Avery awoke as sunlight filtered through the blinds. She couldn't recall falling asleep, her last memory being looking at old photographs and reflecting on her past relationship with Jax.

Stiff from sleeping in a chair, she carefully stood, letting her body unkink. She reached her arms above her head and stretched her back, the muscles of her body singing with glee. But no amount of stretching would do the same thing that a hot shower could do for her body.

Fresh out of a steamy shower, the lingering warmth clinging to her skin, Avery vigorously rubbed herself dry with a fluffy towel. She moved to her small closet, its familiar scent of lavender sachets and worn cotton comforting. Deciding on comfort and ease for the day, she pulled out her beloved denim shorts, the soft, faded fabric molding to her legs. Next, she selected a coral-colored crop top, its vibrant hue a cheerful contrast to the denim. Completing her casual ensemble, she slipped into her well-worn leather sandals, the familiar thong strap fitting perfectly between her toes. After a quick glance in the small, framed mirror on her wall, she decided to leave her long, wavy brown hair to cascade freely down her back. Her skin still felt soft and clean from the shower, so she opted to skip her usual light application of tinted moisturizer and mascara, embracing the fresh, natural look.      

Avery descended the stairs to find her parents enjoying a substantial breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs, orange juice, and coffee. Not having to cook for herself was a welcome change, one of the many aspects of being home she cherished. In the ten years since she left Charming, opportunities to savor her mother's exceptional cooking had been rare, occurring only when she managed to persuade her parents to visit her in North Carolina. Her mom's culinary skills were something Avery deeply missed.

"Good morning! Coffee's in the pot Avey." Said her dad, Quincy, around a mouthful of buttermilk pancakes.

"Thanks dad. Anyone need a refill?"

"No sweetheart." Said her parents in unison.

Walking into the kitchen, Avery grabbed a mug from the cabinet and fixed her a cup of coffee, black with lots of sugar. Grabbing her mug, she went back to the dining room and took her seat, eagerly fixing her plate.

"What do you have planned for today, Avey?" Asked Paige as Avery chewed a bite of the best buttermilk pancakes she'd had in quite some time.

"I was gonna go down to the hardware store and get some paint and start at the office. Movers will be here next week. But I didn't sleep all that well last night so I'm kinda dragging."

"Must be the difference in time zones." Said Quincy.

"Yeah, it must be." Avery didn't want to tell her parents the real reason she hadn't slept was because all she could think about was Jax.

The three of them continued to eat their breakfast, falling into a comfortable silence. The pancakes seemed to melt in Avery's mouth and she wasn't so sure that she didn't moan a few times with the deliciousness of the sausage as it hit her taste buds.

"When will your car be delivered?" Asked Quincy as he pushed his plate away from him.

"Should be here tomorrow."

"Then use my truck today. I don't have anything planned other than working on the lawn mower and if I need something from the hardware store, I'll just use your mom's car. Also, tell Pete to charge anything you get at the hardware store to my account."

"Dad, I can't let you foot the bill for my renovations."

"I'm not asking you to let me do anything. I'm telling you to charge it. Avey, your mom and I talked about it last night and we're so glad to have you back in Charming that we want to pay for the renovations at the office. We know you put a lot of money down on this venture and we want to help any way we can."

"Mom.. dad..."

"No, this is settled Avery. We're paying for the renovations. So whatever you need, just tell Pete to charge it and have it delivered."

Knowing that her dad was sure of his decision and there was no arguing with him when he set his mind to something, she told him "Thank you" and finished her breakfast.

*****

Avery dedicated the entire day to renovating the office. She painted and meticulously cleaned the surprisingly well-preserved hardwood floors. After polishing, the floors regained their original shine and looked brand new. Exhausted from her efforts, she sat in a discarded chair, drinking water and wiping perspiration from her brow. The approaching sound of motorcycles caused her to wonder if Jax was among them. The rumble grew louder, then quieter, as the bikes slowed down. Peering through the front glass door, she recognized the two bikers immediately: Bobby and Opie had arrived.

Avery didn't want to analyze the feelings of disappointment that flooded her when she realized Jax wasn't one of the bikers paying her a visit. Once again, she caught herself wondering where he was and what he was doing. Pulling herself from that pointless line of thinking, she watched as Opie unfastened his helmet and hung it on his handlebars before turning to Bobby as he did the same. She watched as the two of them approached the door to her building.

When she left 10 years ago, Opie and Jax both were in the beginning stages of prospecting for the club. Being children of two of the first 9 members, she knew their prospecting periods hadn't been easy.

With trembling fingers, she approached the door. She unlocked it, took a deep breath to gather her courage, and swung it open. Before she could even greet him, Opie enveloped her in a big hug.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? How long have you been back?" He said as he released her from the hug but still held her at arm's length so he could look at her.

