"Jackson Nathaniel Teller get your ass back here right now!"
Jax froze midstep and hung his head whilst you fought to keep the smug smile off your face as you slowly crept forwards.
"You too, (Y/F/N), (Y/L/N)!"
A groan left your lips and slowly in sync, both of you turned to face the wrath of Gemma Teller.
She stood in the doorway of her house, hands on her hips, elbows out, and an angry flint in her eyes.
Jax sighed and nudged you with his elbow.
You exchanged a dreaded glance with him and together you walked towards his mother.
"Either of you little shits wanna tell me why i have three missed calls from the principal?"
Gemma said, her voice stern and her eyes burnt through the both of you.
Even on a good day, you knew better than to mess with Gemma, and today was definitely not a good day.
"It was nothing, Gem." You said and fluttered your eyelashes pleadingly, hoping that your puppy-dog effect might rub off on her. Of course it didn't work. This was Gemma Teller, after all.
Gemma raised her eyebrows at you and her gaze lingered on you before she glanced at her son.
"Jackson?"
Jax sighed and rubbed his hand through his thick blonde hair.
"It was nothing Ma. Just some kids getting smart. We handled it."
Gemma stared him down with pursed lips till he looked at his feet and Gemma leant against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Who threw the first punch?" She asked.
You looked at Jax and he met your eye before his infamous smirk spread across his lips.
"She did." Jax said and nodded towards you.
His mother glanced you over and reached her hands towards you.
She grasped her hands either side of your face and leant close before pressing a kiss to your cheek.
"Good girl." She said.
You grinned and Jax laughed beside you.
"Now get your ass home before I have your parents calling me too."
You nodded and waved goodbye to Gemma.
Jax threw his arm over your shoulder and walked along side you as you walked down the driveway., the afternoon sun shining down on you between the trees.
"I told you she wouldn't be mad." Jax said and you scoffed and laughed.
"You think I was worried? You shoulda seen your face!" You teased and Jax laughed too.
Both of you walked along the pavement as the sun shined down on you, teasing each other and laughing as he walked you home.
Eventually you stopped outside your house and you could both see your father, peering out at you through the gap in the curtains.
You rolled your eyes and turned to Jax.
"See you tomorrow?"
"Me and Ope will pick you up." He confirmed.
You nodded and smiled at your best friend and he smiled back, the same smile that made your heart swoon.
And you walked into your house, leaving a sixteen year old Jax Teller on the street, watching after you and hoping that maybe one day his best friend would be his old lady.
You had grown up in Charming, born and raised and you loved the little town and all its unique quirks.
The sun was always shining, the weather was always warm and the towns people were always smiling. Well, almost always..
It was the roar of motorcycles flooding down Main Street that changed their faces from happy and content smiles to disapproving frowns and glares.
The Sons of Anarchy had always done their part in Charming, helping out at fundraisers and the town knew they could rely on the club when times got tough. Yet they often seemed to forget that, and seemed to focus on the danger that emitted from them.
Your father was one of those people, and he had been furious the first day he saw Jax Teller and Opie Winston walk you home from school.
He had warned you your whole life to stay away from 'boys like that', and he had lived his whole life in fear of the Sons of Anarchy.
They were gunrunners, criminals, outlaws and killers and he didn't want his precious daughter to be mixed up with such horrid people.
But when you were seven years old and the boys in your class had stolen your backpack and had been tossing it to each other while you cried, it had been Jax and Opie that had stopped them and made sure no one ever messed with you again.
And from that day on the three of you had been your own little gang.
Your father still didn't approve and you weren't sure he ever would, but you didn't care.
Because when you were with them you didn't feel like a little girl that couldn't defend herself.
When you were with them you weren't afraid of anything.
And you had grown to be tough and strong, after Gemma took you under her wing.
You didn't have a motherly figure in your life after your mom had passed away and your father had never even dreamt of being with another woman. But Gemma showed you how to be a girl that no one would mess with and you would be eternally grateful to her for transforming you from an innocent lamb into a lioness.
