. Barely even noticed it,” he recalls, having seen it over Emme’s shoulder. He hadn’t wanted to spook her but with the girls upstairs, he knew he couldn’t take the chance. “Yeah, I might while Em’s there, ‘least. Definitely freaked her the fuck out when I’m tellin’ her to go up with the girls and lock the door,” he admits. It was his first real encounter where his family had been at risk because of the Club. He hated the feeling that it was his fault and to be clear, it was his fault if something happened. “Em doesn’t need this kinda shit.”

--

Andy is a skeptic by nature, having always leaned more towards the side of paranoia than any belief in coincidence. He’s seen far too many times what assuming something is nothing can lead to. And when it comes to the Rogues, he's not taking any chances no matter how long they’ve been dormant. “It was enough to notice it, though.” Andy points out with a serious look. He sighs, knowing far too well how this kind of thing goes. He still remembers all the times he and Rowan had to discuss a Plan B if shit went sideways when Tyson was still around, especially after Maddie was born. Andy remembers every panicked conversation and each time Rowan flinched because of an unexpected sound — It's hard not to let the same anger bubble to the surface now, even though the man in question was long dead. “She doesn’t need it but this is the kinda shit that comes with the Club.” Andy points out, not caring if Seth will be annoyed by it. “Don’t take any chances.”

ROWAN THANE | rothane​

Jeremiah’s love life has always been interesting to Rowan, if not just for the entertainment that it brought along with it. Obviously she had wanted him to find someone to settle down with once he made it clear that was something that he wanted, but it would be a lie to say that she hadn’t found it at least a little bit entertaining to have a front row seat to the shittiest season of The Bachelor. “I think I should get to pick the contestants on his season,” she continues on as if this is something actually happening. “I’ve got way better taste than he does.” Or at least she likes to think she does — and considering she’s been in a happy marriage for nearly half of her life, she’d say her taste is pretty good. Or maybe she had just lucked out and managed to find one of the few genuinely decent men in Olympus. Rowan doesn’t exactly have a lot to compare it to, all things considered, but she has enough single friends she has seen go through the song and dance of finding love to know that the dating pool in town doesn’t leave much to be desired. 

“It’s nice, right?” Benny and Leighton had spent the majority of the night attached at the hip and Rowan has a feeling it’ll be that way for the next few years at least, if not longer. “Is it weird I’m kinda gonna miss him bein’ up my ass all the time?” She’s joking, of course — or at least for the most part. Obviously Rowan is thrilled for Benny to have a cousin his age now to spend time with and have fun at family functions but it would be a lie to say that her heart didn’t melt at how enthralled her oldest son is with her, often following her from room to room at family dinners and insisting on sitting in her lap. Her expression changes a little when Andy talks about being worried, sighing quietly. “Jer said she signed all her parental rights away. Between that and the fact that he’s her biological father, I dunno if she’d have a leg to stand on even if she did decide to come back.” Rowan’s brows furrow, knowing that Andy is thinking about how difficult their own situation had been. Obviously Jer isn’t in for a walk in the park with social services, but the situations are like comparing apples to oranges. “S’fucked up though, right, to do that at all?” Her frown deepens even more, gaze flickering over to the baby monitor momentarily and her chest tightens at even the thought of being separated from her children and she can’t imagine anyone actually having the nerve to try and come back from abandoning their child in the first place. 

She doesn’t miss the way Andy tenses when they talk about her parents, the laughter from making fun of her coworkers and Jeremiah’s supposed curse having died down. She can’t exactly blame him. The relationship they have with her parents is strained on even their best days and more often downright turbulent. Her mother has made it clear that she has no interest in actually getting to know Andy or finding any peace with him, often ending in a fit between Rowan and her mother about how unfair it is. Still, she doesn’t want to keep her children from knowing their grandmother — especially with how fragile Rhea is right now — so Rowan tries to be the bigger person. But if Andy wanted to put his foot down and put a stop to it after everything, she wouldn’t blame him and would side with him. “I don’t even know if she’ll be able to handle all four of them. They’ve never kept the twins over night before, for all we know she’ll be callin’ us two hours in and beggin’ us to come get them.” But they both know that isn’t likely. Addison would rather die before taking that kind of blow to her pride. Rowan shifts on the counter, letting Andy stand between her thighs. Her hands move instinctively to rest on his forearms, thumb sweeping against the tattoos there. “I think it’ll be okay. We can take ‘em trick or treating, get ‘em all hopped up on sugar and drop them at their place.”  She laughs into the kiss, leaning up to meet Andy part way. “You wanna stay in for your birthday or go out?” Ideally, she would love to throw him a big party on the Saturday but considering how fragile his sobriety is right now, she doesn’t see that as the best idea. “You get to call the shots on this one.” 

