All Roads Lead to Charming

by Harlee Quinn

AU: Almost 4 years after leaving Charming, Jolene Morrow returns when she learns about the death of a high-ranking member's Old Lady and is reunited with the love of her life, Jax Teller. But after all this time, can they regain what they have lost? Story 2 of the Jaxene Trilogy.

6. The Boys Are Back In Town

Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.

Rated "M" for language, adult situations, and smut.

A/N: I apologize for the extremely long chapter, but this installment should go a long way in pleasing those that have been dying to have Jax and Jolene reunited. This chapter starts with Jax and Ope's release from prison and chronicles the new Teller family's first weekend together.

As always, thanks for all the adds and for reading. If you read, please review because feedback is love.

---

Walking out of the secondary gate of Chino Correctional Facility, the first thing Jax did was take a long, deep breath. As he inhaled the fresh air into his lungs and exhaled, Jax looked at Opie. It was their first breaths to be drawn as free men after being guests of the State of California for 14 months and it felt fuckin' great!

"So are you going to keep out of trouble, my man?" Billy asked as he unlocked the gate leading to the final one which would lead the two Sons out of the prison and into the world as men free and clear of their debt to society.

"Hell's yeah. I gotta do my best, man. I've got my family to live for now." Jax replied.

Thinking of his own children, two boys and a girl who were the apple of his eye, Billy nodded. "There ain't nothing more important, bro. You make sure you take care of them. That's too beautiful a family for you to end up back here again, especially as a three-time loser."

Jax nodded. Before Jolene came back into his life, he didn't care whether he lived or died in prison. But now, with his old lady and his son waiting for him, he realized just how much he had to lose should he end up as a guest of the State again. Jax was determined not to let anything or anyone separate him from his family ever again.

Looking past the reinforced steel fence, Jax saw a familiar and welcomed sight as four of his brothers escorted one of T-M's cargo vans up to the exit. Throwing his helmet aside, Tig swung his leg over his bike and walked up to the gate as the guard opened the locks, allowing Jax and Opie to walk through the open door.

Giving each of the men the standard bro hug, Tig said snarkily, "Aw, shit! I had to come see it for myself. I had to come see the sorry end to my 14-month vacation come to fruition."

"Funny, asshole." Opie replied.

"Hey, Jackie Boy!" Chibs yelled. "What the hell happened to your hair, man?"

"It's not like he wanted to cut it. It was more like he had to cut it." Opie kidded. "Jax is just too damn pretty for prison and he was about to make himself a whole new set of friends."

Jax looked at Opie with narrowed eyes as he shook his head. "What the fuck, douche bag? Way to drop a dime on a brother."

"Anytime, bro." Opie replied cheekily, slapping Jax on shoulder.

Changing the subject, Jax called out to Happy. "Hey, any of you got something for us in the van?"

"Oh, yes we do!" Happy called out with something that, to the untrained eye, looked like a grimace, but was actually as close as he had ever come to a smile. Reaching through the window of the cargo van driven by Half-Sack, Happy picked up the two folded cuts lying on the passenger seat.

Walking up to Jax, Happy handed him his cut. "Long time coming, brother."

"Long time, indeed." Jax reverently held his cut in his hands. As he put it on over his hoodie, he felt a sense of relief. Now, I am truly home.

Looking over to see Billy retreating to the prison, Jax called out, "Yo, Billy, wait up a minute." Jax turned to Chibs. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Reaching into the van, Chibs trotted up to Jax holding a large paper bag and handed it over. "Here ya are, brutha. Just as you ordered."

Taking a look at the contents, Jax reached in and grabbed an item out of the bag. Jax smiled as he strode back to the gate. "Yo, Billy!"

As Billy turned back and saw Jax at the front gate, his eyes lit up on seeing the paper bag in his hands. "Is that what I think it is, man?" Billy motioned for the guard to re-open the gate.

Jax reached out to shake Billy's hand. As Billy pulled his hand away, his eyes widened as he discreetly pocketed the large wad of cash that Jax had palmed him. With the other massive hand he grabbed hold of the paper sack and opened it. The most heavenly smell wafted up to his nose and Billy smiled as he saw the four large loaves of Bobby's organic banana bread.

Looking at Jax, Billy said with a grin as he shook his hand again, "Man, you may be an outlaw, but you all right in my book. Be good, Jax and don't let me see you in here again."

"I will and you won't." Jax replied, smiling broadly.

