STATE OF AFFLICTION

by: rockrevival

Author's Note: I, in no way, own Sons of Anarchy. I wish I did though. I only own my own characters and anything else you do not recognize. Now on to the story...

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Chapter Four: As Circumstances Dictate

Kendall stayed in her position on the bed until she saw Jax come into the room. She started getting up, only to be greeted by a throbbing pain in her head. "Ugh. I shouldn't have done that," she said, moving her hands up to her head.

Jax laughed. "Easy. I'll get you some medicine and then you can go back to bed for a couple of hours. Meds will kick in while your sleeping."

Kendall, careful to not move her head, responded to him. "No. I have to go to work soon."

Jax was in his bathroom when he heard Kendall say something about work. "Work? I thought this was just a vacation?" Who worked while they were on vacation? People who usually took vacations took them to get away from everything and to have a good time. People who took vacations didn't need to make extra money. He thought if people had money to take a vacation to begin with were pretty well off. To a degree, anyway.

"At the Bar and Grill in town." She took the pills of Advil Jax had given to her and swallowed them down with a glass of water.

Jax grabbed the glass of water when she was finished with it and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed. "What time do you have to go in?"

Kendall thought for a moment, her eyes closed. "One."

"Well it's only ten. Sleep for a bit and I'll wake you up as it gets closer to one, okay?"

Kendall nodded as best as she could, turning so she was back on her side so that she was facing the bathroom. She closed her eyes and then opened them, not sure what to believe. "We didn't sleep together, did we?" She asked him. She couldn't remember what happened last night after talking to Juice. She remembered going into the bedroom with Jax willingly but that didn't mean anything.

"No. I even slept on the couch outside."

Kendall sighed a sigh of relief. "Good."

Jax laughed. "Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean."

Jax nodded. "Yeah. Once was enough. We were lucky Ope didn't find out. He would've killed me."

Despite her parent's protest, Kendall visited her uncle Piney and Opie the week following her nineteenth birthday. They couldn't stop her; just like they couldn't stop her the other four times she visited them the day since she turned eighteen.

It was during that time that Kendall had developed a little crush on Jax. He didn't seek her out to spend time with, it always seemed to happen being she always spent time with Ope when she came in. But the crush was nothing serious, or harmful. They both knew it wouldn't go anywhere. But one night she decided to take a chance on it. It seemed Jax was interested in her that night as well. Kendall would even say he was watching her a little more closely than normal.

So she slept with him. It was that night that made her rethink her idea on sleeping with someone. She didn't get hurt by it but it was the night she lost her virginity. She felt out of sorts and from there on out, she wasn't going to sleep with anyone that she wasn't serious about. Of course, there were those few nights she did so but she always countered that saying "she wasn't aware of what was going on."

But Kendall didn't dwell in that fact with Jax. She just went about like it never bothered her. She didn't want to lose the small friendship they had.

That was seven years ago but they still remembered it like it was yesterday. They both had to worry about Opie finding them in bed together. Jax remembered sneaking Kendall out of his room, which proved to be a difficult task.

It wasn't long after that Kendall was able to go back to sleep. Jax stared at her, trying to understand why she needed a job. From the looks of her Hummer, she didn't need the money. Unless she spent it all on the Hummer and that was the reason for working on a vacation.

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Jax woke Kendall up around eleven thirty, just like he said he would. He wanted to talk to Opie about Kendall but he knew that's where she was headed. She needed to get ready for work.

Making sure Opie would still be there after Kendall left for work, he texted him. After getting the message that said Opie would be there, he relaxed for the time being. He couldn't do anything about it right now anyway. No use worrying over it.

Around one-thirty, Jax made it to the Winston household. No one else was home so he didn't have to worry about his concerns getting to everyone. He didn't want to worry Donna if there was nothing going on in the first place. Donna cared for Kendall as if she were directly related to her instead of through Opie.

When Jax parked his motorcycle in the driveway, he saw Opie in the garage.

"Hey man, what's up?" Opie greeted his longtime best friend.

Jax looked down the street and then back into the garage. "Nothing. I gotta talk to you about Kendall," started Jax, getting right down to the current situation.

Opie put down the tool he held in his hand, his attention focused on Kendall and nothing else. "What about her?"