--

He doesn’t stop the loud laugh that comes with Rowan’s idea, though he stops short and freezes as he realizes he could have woken the kids — A glance to the baby monitor thankfully confirms all four kids are still out like a light. “I’ll help you vet ‘em.” Andy suggests, having a feeling his brother would have settled down years ago if Rowan was able to have more of a hand in his dating life. “We gotta throw in a couple’a crazy ones, though. Always makes for good TV.” He chuckles lightly at his own joke, giving her a faux-serious look. He can only hope things with Marisol stay the way they are — Clearly she was able to hold her own, especially in the midst of a dramatic life change. Andy isn’t one to actually meddle in his brother’s dating life, but he’s keeping his fingers crossed.

“It is,” he answers with a smile, grateful to see his son feel comfortable enough to come out of his shell a bit more. There’s no question he’d inherited plenty from his father — Including shyness when it came to being social, surely going to end up an introvert just like Andy. Eyes roll at the mention of Benny being a Mama’s Boy, though his grin gives him away. “No one could replace his Ma, Ro.” He laughs lightly as he speaks, though they both know it’s true. They both know Benny will always been Rowan’s biggest fan — Right behind Andy, of course. “Now he’s got someone new to talk about you to, and tell /you/ all about, too.” He points out, though his smile fades as their conversation shifts to Leighton’s birth mother. It all reminds him of his own experiences, of meeting Delphine and being told all about how he ruined her life. He knows that’s probably not the case with Leighton (he hopes, at least), but the memory still stings. “It’s real fucked up.” He wrinkles his nose, wishing he had more information to go off of — But he’s grateful his niece is at least in a home with someone who will love her unconditionally. “I keep thinkin’ if it was one of our kids… I’unno, I can’t wrap my head around it, I guess.” 

There’s a part of him that used to wish for a relationship with the Fisher’s — To find a fatherly connection with Rowan’s father and any sort of common ground with her mother. At this point, he’s settled with simply being on speaking terms. He doesn’t want his kids to miss out on a relationship with their grandparents (especially now that his Ma isn’t someone who can babysit or just drop in unannounced anymore) because Henry and Addison missed the mark. Though, all of that being said — It doesn’t change the way his jaw sets and knots settle in his stomach, an immediately defensiveness surfacing at the mere mention of the two. “S’it petty to say I hope she struggles with it?” He laughs lightly, brow arched as he gives Rowan a look. His hands move absentmindedly, one on her thigh and the other against the counter top. “We can set our phones to silent n’ let karma handle the rest.” He suggests, though they both know he’s all talk. Addison would manage just fine — And they would never miss a call if something were to really happen. His lopsided grin returns at the mention of giving the kids plenty of sugar before leaving them with their grandparents. “That sounds like a pretty good plan to me.” He nods, shrugging a shoulder in regard to her question. He’s never been big on being the center of attention or having a big party, even though he knows Rowan would love to celebrate him like that. “I think I’d like a night in.” Andy answers after a moment, nodding as he speaks. “Yeah, I think you, me, some take out and a shitty movie sounds like a good night.” It’s simple — But honestly, he’d just like to spend quality time with her more than anything. “And a big ass birthday cake, obviously. I’m thinking chocolate.” 

JEREMIAH THANE | jeremiahthcne​

Shaking his head Jer couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Don’t haveta do that man - I already called someone a,” he stopped to cover Leighton’s ears before continuing. “Bastard, on the way here.” The Thanes had a cursing problem and that problem led to cursing around developing ears and walking echo chambers. “We’ll test that theory on Sunday though, see how fast she falls asleep after family dinner.” This upcoming Sunday would be Leighton’s first family dinner. He wasn’t worried as much as interested to see how she interacts with everyone all at once. “God I can’t though - that snowman, man. I hate him.” 

They were close, but sometimes even closeness didn’t make difficult conversations any better. “You don’t need to know what to say right now,” Jer said seriously. “Just know that when you know what you want to say - when you know what you need help with. You’ve got a lot of people in your corner.” He wasn’t going to abandon his brother when things got hard - he knew what that felt like and he wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone. “Until you know, you can tell me about the Thanksgiving plans I know you and Harper already have a list going.”