---

As they traveled down the I-22 headed towards Charming, Jax reflected on the last six months of his imprisonment. It had felt like the longest stretch of time of his life and it was only made bearable because of his family. But as much as Jax loved his SAMCRO family—always had and always would—it was having Jolene back in his life that made all the difference. Even within the prison walls, living under the oppression of the grim reality of his day-to-day life laid out for him in a rigid set of rules, Jax felt like he was finally able to breath the moment he saw her walk into the VC. Doing time was never easy, whether you were doing one year or one hundred, but knowing that she was waiting for him gave Jax a sense of purpose, a reason to keep living.

The last four years had been pretty much touch-and-go for Jax. Now that he was sober, he saw just how reckless he had been. Not just with the excessive drinking and inappropriate pussy he had immersed himself in, but the manner in which he lived in and out of the Clubhouse. Getting caught in the crossfire of that gunfight in Oakland between the Niners and the Mayans was one thing. How it actually played out was another. The bad blood that had been brewing between LaRoy and Alvarez was not a SAMCRO beef, but Jax hadn't cared and had come out guns blazing. In retrospect, he knew that Ope had been right in calling him out on his death wish. He had been reckless that day in Oakland and, once his head cleared, Jax was devastated by the knowledge that he could have been responsible for taking a loving husband and father away from Donna and the kids by putting Opie in the middle of his own attempted suicide. The reality was Jax had been living like he was dying the moment Jolene had left him four years ago and he was just grateful that his wish had not come true. Fourteen months in Chino had been a small price to pay when considering that the alternative would've made a reunion with the love of his life impossible. Jax was no longer ready to die. He was ready to live.

Pulling the small photo album from his back pocket, Jax flipped through the pictures of his old lady and son, including recent ones taken during their visits these past few months. Jolene had made it a point to bring Abel to see him every week, sometimes twice in a week, and he lived for those visits, making sure that he did nothing to prevent him from seeing his family. While he loved spending time with Jo and Abel, he had to admit that the family weekend visits with his son had been some of the best as it gave them the chance to get to really know each other.

And Abel had loved having his daddy all to himself, practically fighting sleep as he wanted to stay up all night playing with Jax, talking a mile a minute the whole time. Holding Abel in his arms while he read to him one of his favorite bedtime stories, Jax felt the kind of contentment he hadn't felt since Jolene had left Charming. Each extended weekend visit only served to strengthen the bond between the two Teller men.

Jax hated himself every time he thought of how much it hurt Jolene not to be a part of those visits. Even though she never said as much, Jax could see it in her-ever expressive eyes whenever she handed Abel over to him and watched as Gemma got to go with them to their cabin. Proving herself to be the strong old lady Jax had always known she was, Jolene realized just how much Abel loved his father and knew that they would both benefit from spending time together. Her love for him and their son outweighed the feelings of petty jealousy she felt whenever another woman was granted rights that rightfully should belong to her.

I can't wait to see them and hold them in my arms, especially Jolene, Jax thought as his thumb lovingly grazed the photo of her beautiful, smiling face as Abel peppered her with kisses.

Snapping the album shut, Jax closed his eyes tight. His days in Chino had been tolerable. The nights, however, were long and Jax's craving for Jolene had only intensified during the last six months. He was aching to sink himself into her, to renew the love they had once shared, and to brand her as his own again.

So deep in his own thoughts, Jax hadn't even realized that he was back in Charming until the cargo van made an abrupt left turn onto a narrow street a few blocks off of Main. The van pulled to a stop at one of the newly refurbished semi-attached townhouses that had been redeveloped while Jax and Opie were on the inside. Each of the six townhouses had two levels, some of them sporting small yards in front as well as in the back of the property.

The cargo van doors slid open to reveal a grinning Tig. "This is your stop, man."

As Jax jumped out, Tig held out a set of keys for him and nodded towards the last townhouse on the neat little row of identical townhouses. Jax smiled as he saw his Dyna-Glide parked in the driveway.

"These are for your ride." Tig said. Slapping a hand on his head, he exclaimed, "Aw shit! I almost forgot." Jogging back to his bike, he reached into a saddle bag hanging off the side and pulled out Jolene's old helmet. Handing it to Jax, Tig said, "Um, Bobby found it at the Clubhouse. He thought Doll Face might need it again." He winked.

Wrapping his arms around Tig in a bro hug, Jax pulled away from Tig to look him in the eye. "Bobby did?" He asked, with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah, you know he's a sentimental old fart." Tig avoided looking directly at Jax.