It was only inevitable that you'd fall in love with Jax at some point.
He was carefree, the prince of Charming, and anywhere he walked he left a trail of chaos and girls practically drooling over him.
He was charming and funny, smart, caring, ridiculously handsome and confident and he was fiercely loyal.
You were close with Opie too, of course, but it was Jax that made your heart skip a beat and when he was around somehow you struggled to find words, as the thoughts of him filled your mind.
He was your best friend, the love of your life, the prince of Charming. And you, you were the Girl Next Door. Well, technically you lived down the street, but you knew you would never be good enough for him, that you'd never be his princess.
Your cheeks were stiff from dried tears and you stared at the sky, watching the sun slowly fade into the horizon.
Opie passed the joint to you and you took a long drag before passing it to Jax, who sat on the other side of you.
The three of you sat in silence, unsure of the right words to say.
Honestly you didn't want them to say anything. You didn't want anyone to say anything.
Nothing anyone said could change what had happened.
Your father was dead. You had been the one to find him, seated at the kitchen table, gun in his hand and a bullet hole through his head.
He had never really recovered after losing your mother and he had struggled raising you alone. Still, you never thought he would leave you. At least not like that anyway.
The smoke filled your lungs but your body remained numb.
And so the three of you sat in silence, on the concrete ledge of the roof of the funeral home, dressed all in black as you mourned the loss of your father.
Jax hadn't left your side since you'd found your father, dead in the kitchen and you knew both himself and Opie had been uncomfortable, attending the funeral of your father, a man who had disapproved, no, hated them.
But they had decided to attend, to support their best friend.
Jax knew what it was like to lose a father and you were eternally grateful for his support.
They had stood either side of you as you read the passage in front of your fathers friends and family, and they had sat beside you while you sobbed over the freshly covered grave.
But now your tears had dried out and the reality was sinking in.
Your mother was gone, your father was gone, and you had no family left.
At least not in Charming.
That was why your Aunty was shipping you off, forcing you to move across the country to live with her.
"When do you leave?" Jax asked quietly, his voice breaking the silence.
You glanced at him and met his gaze, his blue eyes filled with sorrow.
"Tomorrow." You whispered, your voice cracking slightly.
Jax nodded and wrapped his arm around your shoulder and you rested your head on his shoulder.
Opie squeezed your hand gently before standing and heading downstairs to find a drink, leaving the two of you alone.
For a while you sat in silence, his arm around you as you stared out at the horizon.
Everything seemed so fragile, so small. Every moment was fleeting, passing by and you weren't sure if any of it really mattered anymore.
"I love you, (y/n)." Jax whispered.
A sad smile formed on your lips and you nodded against him.
"I know." You whispered.
You knew he loved you, as a friend.
But even now, as you sat at your fathers funeral, the only thing you wanted was Jax. For him to love you as more than a friend.
But you were leaving.
And he was staying here.
The rest of the night you stayed on the roof, until the early morning and at some point you had fallen asleep, wrapped in each others arms. A perfect way to spend your last night in Charming, wrapped in the arms of the boy were hopelessly in love with.
8 YEARS LATER
"Back in black! I hit the sack, Ive been too long Im glad to be back."
You sung at the top of your lungs as the music poured out of the speakers and your car sped along the familiar roads.
It was only fitting to play such a song as you drove, heading for the town you'd left so many years ago.
You never had made it back to Charming after you had left that morning so many years ago.
Something had always stopped you. Maybe the emptiness that filled your heart every time you thought of your father and the way he had passed, or the heartache you felt when you thought of Jax, imagining him with random girls.
You had no right to be jealous really, it had been eight years since you'd left and you'd kept in contact at first, but eventually you had drifted apart.
The last you heard was that Jax and Opie were prospecting, but it had been years since you'd heard from either of them and you wondered if they'd still be around,or if they'd even remember you.