--

Eyes roll, a laugh passing his lips as they try to cover up their swearing. He’s done the best he can when the kids are around — But between him and Rowan, they don’t make it far before something slips and Benny hears and shouts it back at them. “I got a feelin’ the twin’s’ll be able to swear up a storm in no time.” He laughs lightly, only half joking, given that Benny’s first word was shit. Thankfully Rae and Henry’s hadn’t been quite so unorthodox — But Andy knows it’s only a matter of time. “Let ‘er out in the backyard with the rest of the kids after they eat and she’ll be out like a light by the time you get home.” Sunday was, by far, the easiest night for bedtime — By the time everyone left the kids were too exhausted from running around with their cousins to put up a fight about getting into their PJs. 

His shoulders loosen up as his brother speaks, looking at anything but the man next to him. Andy looks ahead of them, watching people move through the parking lot to their cars. Jer is on the short list of people Andy trusts — But it doesn’t make these kinds of conversations any easier. Even with Rowan, it still takes a bit of prodding to get him to fully be honest about his feelings, especially when it comes to this. “Thank you,” It’s not much, but he means it — It’s reassuring to know his brother has his back, even in this. The mention of thanksgiving pulls a small chuckle from him though, grateful for the change in topic. “S’a lotta organized chaos, every year.” He and Harper have the holiday down to a science, though it’s no mean feat. Up until the day of the two are going back and forth about recipes and side dishes. There’s a pause that follows, his jaw tensing as the lightness of the conversation fades as he catches a glimpse of someone who had been in AA getting into their car. “You ever —“ Andy starts and stops, sighing before finally looking back at his brother. “You ever feel like you’re just — If you start, you’re never gonna stop?” It’s vague and barely a real question, but he knows Jer will get the context, all things considered. With his near miss and the fact that his one year anniversary of sobriety is approaching, the ache his chest has only become worse. “It’s all I can think about most’a the time.” 

Andy and Todd’s relationship had improved significantly over the last few months, having managed to come back from the brink. (Something Andy hadn’t been entirely confident would happen) Though, there was still a bit of unspoken tension that would find him every now and again — He tried not to spiral into his own anxieties and guilt, having to remind himself of the truth each time he got himself worked up. A brow arches as the younger man asks for help, honestly a bit surprised he hadn’t come to Andy earlier — Todd was a good kid, but he had a long way to go when it came to knowing how to fix a car. Andy gave a nod, following Todd’s lead. Giving him a skeptical look, Andy’s eyes narrow. “Do I even wanna know?” He finds himself asking, knowing with Todd that’s probably some ridiculous story attached to the explanation.

@andythane​

Thane Auto Shop

Todd’s favorite part of the day, well one of them, was when he got to watch Andy actually work. Andy was good at a lot of things; being a dad, helping run a club, and mechanic was also on his resume. It was one of the many reasons that he looked up to him, Andy was a well rounded guy. Todd, on the other hand, wasn’t good at much. Or at least he felt like he wasn’t good at anything. So with Todd working on this car, that he probably shouldn’t have been working on alone, he was looking to grab Andy and get his help. That was if Andy wanted to give it, of course. Yeah, they were working on their relationship but he knew it was never going to be the same. Honestly, he still replayed that night over and over in his head. Except when he replayed it, he didn’t allow Rowan to allow him to go home and leave her. It was his fault. It would always be his fault. “I was gonna ask you to help me start this car, Pops. I just need you to turn they key so I can look at how the brake fluid’s reactin’.” He could probably do it himself but he figured it would be good bonding or something. “My new tat kinda makes it uncomfortable to sit down.” Yeah, he had gotten a new one. No, it didn’t hurt that much. 

Truthfully, Kit wasn’t a thought in Andy’s mind over the last few months. He was still a pain in the ass and the two hadn’t settled anything, but it became second nature for them to both ignore and/or dodge the other. It’s routine by this point, with Kit no longer being bold enough to push back against the club. Or at least, not in front of Andy. He’d be liar if he said he didn’t miss his friend, as well as the one person from Rowan’s family that didn’t detest him — But he’d thankfully had the distraction of four children, a move, Reina’s recovery, and his own struggle to remain sober over the last few months to keep his mind off the topic. He’d seen Kit in passing mostly -- The other man only seems half present these days, but then again Andy wasn’t exactly sure what was going on in his day to day. 