I'll bet, Jax thought as he patted his brother on the back.

"You sure you want to do this, brutha?" Chibs called out from his bike. "You know Gemma is gonna have a righteous fit when we pull into the lot without ya." Chibs winced slightly as he imagined the tantrum Gemma was likely to throw. The Queen of Charming had pulled out all the stops for a party to end all parties to celebrate Jax and Opie's return and Chibs would bet a bottle of Jameson that she would not be happy about being stood up.

"Sorry, bro," Jax knew he was leaving his brothers to do his dirty work and bear the brunt of her ire. "But I have to see my old lady." Alone. Finally. After four long years. There was no way in hell that he was going to wait until his mother's shindig was over before he could be with his love again. "You'll handle Moms just fine."

"Come on! It's time to go!" Opie shouted impatiently. He had no problem with getting to the Clubhouse. All he wanted was to see Donna and the kids again. It would be easy enough to sneak off to the dorms when everybody was looking at Gemma putting on a show because of her missing son.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Happy snarked, his gravelly voice belying the humor of his statement.

"Cut him some slack, man!" Tig shouted. "He's spent fourteen fuckin' months trapped in a sausage factory. The sex he's been wanting, he couldn't get and the sex he was getting, he sure as shit didn't want!"

Juice, throwing his two cents in, retorted cheerfully. "Just remember your old lady's gonna need the use of her legs later on. If she can't walk into the Clubhouse on her own, everybody will know why, including Clay." He laughed.

"I'm not worried about lil luvvie." Chibs stated, his face a mask of seriousness. "It's Jackie Boy here who's gonna end up with a broke dick by the time she's done with him."

Raucous laughter broke out among Jax's brothers and even the new Prospect couldn't help laughing, too.

"Ya'll done now 'cause, if you are, all of you can kiss my ass." Jax replied snarkily as he swaggered towards his new home, his brothers sobering up quickly as he threw over his shoulder, "Good luck with Gemma, assholes!"

---

To say that Gemma was upset was an understatement of mammoth proportions.

When the van pulled into the T-M lot to resounding cheers and clapping from all of the well-wishers, Gemma's heart had swelled with anticipation. With Donna by her side, Gemma had been holding Abel, who was excited beyond belief that his daddy was finally coming home. It was a shame that Jolene had not been able to get away from Cara Cara in time to see her old man rolling in.

Donna, who had gotten little sleep the night before, was on pins and needles, the excitement of finally seeing her husband overwhelming. Although Donna very rarely socialized with the Club, this was different. Her old man was coming home. As the cargo van door slid open to reveal Opie jumping out to immense cheers, Kenny and Ellie broke free from her death grip and ran to leap into their father's arms, with Donna running right behind him.

Gemma, using one arm to provide a shade against the sun's glare while using the other to hold Abel, couldn't see Jax. When the van door slid shut, she finally realized that he wasn't there.

"Where's my daddy?" Abel said loudly, tugging on Gemma's blouse to get her attention.

"I don't know, baby, but I'm about to find out." Gemma replied grimly as she marched towards Tig with a hard glint in her eye.

Tig, seeing Gemma on the warpath, grabbed Juice. "I hate to see Mommy upset. You tell her." Throwing Juice into Gemma's path, Tig beat a hasty retreat to the Clubhouse bar for a drink.

As a patched member for almost six years, Juice was not one to run away from danger or the possibility of certain death. But when Gemma bore down on him like a wily fox about to tear into her next meal of an extremely terrified rabbit, Juice swallowed rather loudly.

"Hey, Gem? How's it going?" As Juice got a good look at Gemma's face, his smile abruptly faded.

Oh, shit. This is so totally not my fault!

---

Jolene—surprise, surprise—wasn't at Cara Cara. She was home and in danger of pacing a hole into the living room carpet when she heard what she knew for sure were the roar of Harleys pulling up to the corner of the block. Suddenly feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, Jolene shook herself out of a near-panicky state as she said out loud, "He's home."

Fighting the urge to run out into the street, Jolene was contemplating whether or not she had time to down a shot of tequila when she heard the front door lock click open. With her heart pounding in her throat, Jolene's hands flew to her mouth to stifle herself from squealing like a teenage girl as her bright green eyes clashed with Jax's crystal blue ones.

"Hey, darlin'," Jax was beaming as he stepped into the house and slammed the door behind him. "I'm home." He announced.

