A/N: I don't own the Sons, though like many, I wish I did. Remember to tell me what you think in a review. I love each of them especially my faithful readers who review each chapter! If you want more or less of something than feel free to comment, good or bad!

I tossed and turned but couldn't get to sleep. After about 15 minutes I figured I'd get a glass of water. Carefully, so as not to wake Jax in the next room, I tiptoed to the kitchen. I searched in the large kitchen for the cabinets for the glasses.

"Looking for something?" A voice called out from the living room giving me a start. Jax lounged on the couch clad only in sweat pants reading a book.

"Oh, hi!" I uttered stupidly, "Yeah, I'm just looking for a glass of water. Can't sleep." I was dressed in my standard pajamas, a tank top and yoga pants. Though I was covered and dressed pretty modestly, for some reason I felt bare in front of him. It made me wonder what it must feel like to have someone who knew you. I mean, truly knew you, beyond what the world saw, beyond what you saw.

"I can help you out with that." He offered laying his book down. He moved to a cabinet I had not checked yet. Reaching up, strong muscles stretched under the soft skin of his back.

"What book are you reading?" I ask trying to keep the tone of my voice level.

"Nicholas Nickelby" He answered handing me my cup.

"Dickens?" I ask between sips. I would not take the "big, bad, biker" to be the classics type.

"I can read" He says in a mock defensive tone. "So, you can't sleep huh?"

"Little wired, why are you up?" I ask taking another sip.

"Somebody's got to keep an eye on you." Oh, God!

"You really don't have to, I'm ok. Besides I'm sure you'd much rather be at Clay's homecoming party." He gave me a weird look.

"Do you trust me?"

"Nope." I deadpanned.

"I've got an idea."

I never expected my night would turn out anything like this. At 7 o'clock I had been talking to David over ice cream at Lumpy's. By 11 I was pulling into a convict's "Welcome Home" party on the back of a motorcycle in the company of a boy I barely knew.

"Here we are." Jax announced as we dismounted the bike. The guest of honor had been there for no more than 45 minutes and many people were already fall down drunk. Croweaters were tripping and falling into the laps of very welcoming men, flames were lapping at an unattended barbeque. Drunken men cheered on as two others fought in a boxing ring.

Beside me Jax was saying hey to every other person and giving handshakes and hugs out left and right. I leaned over to him, "Are you sure it's ok that I'm here?" Across the parking lot I saw Gemma spot us and narrow her eyes taking in our proximity.

"Yeah, why not?" He asked slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Your mother doesn't seem too happy to see me." I showed Jax where his mother stood, looking at us over Clay's shoulder.

"You let me worry about my mother." He ground out staring in her direction as well, communicating in a language that only they shared. I followed him into the party smiling at greasy, mostly older men as Jax introduced them to me.

"Are they all part of the club?"

"Nah, some are but a lot are just friends and hang-arounds."

"Jax! How you doin' kid? Happy the geezer is out of the can?" A graying-man who had not been in the van but still wore a cut, asked coming up behind and shaking Jax and therefore me.

"You know it! Hey Quinn, this is Tara." Quinn stuck his hand out and when I placed mine in his kissed it as if he were kissing a woman rather than the back of a hand. I gave Jax a bit of a shocked look and he gently pulled me away.

"Hands off, you dirty old man!" He laughed, "Quinn is our VP." We said a few more biker formalities before moving on. Opie suddenly was in front of us.

"Brother!" Jax yelled pulling him into a hug. Opie looked surprised and almost happy to see me with Jax.

"Hey Tara." I smiled and said hello back.

"Are we hanging here tonight?" Jax asked Opie. I tried very hard to focus on only Opie as an older and tubbier man started to strip a whiles behind him.

"I lifted some pot off the old man, figured we could go to the old orchard." Opie suggested before looking over his shoulder with a wink towards me, "Besides I think Tara might pass out if she's sees anymore Tito."

"Sound good?" Jax asked me.

"Uhm, I just need a bathroom first."

"Sure, it's just down the hall to the right in the back of the clubhouse." His eyes squinted at me, "Are you ok?"

I swallowed back the mild panic and unease that were growing in me, "Oh, yeah! No, I'm fine; I'm just going to…" I smiled awkwardly as I headed towards the clubhouse navigating through the throngs of bikers. The music got even louder as I entered the smokey building and maneuvered around drunken and touchy men and scantily clad women. The difference between me and the other women in the room was obvious. For starters, you could see none of my undergarments. After Jax had invited me to the party I had changed out of my pajamas and into my standard attire: purple blouse, jeans and boots. Plus I wasn't rubbing up and down on anything wearing a cut as Jax called them. Finally I reached the hallway Jax had been talking about. I started trying the doors along the long hallway. The first led to a closet with linens, pillows, toothbrushes and such. The next led to a room completely filled with cardboard boxes some labeled "CAUTION: FLAMMABLE"; I quickly, yet gently, closed the door to that room. I came upon another door and again cautiously opened it.