Jax ran a hand through his hair, almost as if he were stressed, and sighed. "She said something this morning and it just seemed a bit off. She said she got a job. Is she planning on staying or something?"

Opie felt relieved when Jax asked if she were staying. He thought something was seriously wrong with her. If Kendall wanted to stay in Charming with them, then that was great news. "No but what's wrong with that?" He honestly didn't see why Jax was so worried about something as simple as that.

"She loves Boston. Couldn't wait to move there from what I remember. If she's staying something must have happened."

Opie shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing bro."

Jax nodded. He still didn't believe everything was okay. Something was wrong with Kendall. He hoped she wasn't in some kind of trouble. As he made his way back to his bike, he remembered what Clay and Tig had said to him this morning and what they were hinting at. Either she was in trouble with the law or she was the law. But he knew Kendall. She would never turn them in. Especially not Opie, Piney and himself.

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Gemma was important to Clay and he knew he could trust her with anything. That's why he decided to talk to her about the thoughts that kept replaying in his mind. It seemed that was all he thought about lately.

Gemma knew Clay could always ask Juice to run a background check on her but why he didn't just yet was a mystery. He probably just wanted to keep things under wraps for the time being. It was still too early to tell and no one else suspected her of anything. Surely it would raise problems between the club. Her blood relatives and Jax to be precise.

Here she was. Shopping at the grocery store. Gemma hadn't had plans to host a family dinner tomorrow night but she instantly suggested it when Clay told her everything. Maybe it would help. They could get to know her more and find out what has been going on in her life all the years she had cut communications with them.

She had to admit, it was weird she didn't see Opie in jail or even visit Piney. A call would've done as well but nothing of the sort occurred. She couldn't say if she spoke to Donna. Afterall, Donna did hate the club. And with Opie's arrest, it didn't help.

She turned the corner, almost hitting a lady with her cart. The girl turned around and Gemma was surprised to see Kendall. She looked her up and down, just like she normally did when she ran into somebody. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

She looked at Gemma, trying to understand the meaning behind her words. Gemma rarely spoke to her, let alone was ever curious her plans for anything. "Not sure."

Gemma could tell Kendall didn't know where she was going with this or rather, why she was even asking. It was the way Kendall answered her slowly. "I'm throwing a family dinner party. You should come," Gemma offered her.

"I don't know. I'm not family." Kendall wasn't thrilled with the idea. She had no idea that family meant those that you chose to be a part of your family, not just those that are blood-related.

Gemma knew she didn't trust Kendall one hundred percent but she had to make it seem like she really wanted Kendall there. Not just because they didn't trust her. "You are part of the family," she started, emphasizing the word you and making sure it sounded genuine, which it did. "Opie and Piney are part of my family. You're part of theirs." She looked at her for a moment. "You get that?" She asked her, putting her hand on her shoulder for extra comfort. Surely that would help ease Kendall's mind.

Kendall hesitated. She did sound genuine. She didn't want to seem like she wasn't at least trying to get to know Gemma. Kendall nodded. "I suppose I could."

Gemma smiled. She had gotten through to her. Hopefully things wouldn't turn out the way Clay and Tig thought and they could put everything behind them. But only time would tell. "Good."

Gemma continued on her way, making sure she didn't look back at her. Surely that would be a dead giveaway, what with the look on her face.

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Author's Note: So after writing and posting that chapter, I've added a couple of things to the story and changed direction of who she might end up with. I just figure it adds for more drama and such in the long run. It'll be better for the story, at least in my opinion. And if that version doesn't suit you when it's all done and finished, I can take it the other way and see how that would've gone. But enough of that. I have to stay in the present to get to the future.

I gave a bit more insight into that night spent between them and why Kendall is the way she is now. I know I said previously she never did that and if I went ahead and posted it without that, you'd be thinking "did she even think her character through?" So I did.

Hopefully you like this installment and review. You haven't let me down so far and I greatly appreciate it. I never thought it would be a hit like it is. I've never really had this many reviews, alerts, and favorites for a story with only three chapters. Thanks a lot!

Also does anyone know how I can link a picture in my profile to make it clickable? I like portraying characters to actors.

And yet another tidbit of changed info. With the new direction I have my story going, I can't seem to find an actress to fit Kendall's age or looks so I've decided to change her blue eye color to brown. Mila Kunis will be portraying her. It's not that big of a difference but thought you guys might like to know.