"Just got back last night."

"We heard there was a lawyer moving to town. Didn't know it was my favorite little girl." Said Bobby as he pulled Avery in for a tight hug.

"Well, I'm not a little girl anymore Bobby but the lawyer part is right. You're looking at Avery Mitchell, attorney at law." She said smiling up at the two of them, pride exuding from every pore of her body.

"So you became a lawyer after all?" Asked Opie. There was a hint of awe in his voice. But there was also something else there, something that Avery couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Sure did. It was the only reason I left Charming to begin with."

"True that. Who all knows your back?" Asked Bobby.

"Just you guys and my parents. Oh, and Ralphy & Jax. You guys remember Ralphy don't ya? Drives a cab in the area?

"So Jax knows your back?" Asked Bobby. Leave it to Bobby to catch that I casually mentioned Jax.

"Well, he knows I'm in town. I'll put it that way."

"Ahhh, I see." Said Opie, giving Avery a knowing smile. If anyone in Charming knows the details of Jax and Avery's history in extreme detail, it is Opie. After all, he had been there in the middle of it from the very beginning. So much so that many people often joked that Avery had been dating both Jax and Opie.

"But yeah, we remember Ralphy Hux. He's been driving that same yellow cab for 9 years." Said Bobby. "I'm sure that if he knows, the entire town will find out soon enough.

"No doubt about that." Said Opie laughing. Ralphy's parents were known as the town's biggest gossips. If you wanted to know anything going on in Charming, his parents were sure to know even the most irrelevant details.

"I'm surprised Jax hasn't stopped by. I'm sure he would love to see you." Said Bobby.

"Like I said, he know's I'm in town." Said Avery. She turned and walked further into the office. The sound of footsteps behind her told her that Bobby and Opie were following behind her. "I saw him last night down at the convenience store buying rubbers and smokes. Didn't get a chance to speak because he tore out of there like his ass was on fire when he saw the flames from whatever had exploded last night."

She knew that the club couldn't tell her what happened so it wasn't like she was fishing for information on Jax. Or was she?

"Yeah, that was a pretty big fire huh?" Said Opie. He tried to play the nonchalant part, but just like it had been a decade ago, he sucked at it.

"Yeah. Whatever it was that exploded or whatever rattled the windows in the store. The clerk working there looked to be pretty rattled by whatever it was when I paid for my things and left." Said Avery.

"And you haven't seen the kid since?" Asked Bobby.

"Funny. You still call him kid after all these years. But no, I haven't seen him. As you can tell by the smell of cleaning supplies and fresh paint, I've been pretty busy here today" Said Avery. "Should I have seen him?"

"No, I just figured that as hot and heavy as you two were when you left that the minute he laid eyes on you he wouldn't have wanted to let you out of his sight again." Said Bobby.

"It's been ten years guys. I didn't expect to come back and pick up where he and I left off by anyone's stretch of the imagination. If he had things to do, he had things to do."

"May have been ten years ago, and don't you tell him I'm telling you this shit, but I think that boy still has feelings for you." Said Opie.

"After ten years? You can't be serious." Said Avery hoping she sounded as calm as she wanted them to believe she was. In all honesty though, her emotions were all over the place. Opie- Jax's best friend and brother for all intents and purposes- had just told her he thought Jax still had feelings for her.

"No offense Vee, but we have been here the past ten years when you haven't. We watched him try to drown his feelings in bourbon and pus... sorry, women." Said Bobby, winching at his almost use of the word pussy.

Avery defended herself, stating that she had invited him to join her, and his decision to remain was his own. Her defensiveness stemmed from a surge of jealousy that she felt was unwarranted but unavoidable.

"We know. And I mean no harm by it. I'm just saying that he was doing all of that hoping to forget about what he was feeling." Said Opie as he took a step closer to Avery. "And again, if you tell him any of this, I'm going to deny, deny, deny."

"Ope, I ain't seen him since last night and I was too nervous to even speak to him. I think your "slip of the tongue" is safe with me." Said Avery smiling up at Opie.

"Anyway, we should probably head out. We have church in a few minutes." Said Bobby. "You should stop by the clubhouse later today though. I'm sure the rest of the guys would love to see you. Not to mention Gemma and John."

"I would love to see them! I've missed them nearly as much as I have my own parents." Said Avery.

"They've sure missed you too. I'm serious, stop by anytime. You know you're always welcome." Said Opie.

"I'll think about it." Avery said, smiling up at the two men.

"Anyways, we gotta go. See ya around." Said Opie and he and Bobby walked out the front door of her office, leaving her with a choice to either continue the renovations on the office or take a chance and make an appearance at the club house.