Jolene was willing her legs to move, but there was a disconnect between her head and her feet, her heart refusing to let her eyes register that what she was seeing was true. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, she wasn't sure whether or not she was awake. Suddenly, it hit her, the realization that her old man, wearing his cut instead of his state-issued orange scrubs, was finally out and back into her life. It was a feeling she could only describe as warm and fuzzy as it spread from her heart to her stomach, unleashing an army of butterflies, until it finally seeped into her limbs, almost bringing her to her knees. Pushing her thick, black hair away from her face, Jolene took a tentative step forward, but for some reason, stopped.

"You're home." Jolene almost whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, so I've heard." Jax arched an eyebrow and smiled. "I'm asking myself, though, why are my arms empty right now?" He held his hands out, a fake pout curling his lower lip.

Before he knew to brace himself, Jolene was off like a shot and running into his arms. Their bodies slamming into each other, Jax hugged her tight against his chest as Jolene's arms wrapped around him in a vise-like grip.

I'm never, ever letting go.

Tilting her head back, she smiled into his eyes as he dipped his head and enveloped her mouth with his. Bringing his hands to either side of her head, Jax lovingly cradled her face, holding her steady as he devoured her until she was almost whimpering. Reluctantly breaking away, Jax let her come up for air as he trailed kisses down her neck and nuzzled her throat.

"Oh, Jackson," Jolene moaned against his ear. Leaving his mark as he sucked bruises into her skin, Jax growled against her neck at the sound of his name falling from her lips. Running her hands over his broad shoulders, Jolene grabbed his head, balling her hands into what she could of his hair, and brought his mouth back to hers.

Grabbing her by the hips, Jax picked her up as Jolene wrapped her legs around his waist. Breaking away from their kiss, Jax asked, "Where am I going, darlin'?"

"Couch?" Jolene offered breathlessly.

Jax smiled at her eagerness, but shook his head. "We'll break the couch in later, I promise," He winked at her. "But I've been waiting for this moment for four years, Jo. I want to make love to you in a bed, our bed."

"Upstairs, first door on the right." She quickly replied, bringing his mouth back to hers as Jax blindly headed towards the stairs. Tripping on the first step, Jax ended up on his knees between Jolene's legs as she landed on her back on the stairs.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry, babe." He couldn't help but chuckle as Jolene laughed out loud. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, baby." Jolene laughed as she pulled him in for a kiss, all the while pushing his cut off his back and finally succeeding in yanking him out of his hoodie and t-shirt. "I don't think we're gonna make it upstairs." She smiled as she watched Jax rip open her blouse, the buttons flying, some pinging off the glass of the framed artwork on the staircase wall.

"We have to," Jax breathed against her skin as he dropped kisses on the tops of her breasts, which were threatening to slip out of her skimpy bra. Jolene hitched a sharp intake of breath as Jax pulled on one of the cups and sucked her pierced nipple into his mouth.

"Oh, God, Jax," Jolene moaned as she tugged on his hair and pulled his head back. "Bedroom, on the count of three."

Jax smiled as he grabbed her hand and rubbed it against his erection currently tenting his jeans. "Are we running, 'cause I don't think I can run without hurting myself, darlin'."

"It's every man for himself," Jolene flashed him a devilish smile. "One-two-three!" She counted off in rapid succession, taking off up the stairs and down the hall on the count of two.

"Aw, you are such a cheater!" Jax took off after her, chasing her into the master bedroom.

Standing on the opposite side of the bed, Jolene was kicking off her shoes as she simultaneously wiggled out of her jeans and finished pulling off her torn blouse and bra.

"Come here." Jax demanded as he unzipped his jeans, kicking them off along with his boxers, his shoes flying across the room.

"No," Jolene challenged as she climbed onto the downy, fluffy bed. "You come here."

Jax suddenly got serious as he drank her in from head to toe.

"Something wrong?" Jolene asked, suddenly nervous as her hand instinctively covered the barely-there scar on her chest.

Jax shook his head. "No." He tore his eyes from the tattoo below her navel and looked her in the eyes. "You still have my crow." He said softly.

Jolene bit her lower lip as she dropped her hands to caress the words, "Property of Jax Teller", beneath the crow in a dainty cursive. Her lips curling into half a smile, Jolene said, with her bright eyes gleaming mischievously, "Your crow, your pussy."

