Disclosure: I do not own the characters of Sons of Anarchy and this story is meant for entertainment purposes only.
"Where is Jax?" Clay asked walking into the Teller-Morrow home on Thursday afternoon. His wife Gemma gave him an odd look, "I just got another call from the school," he told her.
The biker's old lady sighed and threw her dish towel on counter in frustration. "What'd he do this time?" she asked before lighting a cigarette.
"Sleeping in class; that is when he actually goes, another fight and smoking on school grounds. The new principal is pretty pissed, Jax blew smoke in his face evidently and it wasn't a cigarette. That's just this week," Clay informed her.
Gemma could tell her husband was pissed, Jax had been pushing the boundaries of their relationship the past couple of months and it was getting pretty nasty now. John Teller had always been a complicated man but his son was even harder to figure out these days. "He was back in bed when I got back from the garage at three. I think he may be coming down with something too, he's been coughing quite a bit the past couple of days too," she said tiredly, "Go easy on him until we know what's going on," she asked taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.
Clay nodded and headed up the staircase to look in on his stepson. "Jackson," he said sternly as he knocked on the door before opening the door to see Jax sprawled out face down on the bed in his flannel pants and his father's SOA hoodie as his music played quietly in the background. Clay sighed, he knew that the boy he loved like he was his own only gravitated to that sweatshirt when he wasn't feeling well or was upset about something. Jax didn't have many tells, but that was a big one. The kid would hold everything inside until it got to be too much and he directed the pain and anger in the wrong direction. Sitting down gently on the side of the bed he took a good look at the young man he was helping to raise. Jax's blonde hair was getting pretty long but he refused to cut it so Clay had long since given up trying to get him to. Brushing the long blonde hair away from his stepson's forehead he noticed the beginning of a black eye and some bruising on Jax's jaw. "What am I gonna do with you?" he asked quietly, shaking his head.
Clay was so lost in thought he almost didn't hear the words the young man muttered as he shifted into a more comfortable position, "Shut up and stop touching me like a chick I hope," he said sarcastically.
"Smartass, you planning on telling us you were almost suspended from school again?" he asked before he stood up and grabbed the chair at Jax's desk and pulled it next to the bed.
"Hadn't planned on it, didn't happen so didn't think it was worth the fight," Jax said tiredly not looking at Clay. Truthfully the blonde SOA Prospect was tired of the endless fights and disappointment that he saw in his mothers eyes and the stress he was putting on his 'parents' relationship was getting to him, but so was his latest fight with Tara; she had decided to leave Charming to live with her aunt and uncle in San Diego.
The old biker leaned his arms on his knees and sighed, "Level with me here Jax, what's going on?"
"It was a fight, it happens," the blonde mumbled as he tried to go back to sleep, he felt terrible and all he wanted was to be left alone. The fight was the result of an underclassman getting in Jax's way after Tara broke the news to him, Jax hadn't meant to really hurt him but he just lost it and it took Opie and Juice to pull him off the kid. Too bad the kid had an older brother which only incited another fight shortly after that one which the football and soccer coaches broke up before Jax and the starting second baseman really hurt each other.
Another sigh of frustration left Clay lips but he let the topic go, "Dinner will be ready soon, your mother will come get you if you're not down there," Clay said as he stood up and replaced the chair before he left the room. Jax rolled his eyes and curled up under his heavy comforter before he drifted back to sleep, the last thing he wanted was a Club dinner tonight. His mother was at his door almost an hour later and it didn't surprise him when she just opened the door and sat down next to his hip.
"Baby, everyone's waiting on you to eat, time to get up," she said sitting down and gently rubbing his back like she used to when he was a baby. Jax let out a moan and shifted to look at his mother, "Hi there sleepy head," she said as she smoothed down his wild hair.
"Time is it?" he asked tiredly while trying to focus his thoughts.
"Little after eight, come on the Club's waiting," she said. Jax nodded his head and slowly got out of bed.
'Man I'm fucking sore,' he thought to himself as a moan escaped his lips, "Shit."
"I'll get you some Ibuprofen and some ice for your hand, I suggest you ice your eye before you go back to bed tonight," she said before she kissed his head and walked to the door. "And Jackson, please brush your hair before you come down," she said patiently before leaving her son to greet their guests.
"Where the kid?" Clay asked as Gemma came down the stairs alone.