You thought about them often, remembering the mischief the three of you used to get up to. the nights you would spend staring up at the sky, or the afternoons you'd spend on the back of their bikes, speeding along the streets with the wind blowing in your hair.
But you had a new life now, a good job, a good apartment. You didn't have a boyfriend but you didn't particularly want one.
You were fiercely independent and you did well on your own. There was even talk of a promotion coming up and you knew you were in the perfect position for it.
It had taken you by surprise when you'd received the phone call from the council in Charming, informing you that the tenants of your fathers house had left it in a mess.
He had left you the house in his will and you had become the official owner when you turned 21, but back then the thought of returning to your hometown had been too painful, so you're Aunt had helped you hire an agency and rent the property out.
But it was time to sell it. There was no point in leaving it with strangers when you could benefit from selling it. You could even use the money to buy your own house in the city, or open your very own business. It was time to move on.
And as you drove a mixture of emotions flooded through you.
Nerves, excitement, fear.
You didn't know what to expect and one part of you was praying you would run into Jax, and reunite just like old times while the other part of you prayed you wouldn't.
You knew he would have an old lady by now and you weren't sure how you felt about it.
He would always be the one that got away, and you don't think you could truly ever be over the feelings you had for Jackson Teller.
You car sped along the road and before you knew it you passed the familiar 'Welcome to Charming' sign.
The town hadn't changed much and you drove through Main Street, eyeing the familiar shop fronts and the new ones too.
Charming certainly had a certain 'charm' about it and no matter where in the world you went, it would always be home.
You knew you couldn't put it off much longer and you finally turned into the street on which you had lived so many years ago.
You drove past the picket fences and the perfectly trimmed hedges, the front lawns with kids playing outside, under the sprinklers as they laughed in the sun.
Your heart leapt into your throat as you drove past the Teller house and you couldn't help but glance at the half dozen bikes parked out front.
You gulped and gripped the steering wheel til your knuckles turned white and you drove on and eventually you turned into the driveway of your fathers house.
Birds chirped outside the window and you groaned.
You never had been a morning person but last night you had gotten barely any sleep.
It was hard for you, to be back in this house and the memories had haunted you all night long. It still smelt the same. At least you thought it did and waves of nostalgia kept hitting you, desperate for a time when this was your home.
You sighed and rolled out of bed and rubbed your eyes before yawning and stretching your arms.
Of course, you hadn't thought about bringing any home appliances with you.
You had only packed a few bags of clothes, unsure of how long you were intending to stay for.
But you'd forgotten that the house was empty, including no furniture, no cutlery, and no fucking coffee.
You rummaged through one of your bags and yanked out a towel and headed for the shower.
The local diner used to make the best coffee in town and you hoped that that was one thing that hadn't changed over the years.
After a quick shower you tugged on your ripped skinny jeans and pulled an old band t-shirt over your head before shaking out your damp hair and letting it fall down your back.
There was no time for makeup, you needed coffee desperately so you grabbed your sunglasses and your keys and headed for your car.
The diner had kept its word; it still had the best coffee in town.
But honestly, it could have been the worst, you were too tired to notice. You only craved the hit caffeine.
The old woman behind the counter had remembered you and had insisted on feeding you a full breakfast, the Charming Classic, complete with two eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, sausages, and grilled tomatoes.
By the time you'd finished your plate you could barely more, you were that full and you slid out of the booth before paying for your meal at the counter.
By now the sun was out and the heat hit you in the face as you walked out of the diner, the bell on the door chiming behind you.
The street was already alive with the hustle and bustle of the morning.
You glanced around the street and smiled to yourself as you looked over the hanging flowers and the store fronts. It was good to be home.
Across the street Jax pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his pockets.
He lifted his hands, littered with rings and removed his helmet.
The wind blew his blonde hair and he slicked it back.
Chibs and Tig were to his left and Juice was to his right and they too removed their helmets and placed them on their bikes.
