Thanks for all the readers. I do not own SOA.

Chapter 4

As Jax opened up the throttle on his bike headed back to Charming he tried to clear his mind. 3 hours to simply ride would be good to just not think about anything. He and Angie had a good plan, and one thing for sure, Jax knew Angie could handle herself. Going a little faster Jax found himself thinking not of all the problems in front of them, but of his past, of the one and only time Angie Maroney had been in Charming 11 years ago…

A motorcycle pulling up in front of Teller/Morrow was not something unusual, but this rider was. Jax was in the back of the shop working when he heard the guys starting to talk. "Holy shit get a look at that. Man would I like to take a turn at that." Comments like that made Jax put down the wrench and walk away from the car he was working on to take a look at what was going on outside.

Clay was talking to a red headed woman out front who had just ridden in on a Harley. Although the conversation seemed a little animated, Jax could see the woman was winning. Her back was to him, but she seemed to have an air of familiarity to her, Jax felt he should know this woman. Pulling out some money from her pocket she peeled off 2 bills from her wad and handed them to Clay. She then shook his hand and headed over to her bike.

Jax walked over to Clay when he motioned him over. "So what is the deal with the lady?" Jax asked as he neared Clay.

"Well she needs a little work done on the bike. Sounded like loose plugs as she pulled in. However, she prefers to work on it herself, so she rented the use of some tools. I told her she could pull it into one of the bays but she insisted she would work on in out here on the drive, didn't want to be any trouble. Take her out a full setup if you could Jax." Clay said as they turned and headed into the garage.

After Jax had gathered up a set of tools he headed out to the lady with the bike. Walking up to her that feeling that he should know her just wouldn't go away. "Clay said you were going to use these," Jax said as he walked up behind her. Angie was squatting next to the bike, examining the engine.

Angie knew that voice. It was really the voice she was looking for. Yes she was sure she had a couple of loose spark plugs, she had loosened them a couple miles back to make her stop at Teller/Morrow legitimate. Angie had an amends to make. Working the steps was a process. Angie owed Jackson Teller an amends, and it had to be in person. How she got to 'in person' was her business.

They had talked on the phone many times since that night in Sturgis. Angie had called him and told him she was taking his advice, and going to get sober. He told her he thought that was a good idea and he wished her well. She had also called him right after she walked out of rehab on day 16, that was the day they wanted to stop talking about the drinking itself, and wanted to start talking about why she drank. He asked her 3 questions that day. "What was it that she was so afraid other people would find out about her that made her hide in a bottle? Is there something so bad that she can't face that she needed to crawl back into that bottle? And why are you calling me, someone you don't even know instead of all the people who must know and love you?"

The answers to the first 2 questions were not that memorable, but Jax had always remembered the answer to the 3rd, "I called you because you called me on my crap the first time you met me, and you are someone who tells it to me like it is. But you seem to care what happens to me so I need an answer."

"I do care, and so I am going to tell you how it is. Get your ass back in rehab. Now do I need to come get you or can you do it yourself." 2 hours later Angie was back in rehab. She had completed the program and was working the steps. They had talked many times since she had gotten out, and not about just her, she felt like she knew as much about him as he did about her. But right now she was on Step nine, making amends.

Back in front of Teller/Morrow Angie stood up but did not turn around to face Jax. "I am," She said. "I think it is just a couple loose plugs, but I like to work on my own bike. Thanks for the tools Jax you can just leave them right here next to the bike."

Jax knew that voice. With his empty hand he reached up and put his hand on Angie's shoulder turning her around to face him. She smiled as she looked at him. The realization that the person she was looking for, was now in front of her. He bent down and set the tools down next to the bike and then stood up to face her. "Well, well, well. Angie Maroney. Should I hug you, or should I be looking for you to haul off and deck me like our last meeting."

Bending down she picked up the socket wrench she needed to solve her problem and turned her attention to the bike. "No plans to deck you on this trip Jackson, but that could change. But I do need to talk to you. Is there somewhere we could meet to talk? In front of your Clubhouse is not where I had in mind."

"You in trouble?" Jax asked as he bent down, picked up a wrench and headed to the other side of the bike.

"No just needed to see you about something." Standing Angie tapped Jax on the shoulder and shook her head at him, pointing at the wrench in his hand. "Now where and when can we meet?"

"Go 3 miles north of town and turn left down a dirt road. When you come to the big clearing, I will be there waiting." Jax said. "Now slap me across the face like you are insulted I was trying to help with the bike"

"With pleasure" Angie said, and she hauled off and popped Jax in the face. Dropping the wrench, Jax stormed into the garage, grabbed his cut, mumbled something about her being a bitch and then took off on his bike.

Angie finished tightening the plugs, and then spent another 20 minutes checking other things to make it look realistic. She started the bike and listened to the motor run for a couple minutes, then shut the motor off, gathered the tools up, and returned them to the garage. Leaving the garage Angie followed Jax's directions and found him exactly where he said he would be.

Sliding off her bike, Jax picked Angie up and spun her around and then set her back down. "Darlin you look great. Please tell me you are out here for pleasure." Jax said as he pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"Well I am in California on business, and here with you for personal reasons. But first tell me, was that Clay your step dad I gave $100 to so I could tighten the spark plugs I had loosened myself?"

"Jesus, if I had known you had that kind of money I would have come to visit the last time you asked me to. I can get it back for you." Jax said.

"No, don't. I don't want anyone to know I was here or that you know me. I like the fact that you are a secret to my friends and family, and I am to yours. It's like I have that special person in my life I don't share with anyone else in my life. You know, someone who is only looking out for my interests and only interested in how things affect me." She said as she slipped her hand into Jax's.

"I know what you mean," Jax said as he squeezed her hand. "But you said you needed to talk to me, and it must be big for you to show up here without letting me know you are coming. So what is up?"

Looking Jax in the eye, she took a deep breath. Shit this was going to be harder than she thought. "I am here to tell you I am sorry and to tell you thank you in person."

"Sorry for what?" he asked a bit puzzled?

"For not appreciating at the time that you probably kept me from a very bad situation way back in Sturgis, and I thanked you by decking you, fighting with you, and ruining your evening."

"Ah you're here on your steps" he said as he slipped his arm around her shoulder like an old pal.

"Ah that I am," she said. "I also want to thank you. Because what you did and the things you said made me think about what I was doing, and it made me look at who I was, and who I wanted to be."

"Well, you are forgiven. Except for always getting punched when I see you I think I have gotten a pretty good friend out of the deal, and well, at least now I will always have a designated driver when we are together." Jax laughed as he pulled me closer and pecked my cheek.

They sat and talked for several hours catching up, and when they left, she headed back to San Francisco, and he headed back into Charming. No one the wiser they had spent the afternoon sitting together talking and laughing.

Jax's mind came slowly back to the present as he rounded the corner on the highway into Charming. Angie was going to have her first encounter with Ethan Zobelle in 2 hours. Boy was he in for a surprise.