"Oh my God!" I screeched. I had walked in on two women and a man engaging in something I couldn't even begin to describe. They either didn't hear me or didn't care, I'd bet on the latter, as they continued their "activities" without as much as a glance towards the door. I hurried out and down the hall trying to put as much distance as possible between us when I finally came upon the bathroom and locked myself in.

What in the hell am I doing here? My growing feelings for Jax were at war with my logic and reason –ruled brain. Jax was one of the most remarkable people I had ever met, but this was crazy. Could I really envision this as a typical night? If we got together would this be what I had to look forward to?

And yet I still had this tugging at the back of my mind from my more emotion-ruled heart. He was fun to be around and I had never felt safer than when he had held me tonight. Spending the day with him in that field had been the most liberating feeling I had felt in ages. I felt as though I could trust him, that he would be true to his word.

What if he didn't like me as much as I thought I liked him? He could just be trying to be a good person. The thoughts tumbled over all others. All of this internal debating meant nothing if he didn't like me the same way. What other reason does he have for being so kind if he doesn't like me like that though?

Someone knocked at the door breaking me from my train of thought. Why do you say at this type of party? "I'll be out in a minute!" seemed kind of stupid to ay to a biker.

"Tara, its Jax" After contemplating for a second I walked over to the door and unlocked it, allowing him into the small room. I bit my lip unable to look him in the eye.

"Hey, you ok?" His eyes showed genuine concern.

"What am I doing here, Jax?" I asked on the edge of a frenzy. Expecting a joke answer, Jax surprised me.

"I think you know what you're doing here, Tara." He was looking me dead in the eyes entrancing me instantaneously. Answering my silent question of 'what?' he continued, "There is something here," He gestured between us, "and I'm not gonna ignore that and neither should you." He took a step closer to me and once again my breath caught as I constantly looked into his eyes.

"You barely know me, and I barely know you." I held trying to retain some reason.

"We fit together; I know that about you…" He whispered coming closer leaning his forehead against mine grasping my hands. Being this close to him was acutely painful especially as his whiskered face began to move along my jaw.

"We're moving too quickly…"I whispered back talking about the relationship; not speaking about the nuzzling, he could keep doing that. He straightened to look me in the eyes again.

"Says who?"

"Says m-mmm!" Jax had grasped me behind the neck and pulled me in for a kiss. At first I resisted from pure shock but as his soft lips passed over mine I understood what he had been trying to tell me. Yes, it was completely ludicrous that the two of us should be together; it went against most laws of the universe. But for the life of me I could not remember a time when I had felt more safe, protected and happy, even when my mom was alive. All of a sudden, in the midst of the most glorious first kiss that had ever existed I had an epiphany: I could love him. It would be so easy for me to fall, head first, utterly and completely in love with Jax Teller. He was right, there was something here that should not be ignored, otherwise we risked metal illness. We could figure out the rest along the way. He gently laid a few light kisses on my lips before pulling back. It took me a second to open my eyes.

"I know you, Tara Knowles." He whispered confidently, "you ready to head back out there?" At this point I didn't trust myself to speak so I nodded instead. We emerged from the bathroom to a boisterous crowd many of whom clapped or cat-called.

"Hey, Ope!" Jax shouted from across the clubhouse getting his attention before we made our way over to him.

"You guys ready?" Opie asked.

"I'm ready if you are." Jax mused.

"Where you go, I go."

For the second time tonight, or really the first time today, Jax ushered me to the spare bedroom next to his room. It was nearly 3 in the morning and I was half dead. I couldn't remember how I had not fallen off his bike as he drove him from the orchard. We had spent a few hours there joking and laughing with Opie. The boys had toked up, offered some to me but I declined and they didn't pressure me. I was so tired the growling of the bike didn't even faze me on the drive back.

"Goodnight Tara." He laughed at my half-awake stance as I leaned against the doorway.

"Goodnight" I smiled and he turned towards his room.

"Wait!" I abruptly yelled, and just as quickly realized I had to say something. Live on the edge! "You can…sleep in here." I paused "That is if you want to." He gave me a half smile and looked at me like I was crazy. "Never mind." I laughed trying to play down my embarrassment. I turned into the room and was surprised when he followed me in.

"Just don't kick me" He said as we took our shoes off. I gave him a dirty yet playful look.

"Just don't try anything funny" He returned the look.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I hoped that was a lie but unfortunately I was unable to see if it was. The second my head laid down on his warm chest I forgot I was still in my clothes, I forgot about what David had said, about my Dad, what Gemma said, I forgot everything. I just closed my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.