Andy’s night at been spent at the auto shop, working late figuring out the rattling noise his bike had been making all week -- It was a nice distraction, something to keep him occupied for a few hours before heading home. Forcing himself to pause when the front desk girl began to close up, he took the tow truck home for the evening, despite knowing that Rowan will lecture him about how unsafe the car is in the morning. At a red light, he starts a text to his wife -- One to let her know he’ll be home soon for bath and bed time, so that she’s not stuck putting all of the kids to bed on her own. That had been the plan, at least. 

He spots a few guys to his right, in some alley between building. Normally Andy wouldn’t think much of it -- Olympus was a pretty violent place, and he wasn’t going to stick his neck out for some idiot who was probably getting what was coming to them. That was, however, all under the notion that he didn’t notice the leather cut on the man in questions back once he doubled over and landed in the view of the street light. Eyes rolled at the sight, grumbling profanities under his breath as he put the truck in park. Even if it was inconvenient, he wasn’t going to leave a club member to get their asses handed to them -- Clearly, this guy wasn’t going to win this fight. He quickly typed out a message to Rowan: Gonna be late. I’ll call in a minute and explain. before pocketing his phone and hopping out of the tow truck. The guys beating up the man didn’t pay his much mind, at least giving Andy an element of surprise. 

The closer her got to the scene, the quicker he realized who was getting his ass kicked -- Kit. Somehow, it didn’t surprise him, but his jaw tensed and hand instinctively reached for the gun tucked in his waistband. Kit was a fucking idiot in his book, but that didn’t mean Andy was interested in letting him die in the street -- Or pass out in an alley until some poor schmuck found him the next morning about to choke on his own blood. “Hey,” he called out, pulling his gun out to fire three warning shots into the air above them, managing to scare off all but one of the attackers -- Andy grabbed him by the back of his collar, forcefully yanking him away from Kit before shoving him in the opposite direction. “Piece of shit,” he spit at him as the man ran off, while Andy tucked his gun back into the waistband of his pants. Turning his attention back to Kit, he grimaced, squatting down to his former friend’s level. “Hey, jackass -- You hear me?” He tests first, moving to try and get his friend back on his feet. “C’mon, man. Get on your feet.” Andy continues, knowing he’s not going to make it home anytime soon. 

CLOSED STARTER ;

WITH: @andythane

It wasn’t the first night this week and it certainly wouldn’t be the last that Kit found himself stumbling out the doors of The Dive. He had spent the evening searching for Bowie’s attention, knowing that if anyone could put a stupid smile on his face, it would be them. But to no avail, Kit hadn’t found them. And so instead, what he had found was a private room with a couple of dancers and a little plastic bag to share between them. With a couple drinks in his system, this definitely seemed to have perked up Kit’s mood, and had invited the girls back after closing time for a little after party. Although this had the man scurrying out to pick up more of that sweet sweet powder they were all so fond of.

The moon was already high up in the sky, its perfect circular shape hazed out by blankets of clouds and the cold November air caused Kit to shove his hands into his pockets. On second thought - he was going to take a short cut home. It was sketchy, but then what part of Olympus wasn’t sketchy? It was a dark and long alleyway, one that Kit had no problem stumbling down as he hummed a song to keep himself company. 

He hadn’t noticed the men following behind him until he heard one of them cough, causing him to half glance backwards. In the corner of his eye, Kit caught only two men. But he shrugged it off, maybe they were taking a short cut home too. But then the sound of boots scuffing against the ground up ahead caused Kit to glance upwards, counting another three. Suddenly they stopped and Kit huffed a curse word as he knew something real sketchy was beginning to take form. He stopped a few feet away, giving a tentative look behind him to see the two men had closed in on him too. 

“Whatever this is, I ain’t interested.” Kit called out, raising his hands in surrender. “You’ll be interested to know that your fuckin’ drugs gave my kid an overdose, you piece of shit.” one of the masked men grunted. “Don’t know what you’re on about - I’m an accountant.” Kit shoved his hands in his pockets again and tried to force his way past the human barricade, his shoulder harshly barging into one of the men. Although Kit didn’t get chance to take another step as the masked man swung a heavy punch into Kit’s stomach, causing him to double over with a loud groan, his knees slamming into the ground as his hands barely fumbled from his pockets.

