Ár scéal grá Chapter 10 Extended Version

Rated: T
Setting: Season 2, between episode 3 & 4.

The gentle and familiar murmurings coming from the baby monitor on the nightstand made Jax Teller slowly stir from a peaceful, deep slumber. It had been a long day and an even longer night. What should have been, and was intended to be, a day for just him and Tara to be together. To enjoy each other without club bullshit, or the hospital or responsibility had turned into a day of dealing with pissed off LuAnn and conniving porn stars. Oh yeah, Jax knew what that girl Ima was up to, he knew she was running an angle with him, and he hated having to pretend to be playing right into her hands. But LuAnn had a point, she was their star at the moment and if she got pissed off and hightailed her well trafficked ass to Georgie, they'd be in the shit. If Jax was ever going to convince Clay that the porn industry was a good idea it would have to make them a lot of money. So he'd gone along with her little damsel in distress game, he'd smiled at her and successfully convinced her that she didn't make his skin crawl.

There'd been one upside to that bullshit though. Tara coming to the after party had been... fun. He'd expected to have a knock down drag out fight with her when he'd gone after her and found her in the bathroom. He had not been expecting to become reacquainted with teenage Tara. He'd been pleasantly, more than pleasantly, surprised when she ripped his shirt open and attacked him mouth with her kisses. They hadn't been wild like this since they were 19, and it had been refreshing, mind blowing, to lay claim to each other's bodies the way they used to. But as hot as it was, damn hot, Jax hated that Tara had felt the need to stake her claim. He was hers, completely, and the relationship they enjoyed now was a thousand times better than the one they'd been involved in when they were kids. He knew, better than ever, the joy in making love with her, rather than fucking against a wall in a porn studio bathroom. Both were scorching hot, but only one was filled with complete euphoria.

They'd stumbled out of the bathroom laughing like teenagers and Jax hadn't looked back as he led her out of the studio. Never even bothered to say goodnight to Opie, all Jax wanted was to get his old lady home and in bed, where they could make love properly. After Tara had left 10 years ago, Jax never thought he'd be that guy. That guy who wanted, and even preferred to make love rather than fuck. But as soon as they'd kissed on her bed, with Kohn's body not 10 feet away from them, he'd everything he'd felt for her as a kid came rushing back tenfold. As he'd pushed into her for the first time that night, he knew that making love with her just once was almost a religious experience, one that the hottest of encounters with a million crow eaters could never compare to. He was ruined for anyone else that night. He belonged to Tara, he always had, he just hadn't realised it.

They'd come home together, his bike riding alongside the cutlass the whole way, relieved Neeta, checked on Abel and within 10 minutes of parking the car and the bike were naked again. Falling in to bed to claim each other again, this time slowly, lovingly, passionately. And rather than rooted in jealousy, this coupling was all about love. They claimed each other's hearts not just their bodies. It was something that Jax would never admit to with anyone other than Tara, but that coupling shattered him. Making love with Tara was an experience Jax needed to repeat as much as possible and for the rest of his life. Of that he was certain. When they'd collapsed against each other, exhausted and sweaty, Jax couldn't help but smile as Tara's body immediately curled into his, her head resting on his chest. It was a familiar position, one that made his whole body feel warm, and the whole world disappear. He felt safe, loved and happier than he'd even been.

Jax groaned as he readied himself to roll out of bed and attend to his son. He loved his boy. He and Tara were his world; he didn't love anything as much as he loved them. But right at this moment he really didn't want to move. His body ached in that delicious way that meant he'd had a hell of an orgasm earlier, or in this case, two; and Tara's body was still curled into his side. He'd have to let go of her, pull away from her, and that was the last thing he wanted right now.

"I got him." Tara mumbled as she rolled away from him and out of bed, Abel's murmurs turning to anguished cries. The sound of his son crying always broke something inside of Jax, his heart breaking just a little, but he couldn't help but smile as he listened to Tara pad out of the room. She loved Abel. It was so obvious in the way she held him, looked at him. The little boy had her heart completely. Jax would often catch himself watching her with the baby, watching as she touched him so gently and reverently, as she smiled at him so sweetly, as whispered tender and loving words to him. He loved how much she loved Abel. There was no one, absolutely no one, in the world he trusted with his son more than Tara. Not even his mother.

"Hey little man. What's all the fuss?" Tara's soft voice floated through the baby monitor and Jax couldn't help but listen in as she comforted his son. Abel's cries stopped almost immediately, quieting down to murmurs again. "Come here baby." Jax smiled as he pictured Tara lifting Abel into her arms and the baby's murmurs stopped altogether once he was obviously in Tara's arms.

"That's my boy. Everything's ok now, I'm right here. Let's get you a clean diaper." Tara started to hum gently and Abel's murmurs started up again, only this time they were happy little sounds. Jax couldn't help but smile at the sweet music their combined voices made.

"Ok. Now we're all clean. Come on sweet boy, it's time for beddy byes." Tara's voice broke off as her humming continued. Tara would pause in her hummed lullaby every now and then and Jax could hear the distinct sound of her laying kisses on Abel's head. He had watched her do it a thousand times. She'd rock Abel in her arms, whisper or hum sweetly to him, her lips softly caressing his baby soft skin. She was the epitome of a loving mother when she held Abel in her arms.

"I love you baby boy." Tara whispered and Jax was surprised by the tear that came to his eye. Tara was a wonderful mother, she really was. She was loving and kind and affectionate. She was gentle and even goofy at times, pulling faces and talking gibberish that made Abel giggle heartily and happily in her arms. She was playful, laying down with him and playing games of peek-a-boo, three little piggies and tonnes more, some Jax had never heard before but loved to watch her tell Abel. She was everything he could ever want in a mother for his child. And she was Abel's mother. There was no doubt about that.

It wasn't much longer before Tara was climbing back into bed, sliding over to his side and laying her head on his chest, over his heart. Jax's arms immediately hugged her tight to his body, holding her in his warm embrace.

"I love you babe." Jax whispered, his lips against her forehead.

"I love you too." Tara answered placing a gentle kiss against his bare chest. Jax smiled at her words, at the feel of her full lips moving against his skin, the warmth of them as they pressed against him.

"Thank you." His words were choked as he was compelled to try and tell her everything he'd been thinking, and feeling, as he listened to her tend his son, their son.

"For what?" She whispered back, the confusion clear in her voice, and Jax found himself lost for words. How did he explain? How could he put in to words just how much she meant to him? How thankful he was to have her back in his life, in his arms, in his son's life. How lucky he felt that she loved him. How thankful he was that she would be and had already taken on the role of mother to his son, and how much he wanted to make babies with her one day. How thankful he was that she was sticking by him, that she was willing to work and fight to be with him in this fucked up world of his. He couldn't. There were no words. It was too much to say, too big, and all the words in any language couldn't live up to it.

"Everything." He finally whispered, it wasn't enough, but it would have to do, cause it was all he had.

Ok, so I caved. A lot, and I mean a lot, of you have been commenting that the chapters in Ár scéal grá are too short. They're meant to be guys, they're just tiny little snapshots of their lives. Sometimes they are literally meant to be 10 minutes in their day. It was something that was really popular in other fandoms I have written for in the past, the point and the challenge is to communicate as much emotion and truth in as little words as possible and make your readers feel it. Sometimes it's not the number of words, but the choice of words. But since so many of you wanted more, I'm caving in to peer pressure and starting this side fic. It will be extended versions of some of the chapters in Ár scéal grá. It won't be updated as much, but I will update as I write more and more for Ár scéal grá.

So please review, let me know if this is something you want or if I'm wasting my time. :D

xx Ally