It was both a blessing and a curse that Charming always felt like home, in the essence that when she was younger, Nikki always dreamed about getting out of that god damn town; but surprise, surprise – like most who try to leave, she ended up returning. No one ever really got out of Charming, they either died here, or lived out the rest of their lives cooped up in four walls, terrified to leave the house with knowing SAMCRO always had business, and more often than not, that business consisted of multiple casualties. Fortunately for her, Nikki had been blessed with being a valued, unofficial member of the club for quite some time. Opie had been her in, ever since she was a kid she had always been allowed where other women weren’t; behind meeting doors, on the Harley’s – hell, she even used to wear Opie’s cut and the guys never blinked an eyelid or scolded her. The way that carried on with her now, many years later made Nikki feel secure in Charming. She could happily walk the streets; unafraid of what could possibly happen, knowing that Opie, Jax, Thomas and the others would keep an eye on her, always. It was nice to be able to fall back into that family instantly upon her arrival back home without feeling like an outsider; though, that was, of course, in most part thanks to her brother, Jax and Thomas.
Thomas was…her world when it came to Charming. She knew early on that she had feelings for the younger Teller boy, and as the years went by, those feelings only intensified; but of course they were the ‘are they or aren’t they’ couple, never really making it to the relationship stage before Nikki was whisked away by her father, Martin Ashford; across the country after having been booted from Teller-Morrow for being a flight risk. Though, what he’d never know was that once Martin started hitting the bottle and the drugs…he began hitting Nikki, too. She was constantly covering up bruises and cuts, becoming a regular in the emergency room with gashes that needed stitches; which resulted in multiple scars over her body. She became scared, quiet and to the point where she didn’t want to go home because she knew what was coming. The fact that the mother she shared with Opie couldn’t have cared less and didn’t do a thing to get her out of there. Nikki was a mistake according to her, the result of a fling that should never have happened, and as a constant reminder Mary wanted her gone. Apparently she had changed as she became older, or so Nikki had heard through the grapevine, but the damage was done, and she wanted nothing to do with the woman who gave birth to her.
Supporting herself with her elbows as she laid in what she had claimed as her room in Opie’s house, Nikki glanced down at her arms, a noticeable scar on the side of her wrist which she ran her fingers over lightly, before feeling agitated by it and pulling the sleeves of her sweater down to cover it. Standing up and stretching, she made her way through the house to the bathroom where she splashed cold water over her face before drying off with the hand towel. She quickly used one of Donna’s old brushes to run through her dark brown locks before heading for the front door. Stepping outside, Nikki slid on her combat boots and held her cell firmly in her palm before scuffing her feet against the concrete and getting to the footpath. Curious as to where her brother and the kids were, Nikki dialed Opie’s number, allowing it to ring and eventually connect. “Hey, Ope – where are you? You and the kids were gone when I woke up.” Listening to her brother on the other end explain how Clay wanted a few of the son’s to accompany him with something, Nikki rolled her eyes. She wasn’t the biggest fan of Clay Morrow; in all honesty, the guy creeped her out, and she didn’t approve of Gemma’s relationship with him…but then again she didn’t have a say in anything Gemma did, so just like the rest; she had to deal with him being around.
“Is Tommy there?” Nikki asked, her tone lightening up at the mention of his name. “Nah, he’s not, Nik. I think he’s at TM, working. I can ask Jax if you want,” There wasn’t really any point in getting Opie to talk to Jax, only to report back to her. If Thomas was at TM, Nikki would go find him, and even if he wasn’t – she was out enjoying the sun; summer was her favorite season and it was slowly coming back, even if the wind was a little cold and off putting. “No, no it’s okay. I’m not home anyway, thought I’d go for a walk. I’ll stop by and see if he’s there, might surprise him with a few beers, thanks Ope.” Hanging up, she slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, continuing on her walk. It was easy for her to relax and be comfortable with her surroundings. For four years, Nikki endured the abuse of her father, before finally finding the guts to leave and never return. She ended up backpacking across America, wanting to see all the wonders the country had to offer – to see what her life could have been like after living in a trailer park with an abusive, alcoholic drug addict with men just like him showing up at all hours of the night, making her even more uncomfortable in what was supposed to be her home.
As her feet scuffed against the pavement, she rounded the corner to see the Teller-Morrow sign, clear as day with two six packs of beer in either hand. While Opie lived only a few blocks away from the complex and clubhouse, the walk took her a good 20 minutes, which allowed her body to warm up thanks to the sun that was beaming down on her. But then, life decided to throw her a curb ball. Nikki hadn’t noticed straight away, but Martin was standing just across the road from TM, leaning up against a vehicle that she didn’t recognize – which was probably why she was completely oblivious. “Nikki.” The male’s voice called out, which instantly caught her attention. Looking over at the man who was supposed to be her father, who was supposed to love her and protect her from all the evils in the world, she felt nothing but the overwhelming urge to throw up. Freezing in her tracks, she watched as he jogged across the road, closing the gap between them. She was stunned, in a state of shock as he stopped right in front of her; her natural reaction to take a step back. “What…what the hell are you doing here, Martin?” She had given up a long time ago on referring to him as ‘dad’. “What do you mean ‘what am I doing here’? I’m here for you, Nik. I’m sober, have been for just over 12 months. I thought it was time you came home with your old man.”
Scoffing, Nikki shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding me, what on Earth gives you the impression I’d go anywhere with you? I took off to get away from you…and just so you know, I’m already home – I’m not going anywhere with you.” Standing firm against her father, Nikki held herself tall; even though she was terrified that he managed to track her down after four years. He took a step closer, his arms extending to grasp hers with his hands, a grip she was familiar with. The alcoholic beverages fell from her hands to shatter over the path, struggling against his strength, she tried to pull away, but he only pulled her closer. “Is that any way to speak to your father?” He questioned, a snicker emerging through his words. “You’re not a father,” she hissed, trying to pull away from him once again but failing. “I am your father, and you will do as I say – get in the car and let’s go.” Martin began pulling her off the pavement, her feet sliding into the gutter unwillingly. “Get the fuck off of me,” Nikki said in a loud tone, still struggling against the older male. Though, he wouldn’t let her go at all. Soon, she found herself sliding across the road, before Martin managed to get behind her, wrapping her in a bear hug and lifting her feet off of the ground. She knew if she didn’t do something – soon – that he’d take her away again, and God only knew what would happen to her then. There was no way she was going back to the life she had at 18, so there was only one thing left to do.
Squirming and trying to kick at her essential attacker, Nikki let out a high pitched scream, which was bound to grab anyone’s attention in or around the complex. “Get off!” Nikki tried her best to try and bite Martin’s arm, any form of fighting back that would make him release her; but all she got was a hard knock to her jaw, causing her teeth to pierce her lip. Keeping her eyes on the entrance to Teller-Morrow, her eyes lit up as she saw Thomas emerging, no doubt to check out what the scream was coming from – or who. “Tommy!” She screamed, over and over, which agitated Martin as he tried to rush her towards the car in a very quick manner, but there was no way he’d be able to get her in there, not with how Thomas came running. Nikki continued trying to get away, her arms and legs doing whatever possible to try and escape, despite the blood that was dripping down her chin from her unexpected wound. During her twisting and turning, somehow Nikki managed to use her elbow to jab him in the ribs, which automatically made him drop her. Scrambling to put some distance between her father, she sat in the middle of the road, using her hand to press against her mouth, pulling it back to reveal the crimson liquid had stained her skin. During the scuffle, her lip had somehow split, causing blood to stain her teeth and gums and as she glanced up, Nikki saw Thomas going for Martin.