SETH CARTER | scthcartcr​

Seth knew that it was the right choice after Andy agrees with him. It wasn’t hard to believe that Seth could be swayed, if you didn’t know him like Andy does. From afar though, it’s no surprise that the Rogues could think that Seth would want to take the Primordials down. Certainly, they hadn’t voted for him nor have they kept him anywhere in leadership. Seth could be pathetic, annoyed, and wanting vengeance— and while he does, taking down the Club wouldn’t get it. Destroying the thing that he wants to be a part of than most things in his life, Seth isn’t taking the gamble with it. “After that? I mean they were fuckin’ pissed and they left, said they’d be around if I changed my mind. ‘Told ‘em I wouldn’t be.” And still, he hasn’t wavered. Although there had been an incident at the house, where he thought he saw someone— was convinced he had, but ultimately, he wasn’t sure if it was paranoia or not. “Thought I saw someone the other night but I ain’t sure of nothin’. When I went out to look, a car started up. Real close by but I ain’t sure if it was really someone outside my house. Dunno if it is connected. — Em was with me.”

--

Andy’s not sure what to make of the entire exchange — It seems too easy for there to have just been a conversation, and that be the end of it. After the last year, he's not naive enough to believe that. It reminds him of when Rowan was attacked — How only a few weeks before she’d brushed off some stranger, before landing in the hospital. Andy knew the obvious differences in the situation, but he had a feeling Seth would have another run in soon enough. “That doesn’t sound like nothin’,” Even if Seth didn’t think anything of it, Andy had his suspicions. But then again, he has always been a bit more paranoid than Seth. “They’re probably casin’ your place.” He points out, giving the man in front of him a serious look. “You should get one’a the Prospects out there to keep watch.” It goes without saying that it’s for Emme and the kids sake. “She alright?” 

✨grumpy and annoyed but not really while discretely watching and being a handy old man✨

It’s a gamble each time Deputy Rivas showed up at the auto shop -- Typically it was with information rather than for an oil change, but it was never clear if it’ll be headache inducing until they were face to face. Andy gives him a nod and skeptical look, gesturing for the man to speak while he took another drag of his cigarette. The shop with pretty quiet that afternoon, the only other mechanic there was under a car with his speaker playing loud enough that they had a bit of privacy. The phrase caught wind of something has Andy’s shoulders tensing as he pushes smoke past his lips. It’s vague enough to put him on edge. “What’d you hear?” He asks the obvious, eyes narrowing as he flicks ash off his cigarette and takes another drag. 

@andythane​

​Outside of Thane Auto Shop

It wasn’t a good look to be hanging out with the Vice President of the Primordials in public if he was just by himself. People might get the wrong idea which would’ve been correct given his affiliation but he didn’t need to draw attention to that. Not that people really paid attention to him to begin with, but that sometimes changed when he was with someone the whole town knew of. After hearing about a bunch of dead Rogues after a hostage situation, it was better to check in with Andy. “You got a second to talk?” He asked, finally finding the other man. “I just caught wind of something, wanted to tell you or I guess ask you how to handle it.” 

JEREMIAH THANE | jeremiahthcne​

Pointing the bright plastic hair accessory in his hand at Andy, Jer shook his head. “Don’t you go around pretending like those two didn’t keep y’all on your toes.” He deflected the weird feeling he got from being reminded about the year and a half he missed out on. No matter how weird he felt that wouldn’t change it. So he just powered through. Cracking a grin, Jer nodded. “So, only call after nine, got it.” Winking at his younger brother, Jer finished Leighton’s hair, staring at it. Almost challenging the hair ties to fall out. Once he figured his intimidation worked, his eyes lifted back up to Andy. “Nah, that’s alright. She’s making it easy - just got a god awful amount of energy. Ran nonstop in that last hour and she’s still going.” Shaking his head with a chuckle, Jeremiah leaned back carefully so as to not jostle the finally calm toddler in his lap. “However, if you have tips on how to get her out of her Frozen phase, I’m all ears.” 

The worry nagged at the back of Jer’s neck. There was something going on, you could tell with someone you know as close as Jer does Andy. But he also knew better than to push his brother, because Andy’s reaction would be to internalize it a lot and avoid the question. “Makes sense - but if you need to talk, y’know where to find me. And Leighton. She’s a good listener.”

