{FYI; Donna and the kids do not exist... Sorry}
Harley sighed deeply as she continued to watch her car with disinterest. She had come to a standstill minutes prior near a picnic bench. Knowing that after the stunt she had pulled a year ago, it would have been unwise to leave the lot and with that in mind, she had taken a seat on top the table, her elbow resting on her knee and her chin in her palm as she continued to lock and unlock her car with the key in her free hand.
The door behind her opened and closed as she heard footsteps growing louder. Harley ignored the sound as she sighed once more, watching her headlights flash as the figure took a seat beside her on the table and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "You're gonna' drain the battery if you carry on like that." Jax told her, pulling a lighter from his pocket and lighting his cigarette up.
"Maybe that's my intention." Harley told him blankly, lowering her arm as she locked the car one final time and shoved her keys into her pocket. The two siblings sat in silence for the next few minutes, listening to the chatter and noise of power tools being used off to the right of them. "How have you been?" Harley finally spoke up, turning to raise a brow at Jax who grinned finally.
Jax nodded, releasing a mouthful of smoke before he spoke up. "I've been doin' good..." He trailed off, watching as she nodded and looked towards a flock of birds that flew overhead. Jax knew what he wanted to ask her. Why did you leave? Why were we left in the dark? Where did you go? However, he knew that if he were to ask the questions they had all been wondering, he had to do it in a way that didn't scare her off or anger her. "How've you been?"
He watched his sister closely, noticing the way her facial expression pained for a split-second before she plastered a smile on her face and turned to smirk at him. "Good. Just can't believe it's been a year since I saw your ugly mug." Jax chuckled, shaking his head as Harley's smile grew slightly. "Things really don't change round here, do they? Honestly thought dad would've made a few tweaks here and there... Swear that wrench was there before I left." She teased as she pointed to a discarded wrench on the ground.
"You know Clay." Jax told her, nudging her in the side with his elbow. "Likes to keep everything in check. He can't stand not knowing what goes on around here, so I think he just chooses to keep everything the same." Harley nodded, understanding where he was coming from. If there was one thing Clay Morrow wanted more than anything, it was to know the ins and outs of his club. To know every single detail that went down and then some. "The boys looked excited to see you." Harley nodded slowly, clearing her throat as did so. "Look, Harls... I'm not gonna beat around the bush here... He want's answers."
"He's not getting any!" Harley snapped, turning away from him as she glared at her car. Harley understood the relationship Jax had with Opie as it was the same one the two of them had, only slightly deeper due to the pair of them being boys and the same age. Harley tried hard to fight the annoyance that had taken over. Though Jackson Teller was loyal to his little sister, he would always have his brothers back. She finally muttered out, "He was meant to be going nomad..."
Harley jumped when Jax released a barking laugh, turning to scowl at him as he discarded his cigarette, shaking his head in slight humour as he spoke up, "Opie going nomad?" He asked with a snort. "He's SAMCRO all the way, darlin'. Is that why you left? Because you thought he was leaving?"
"No, that's not why I left." Harley told him, honestly. "My whole world doesn't revolve around him... I needed a breath of fresh air and thought the best place to get it was away from Charming. If id've told anyone I was going, the lot of you would've stopped me." Jax nodded, knowing that the statement was true. "I went to stay with a friend who I met in school... She moved when her dad was offered a better job."
"Harley... You don't have to tell me shit." Jax told her, standing up as he motioned back towards the clubhouse. "Let's go back inside, yeah? Tara will be along soon with Abel... You gotta meet your nephew." Though he ignored it, Jax couldn't help but frown at the look that filled her eyes. He wasn't entirely sure on just what it was. "Bit of a belated meeting, I've got to say."
Harley pushed herself of the table and followed after him, kicking at a tiny rock that sat on the ground as she did so. Once again, she was filled with the smell of alcohol and smoke when she had followed Jax into the clubhouse, coming to a standstill at the table Gemma and Clay still sat at. Jax patted her back lightly, turning to make his way back over to where some of the boys were playing pool. Harley sent Gemma and Clay an apologetic smile and allowed her mother to pull her down into the booth.
Gemma wrapped an arm around her daughter's waist as she raised a brow. "You done being angry now, sweetheart?" She asked in a tone full of humour. Harley nodded as she looked up to see Bobby making his way towards the table, holding out a drink for her.