Main Street was already buzzing with people and Jax ignored the nervous yet curious looks coming from the locals.
He scanned the street, looking for Hale, when a girl caught his eye.
For a moment, his breath caught in his throat as he looked at her.
Her back was facing him and her hair hung loosely down her back. There was something about her, he felt like he knew her, but he needed her to turn around.
"Jax! Let's go, brother." Chibs called and Jax snapped back to attention.
"Yeah." Jax said and stood straight.
He followed his brothers up the street but he couldn't help but look back.
And as he did, the girl turned flashing her face only for a moment and Jax froze in place.
But almost as quickly as he saw her, she was gone, turning a corner into a store.
"You okay man? You look like you've seen a ghost." Juice asked with an eyebrow arched.
Jax swallowed and nodded slowly.
"Something like that."
Ever since you were young you had always had a habit of twiddling your thumbs when you were nervous. That, and blinking your eyelashes like an idiot.
And right now your thumbs were going wild and you were practically chewing your bottom lip off. To say you were nervous was an understatement and you wanted to start your car, turn around and drive away from here.
But you couldn't put it off any longer.
You knew deep down you wanted to see him, needed to see him.
But you were filled with dread, knowing that a man like Jackson Teller wasn't going to be single.
You wanted desperately to see that smile once more but you weren't sure if you could face his girlfriend. Or worse, his old lady.
You sighed and pulled the keys out of the ignition.
It was now or never.
Before you could change your mind you stepped out of your car and closed the door behind you.
Teller Morrow hadn't changed much from what you remembered and you glanced around the lot, taking in the sight of it.
Several bikes were lined up and you gulped as you looked at them warily.
It wasn't too late to turn around.
There weren't any members outside, and no one had seen you yet.
You could just turn around and walk right out of here.
You were debating your options in your head and you barely noticed when a car pulled in behind you. It was only when the door slammed shut that you turned around.
Your heart leapt into your throat and you stared wide eyed at Gemma Teller.
She stood in her class in ensemble: jeans and a black low cut top, flashing her cleavage and her scar. Her dark hair framed her face and she wore her usual large sunglasses.
You watched her as she shifted her hand bag on to her shoulder. She hadn't seen you yet, or recognised you at least and your heart was beating rapidly.
"Hey Gem." You said.
You cursed yourself, knowing how nervous your voice sounded.
Gemma glanced at you and lifted her glasses on top of her head.
"Well well, long time no see."
You smiled and Gemma walked towards you, arms open wide and you embraced her hug. She had always been the closest thing you had to a motherly figure after your mom died and you hadn't realised quite how much you had missed her after all these years.
She smelt the same as she used to, perfume and cigarettes and you hugged her tightly.
"What are you doing here, sweetheart?" She asked you as you parted and she placed her hands on her hips.
You ran your hand through your hair and glanced around the lot.
"I'm selling dads house, so I'm back in town for a while." You told her truthfully.
You hadn't intended to stay more than a week, but you had missed this town and the more time you were spending here the less rush you were in to leave.
Gemma nodded as her eyes ran over you.
You were just a teenager when you left, awkward and rebellious. But now you were a fully grown woman and your body had definitely filled out. You had curves now, in all the right places and you looked a hell of a lot different to when you left. But your eyes were the same, always sparkling and you still had the familiar traits Gemma remembered.
You had broken her sons heart when you left and she knew you probably had no idea of the hurt you had caused that boy.
"Well lets go inside. I, for one, could use a drink." She winked at you and you grinned back.
Gemma linked her arm through yours and together you walked towards the clubhouse.
You had seen the number of bikes outside and your heart was beating rapidly in your chest.
You weren't sure what type of welcome to expect.
Gemma must have sensed your nerves and she squeezed your arm gently before pushing open the door.
The smell hit you almost instantly and you felt a wave of nostalgia wash over you.
Alcohol, ciggarettes, and cheap perfume were the essence of the Clubhouses very own signature fragrance and you breathed it in deeply.