--

"Clever,” he rolls his eyes at Jeremiah, but laughs nonetheless. Andy’s happy to give his brother plenty of shit, especially now that he can joke around about the ‘woes’ of parenthood, he’d be more than happy to help him with anything -- Even if it’s in the middle of the night. (He’s anticipating a few midnight calls, given that flu season is around the corner) “Key is to let ‘em get all of it out before dinner time, makes bath ‘n bed time a fu -- freakin’ breeze.” He catches himself, still getting used to having another kid to not swear in front of. (At least, another kid he’ll try and surely fail to not swear in front of) “Bring ‘er by the house later, let her run around with Sparky for a while. Gets the job done easy.” Andy suggests, knowing the dalmation in question could run in circles for the rest of his life and somehow never tire out. He lets out a loud laugh at the mention of Frozen, knowing the soundtrack like the back of his hand. “There’s no escapin’ Frozen, man. Might as well lean into it.” Andy shrugs, knowing far too well that there’s no talking one of the kids out of anything they’ve set their heart on.

He appreciates Jer’s sentiment -- It’s just difficult for him to act on it, without the shame and embarrassment threatening to choke the life out of him. “Thank you,” he gives him a serious look, before turning his attention back to the little girl in front of him, mostly because he doesn’t want to meet his brother’s gaze. There’s a part of him that wants to ask -- Even though they’re not related by genetics and DNA, does Jer feel that same itch? Does he ever find himself reaching for a bottle, then another, and another? Does the same guilt squeeze his lungs until he can’t breathe? They were raised in the same home, same parents, same chaotic life -- And yet somehow Jer’s able to make it through the day without day dreaming about the bottle of liquor Ro threw out the other night. “It’s just -- I’unno,” Andy finds himself begin again, letting the question die on his tongue. “I’m still tryin’ to make sense of it all. I’unno how to even talk about it.” He admits, taking a deep breath after, not making eye contact with his brother.

ANDRES MARQUEZ | andrsmarquz​

ANDRES wasn’t anyone’s sober companion and there were too good reasons for that. He was someone who probably needed a sober companion and he was oblivious to everyone else but himself. Even though he knew that Andy didn’t drink right now, he still brought alcohol because he wanted some and because it was a nice thing. Mama always said to come over with something to give the other person. Maybe he was just an asshole. Which was probably why he didn’t think twice to open the pack and crack a beer open for himself. The scent of nicotine is welcomed as always, putting the opened beer to the side to light his own smoke. “I can’t complain about that. It’s a flat surface.” He laughed, swigging his beer again. “How’s your day been cause you’re looking like shit.” He was dirty not physically looking like he’d been through the ringer. 

--

Andy can’t help the way his eyes linger on the can of beer, and the itch he feels to reach out and grab one for himself. He resists, just barely, forcing himself to focus on the person in front of him rather than the beer the man is holding. Taking a drag from his cigarette, Andy’s eyes rolling as Andres speaks. “I’ll even roll ya on your side, ‘cause I’m a real friend.” He remarks with a laugh of his own, knowing the banter will mask his own discomfort. The man in front of him knows better than to ask — Andy certainly isn’t going to let Andres see him sweat. “I got four kids and club to keep together. What the fuck else do you expect from me? M’busy.” He answers with a shrug, if not a bit defensive. “You got a reason for being here, or is it just to insult my looks?”

Admittedly, Andy finds himself forgetting that Cat lived an entirely different life before she moved to Olympus. He didn’t think much of her when she was part of the Crooked Bastards, but now that they two have become friends (sort of), listening to one of her stories isn’t a struggle. Though, he doesn’t know much Spanish, so she tends to lose him every now and again — But he knows enough bits and pieces to manage to follow. A chuckle passes his lips as he cleans his own gun, having been on both sides — The one to be underestimated, and the one doing the underestimating. He knew better now than to assume the latter about anyone. Shrugging a shoulder, he continues to clean his gun. “Not really,” he answers honestly. “Most people assume the worst outta me. Think I’m a walkin’ boogie man or something.”

closed starter for @andythane

the primordial clubhouse.

She scoffed, midway through telling the vice president a story about her days with the cartel. Those days were always funny. “So then the viejo puts a beer in one hand and a knife in my other and says, ‘We’ll make a criminal out of you yet, princesa.’” She dropped her pitch to emulate the old man’s deep voice, a scowl on her face as he did. “I didn’t tell him I’d just delivered two kilos. Sometimes it’s better to shut your mouth and play dumb than open it up and prove them right.” She gestured to him with the rag she had been using to wipe down her the pieces of her gun that still laid unassembled before her. “Guess you already know that shit though. Being a Thane and… you know, you.”