Harley grinned at him, thanking him softly as she took the drink. "Welcome home, doll." He replied, nodding at Clay before he turned and made his way back to the bar in order to sit with Piney Winston who raised a glass when he noticed Harley's eyes on him. Harley raised hers in return, grinning at the old man before she finally turned to talk to her parents.
The next two hours was spent talking about what had changed and who had left since Harley had been gone. As the time passed, multiple people, both sons and others had come to greet her, welcoming her home with open arms. Harley, however, had made a mental not to thank her brother later for keeping Opie at bay. Though she was happy to see him alive and well, she wasn't so sure on just how she'd react upon him speaking to her. Even though a whole year had passed, she could still feel the anger and hurt seeping upwards.
Harley looked up at the sound of the door opening, smiling softly as she saw the dark-haired woman entering the club house. When she had heard the news of Tara's return from a brief message from her mother three months after she left, she almost couldn't believe it. Harley had been so sure that Jax would marry the girl when he dated her as teens and hated the moment she had upped and left.
Gemma was quick to push herself up and make her way towards Tara, greeting her as she grabbed her grandson from her arms and made her way back to Harley. Clay patted her shoulder and moved away towards Bobby, leaving Harley on her own.
Though she tried hard to fight it, Harley couldn't stop the ache that had taken over her heart when she clapped eyes on the now almost one year old in her mother's arms. She almost prayed silently that Gemma would take a turn and not bring the child to her. However, when she pointed towards her and whispered something to the baby, she knew that she was about to meet her nephew.
"Who's this, Abel?" Gemma asked him in a childish voice. "This is your auntie Harley!" She told him with a grin as she took a seat beside Harley with the brightest smile Harley had ever seen her wear. "Harley, meet your nephew Abel." Harley stared at the blonde-haired baby blankly as he looked back at her, his blue eyes blown curious as he shoved his fist in his mouth. "Here, take him while I go get some more drinks." Gemma told her daughter, holding the baby out as Harley shook her head frantically.
"I'll get the drinks, Ma'." She told her quickly, keeping her arms away from Abel who began to kick his feet. Gemma scoffed and shook her head, pushing Abel to her daughter's lap and waiting for her to hold him. "Just... Be quick." She muttered, gripping Abel under the arms and holding him as Gemma stood up and moved to the bar.
Harley avoided looking at Abel as she stared off towards the door, willing Gemma to hurry back as she felt Abel squirm in her grasp. "Baa, ba, ba." Abel cooed out, his hand dashing out to grab a handful of Harley's shirt. Having no choice but to look down, Harley stared at the baby, her heart breaking even more as every second passed. She felt the tears coming before she even had a chance to stop them as Abel leaned forward and rested his head against her chest.
Though she tried harder than she ever had before, Harley felt the first of her tears fall as she moved her arms to hold Abel close to her, resting her head on his own as she sobbed silently, wondering why she couldn't stop the sadness that had over taken her. Abel continued to kick his legs slightly while his aunt cried silently above him.
Tara perked up from her spot beside Jax at the bar when she just so happened to catch a glimpse of Harley, her brows furrowing as she nudged Jax. "Jax..." She muttered, feeling the gazes of not only her boyfriends, but that of Opie and Juice's on her. She nodded towards Harley and watched as the three men followed her gaze.
Jax watched her for a few moments, wondering why Tara looked so confused before he picked up on just what was happening. Though his sister was looking in the opposite direction, he could see her form shake every few seconds, a sign he had picked up on when Tara had cried the few times in his presence. "Is she... Cryin'?"
"Do you think we should go see what's up?" Tara asked, biting her lip as she looked towards Gemma at the bar who shook her head when she noticed the younger women's gaze, shrugging as an answer to the question she knew Tara wanted to ask. She didn't know what was up either.
"She was fine when I left her." Jax spoke up, watching as Harley wiped at her face and rubbed a hand over his sons back while she muttered something to him, another wave of tears falling from her eyes. "Hey," He whispered, nudging Opie in the ribs as he nodded forwards. "This is your chance to talk to her. Just ask if she's alright first." Opie nodded, jumping at the chance to talk to the woman he was all but ready to marry. He downed his beer and stood up, moving around the other chairs and towards Harley.