Your eyes scanned the room, taking in sight the empty table and sofas and the empty bar.
"They're in Church." Gemma told you and you nodded.
You were thankful you weren't walking into a room full of Sons but now your nerves were back, knowing it was only those wooden doors that separated you from Jax. This was his territory, his home, and you were invading it. You weren't sure if he'd even want to see you, let alone have you in his clubhouse.
"You wanna beer?" Gemma asked you.
"Please." You nodded and smiled, following her to the bar.
Your eyes continued to scan the room and you looked the wall of framed mugshots, standing proud.
A smile formed on your lips as you ran your eyes over the familiar faces, and the unfamiliar ones.
You saw Opie's and you smiled, looking at the man he had grown into.
The other faces passed you by as you looked at each of the frames and you gulped once you found Jax's photo, sitting proud beneath the wooden SAMCRO sign.
He hadn't changed much at all really, although you weren't sure how old this photo was.
But his hair was still long, and blond, and those blue eyes of his pierced through you. You could recognise those eyes anywhere.
"How longs it been?"
Gemma broke your thoughts and you turned back to her, accepting the beer she was holding out.
"Eight years." You said.
"Lot of shits changed in eight years." Gemma said.
You smiled and nodded.
"I know." You told her. Gemma had always had a way with words and you couldn't help but feel there was a famous Gemma Teller lecture on the way.
But instead, she surprised you.
"He misses you."
You looked at her, her dark eyes watching you closely and you knew she wasn't lying.
But before you could speak you heard a door open and you turned almost instantly.
You didn't recognise the first man that entered the room, and surely if you had known him you would recognise that mohawk. But his soft face was unfamiliar and you only recognised the kutte on his shoulders.
He nodded towards Gemma and looked at you curiously before moving into the room, the rest of the club filing in behind him.
"Holy shit!"
Opie practically ran across the room, nearly bowling his old man over in the process and you moved towards him, unable to keep a grin off your face.
He wrapped his arms around you and swept you off your feet into a tight bear hug.
You laughed as he squeezed you and eventually he placed you back on the ground, where he towered over you.
"Look at you, Ope! Your huge!" You said teasingly and squeezed his large biceps.
He laughed loudly and nudged you.
"Never thought I'd see your face round here again." Opie said, his tone still light yet the both of you knew how much he meant his words.
You shrugged his comment off and grinned up at your old friend.
It had been years since you'd seen Opie and except the beard he hadn't seemed to change all that much. His eyes seemed tired, and you could tell he had seen pain but there was still that light that had been there so many years ago.
Silence fell between you but it wasn't uncomfortable.
Eventually more men filled the room and you glanced around, the butterflies simultaneously returning to your stomach.
And then you saw him.
He walked out of the clubhouse, his head hung low as he blew out a cloud of smoke and passed a joint back to one of his Brothers. He walked with the same kind of swag he walked with as a teen and your heart was almost beating out of your chest when he glanced up and met your gaze.
Blue eyes pierced through you and he froze for a moment, his mouth dropping open as he took in the sight of you.
The rest of the room could have been on fire and you wouldn't have noticed, the only thing you were focused on was Jax.
Slowly, he began to move towards you, his eyes never leaving yours and you gulped.
Opie glanced between the two of you, sensing the nervous tension in the air and he chuckled lightly before shaking his head and walking to the bar, leaving you to reunite with Jax.
"Hey."
Your voice was brittle, nervous but just that one word echoed through him.
For years he had dreamt of this day, dreamt that one day you would return, and you would stand in this club house once more.
But it had always been just a dream. Jax knew you would have no intention of coming back to this town that haunted you with memories and as you stood before him he fought desperately with his mind, begging for it not to be playing a trick on him.
Begging for this to be real.
He moved closer and his eyes only left yours to glance over your body quickly.
You but your lip nervously and you fluttered your eyelashes. Not in a flirtatious way, but in a way that you had always done when you were nervous.