"He's coming, moving kind of slow," she said as she pulled out a bag of frozen peas for Jax and the Ibuprofen bottle. Jax finally emerged almost ten minutes later still in his flannel pants and hoodie but he had taken a shower so he looked at little better than he had just a few minutes before. Careful not to attract attention to himself he slipped into the kitchen and took the pills his mother offered him as well as the ice pack, he just neglected to tell her that he had taken some Vicodin upstairs after his shower; he knew it was going to knock him out pretty soon but his entire body ached so bad he didn't care. "You feeling a little more human now?" she asked her son as he gave her a hug. Jax sighed and nodded his head against his mothers' shoulder, "Go sit down before you fall down baby," she said as she gave him one final squeeze.
Clay put an arm around him as he made his way over to the table after he exited the kitchen, "You doing all right?" he asked with genuine concern.
"Just tired and sore," Jax told him as he collapsed into a chair. He sat there quietly picking at his food while the rest of the MC chatted amongst themselves; it was not obvious but he could feel Opie stealing glances at him every few minutes but Jax just kept his head down and tried to make it look as though he'd really eaten something.
Bobby nudged his friend's son with his elbow and leaned in, "I hope the other guy looks worse kid."
Jax nodded and Opie smirked, "Don't encourage him Elvis, damn new principal is not a member of the SAMCRO fan club just yet," Clay said looking at Jax and then to Opie.
Opie nodded his head in understanding, he got that Clay was only telling them to watch it for the safety of the club whereas Jax only rolled his eyes and focused his attention back on his uneaten dinner. The pills were starting to do a number on him halfway through dinner and he could barely keep his head up. He didn't even flinch at Clay clearing his throat at his table manners when the youngest put his elbow on the table to keep his head up.
"Better get Little JT to bed before he dives head first into desert," Happy teased when Jax's head nearly fell off his fist and into his dinner for the third time in twenty minutes. Everyone laughed which made Jax uncomfortable and he began to fidget under everyone's stares. He had never been one to like so much attention so he did the only thing he could do, attempt to make an escape.
"May I be excused?" Jax asked politely as everyone was finishing up and Gemma and LuAnn were clearing plates.
Gemma looked at his plate and then at his exhausted features, "Sure Baby," she said as she came behind him and took his plate away. The brunette SOA queen was not stupid by any means, Gemma had been watching her son closely since their 'hug' in the kitchen; she could tell Jax hadn't touched anything but she let it go. Leaning down close to his ear she whispered, "Next time skip the Narcotics before dinner, you might actually be hungry." Jax's eyes widened and he swallowed audibly.
Chibbs and Tig laughed but didn't tease the kid; obviously he had taken enough abuse today. "May I be excused too please?" Opie asked.
Gemma laughed and looked at his almost empty plate, "Finish your vegetables and then you and Jax can go hang out in the den," she told him as Jax was heading for the staircase. She saw Jax's shoulders slump when he heard her words, but he obeyed and headed to his left to the den to watch some television.
"Thanks Gemma," Opie said as he shoveled in his peas quickly and clearing his plate.
"Ope, grab an ice pack for Jax while you're in there please," Gemma called after him.
"Okay," he called back. When he reached the den he found his best friend sprawled out on the sofa so he took the recliner. Jax looked over at him through hooded eyes before tossing him the remote, "So what did Clay say about the fight?" he asked as he tossed Jax the ice pack and pointed at his eye. Jax didn't say anything as he put the ice on his eye and just shrugged in response. Opie let it go and turned on the television while Jackson allowed his drugged body to sink into the plush sofa cushions. It was nearly eleven when his mother came in with Piney to find both boys asleep and Orange County Choppers on the television.
"We should just leave the two of them there, let 'em wake up sore as hell," Piney joked.
Gemma rolled her eyes and made her way to wake the two, "Opie, time to get up honey," she said as she gently shook her son's best friend. The tall Prospect slowly opened his eyes and covered his mouth as he yawned, "You're daddy's waiting honey," she said before she moved over to Jax who was curled up on his side with the ice pack still on his eye. "Jackson, time for bed honey," she said trying to rouse him. Gemma had known it was going to be difficult because of the painkillers in his system but she thought his body might have metabolized most of it by now, sadly Jax didn't even move.
"Guess he's staying there tonight," Piney joked while Clay rolled his eyes. Opie was headed for the door when he heard his friends mother let out an irritated sigh.
"I could carry him up Gemma," he offered.
Clay smirked, "Thanks for the offer Op but let's just leave him be, maybe it will teach him not to take painkillers and not be in bed," he said as he patted the kid on the back before he and Piney left for the evening. Once he locked up all the doors he came back to find Gemma tucking Jax in with a quilt from the hall closet and a pillow. "You know you should have just let him suffer," he told her as he led them toward their bedroom.
"Watch it mister, that's my baby in there and he had a rough day," she said sarcastically which made Clay laugh, it was true Jax was definitely a momma's boy.
"My mistake my queen," he joked.