"You gonna just stare at her?" Opies voice boomed from across the room, followed by laughter.
You laughed too and suddenly Jax knew he wasn't dreaming.
A grin broke across his cheeks and suddenly his arms were around you, engulfing you entirely into his body.
He lifted you off the floor and squeezed you and you buried your face in his neck, letting his scent fill your lungs and you breathed him in.
Eventually he placed you back on the floor and he stepped back to look at you once more.
His grin never left his face and you stared into his eyes.
"Your back." He spoke.
You nodded, your eyes never failing to leave his gaze.
"Ye ganna introduce the lass, Jackie?" A voice called from across the room and both of you glanced towards the man who spoke, his wide grin almost distracting you from the scars across his cheeks.
Jax laughed and threw his arm over your shoulder.
Together you walked towards the men.
Their faces were friendly yet curious to see what kind of girl could get both Opie and Jax to react like that.
Jax introduced you to his club, firing off a list of names you would have to ask him to repeat later on.
"And this is (y/n), an old friend." Jax beamed and nudged you.
You couldn't help a blush rising to your cheeks as you nodded to the smiling faces.
They welcomed you with cheers as they raised their beers in your direction.
"Come on, let me get you a drink." Jax said and you followed him to the bar.
Gemma still sat, watching you with an amused look on her face and as Jax approached she stood, smoothing down her shirt and her jeans before pressing a kiss to her sons cheek.
"I'll leave you two kids to it." She said with a wink before sauntering off outside.
Jax chuckled and shook his head before passing you a beer and gesturing for you to sit.
You obliged and slid onto one of the barstools before taking a sip.
"So what brings you back here?" Jax asked, his haze falling bak onto you and he looked at you with furrowed brows.
You licked your lips as you placed your beer on the counter and swiped a loose strand of hair out of your face.
"I had some trouble with the tenants in dads old place, so I thought it was probably time to sell it on." You said.
Jax nodded and took a swig of his beer.
"So your not staying?" He asked.
You shook your head and smiled sadly.
"I don't think I could." You said.
Jax studied you closely and he sensed the pain in your voice.
It was still a struggle for you, even after all these years to be back in a town that held such painful memories and that was clear to him. Yet he still couldn't help feeling disappointed.
It didn't seem fair that you would leave again, after only just coming back into his life after so many years.
But he nodded understandingly.
"How are you anyway? Couldn't help but notice your kutte." You said.
Jax laughed and glanced down at the Vice President patch on his leather and nodded.
"Yeah, its a new addition." He said proudly.
You sat at the bar for a while, reminiscing on the old times with Jax and Opie joined you for a while before heading home to see his family.
Eventually though it was time for you to head home and you stood and smoothed down your hair.
Jax walked you out and neither of you spoke as you headed for your car.
The night air was crisp and cool and you shivered slightly in the breeze.
Jax noticed and put his arm around your waist, pulling you into his warmth as you walked.
"When do you leave?" Jax asked quietly.
You stopped in front of tour car and looked at him with a shrug.
"Im not sure. Maybe a couple of weeks." You answered.
Jax nodded and leant against the car as you opened the door.
"You should come by the club tomorrow night. We're having a party." Jax said.
You smiled at him and nodded.
"I'll try to make an appearance." You winked and Jax smirked back at you.
"It was really good to see you, (y/n)." Jax said quietly.
"It was good to see you too, Jax." You smiled back.
From the conversations you'd had with him tonight it seemed he was single, no old lady.
But you hadn't exactly asked outright so you didn't want tog et your hopes up. Yet you couldn't help the feeling of hope that crept into your mind.
It was silly, of course. You were leaving. But you couldn't help but want Jax to feel the same way, and you wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him.
But you didn't.
Instead, you slid into the seat of your car, waved goodbye to Jax and drove away.
And just like he had all this years ago, Jax watched you drive off. Only this time he felt something had changed.