Jax grinned. "Damn right!" Jumping onto the bed, Jax tackled her onto her back. Straddling her, he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her deeply.

---

It was getting late and it would be dark soon. In the back of his mind, he knew there was a Clubhouse full of people waiting on his arrival, but Jax didn't give a shit. He had spent the afternoon just how he had dreamed he would for the past six months, making love to his Jolene, just as they had planned. He was exactly where he needed and had longed to be for the past four years, buried deep inside his old lady, reaffirming the feelings they had for each other through the physical expression of their love. It had been way too long since they held each other like this and Jax reasoned that Gemma's wrath at being stood up for a few hours was indeed a small price to pay. He was determined not to let anyone or anything knock him off his Cloud Nine.

Jax balled his hands into the hair at the back of Jolene's neck and pulled her mouth down towards him. Bracing herself with her hands on his muscled chest, Jolene was rocking her hips back and forth as she straddled Jax's cock, riding him hard and deep until her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head. Jax first kissed her mouth and then tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth.

"Tell me you love me." He demanded as she forced animalistic grunts out of him, the pull of her tight pussy pushing him to the edge, driving him insane.

"Mmm hmm," Jolene moaned, unable to form the words that were burning at the back of her throat. Instead, she kissed him deep as his hands traveled down the curve of her back to her hips. Jax took control of their rhythm, slowing her down enough so that Jolene was able to find her voice again. She smiled against his lips. "I love you, baby." She panted.

In one fluid motion, Jolene was on her back. Stopping all movement, they were lost in each other's eyes again. Cradling her face with one hand, Jax kissed her long and slow.

"I fuckin' love you, Jo." He breathed against her lips. "Don't ever leave me again."

Jolene closed her eyes, spilling the tears she thought she could blink away. Looking into his eyes, Jolene promised, "I won't."

Jax smiled as he playfully nipped at her lips.

Jolene moaned softly and, in a manner that forced a groan or two out of Jax, slowly bucked her hips against his, coaxing Jax to start moving again. Gripping his rock-hard ass as he pushed himself into her, Jolene pulled him as deep as he could go and it still wasn't deep enough. She was groaning her need for him, telling him how much she had missed him, had missed his body and the feel of his mouth and his hands on her skin. Making love with him was as beautiful as she remembered it, but now she wanted to be fucked, needed to be fucked. Breathing hard and growling like an animal against her throat, Jax lost himself. Inflamed by her pleas, he forced her legs up, his hands behind her knees, and grunted as he opened her up and pounded into her, the sounds he was eliciting from her a mixture of pleasure and pain.

Jolene was on fire and feeling him plunge deeper and deeper inside her was whipping her into a frenzy. Her release was imminent and she knew that, when she finally came, it would be the most magnificent and alive she has felt since the day she had left Charming. Jax was bringing her back to life, with every caress and every sweet-nothing he whispered to her, he was making her feel again. Pounding into her, each thrust harder than the last, Jax felt his heart about to burst in his chest. Finally letting go, Jolene screamed as she came and, unable to hold out any longer, Jax groaned in what sounded like pain as she sent him over the edge.

"Jesus Christ!" Panting, Jax fell against Jolene as she lovingly caressed the Reaper on his back. Unable to string another thought together as his blood slowly made its way back to his brain, Jax marveled again, "Jesus Christ."

Jolene giggled as they both struggled to catch their breath. "You're welcome."

---

Juice was sitting on the picnic table with his feet kicked out in front of him on the bench. It had taken almost a pint of Jack and two joints to mellow him out after the ass-kicking he got from being Gemma'd. The only small mercy was that Gemma had pulled him to the side so that it had been a private ass-kicking.

It had been over three hours since they had pulled into the T-M lot and Jax was still MIA.

At the rate they're going, Juice thought, it's unlikely Jolene would be in any condition to travel. And, honestly, Juice couldn't blame Jax one bit.

Everyone in the mother charter had been witness to that awful day in the Clubhouse when Jolene had walked out of Jax's life and it had torn Juice up when he had to report that Jolene had left San Diego without a trace. Jax hadn't been the same since. In addition to being his sponsor, Jax had been his friend and it had gutted Juice that he had been unable to help his brother when he needed it the most. Although a part of him felt that Jax had it coming after the way he had treated Jolene after the shooting that had almost killed her, Juice knew that he had genuinely loved her. Now, after everything the couple had gone through, they deserved a little bit of happiness and Juice hoped that things worked out for them. If the determination he had witnessed in his brother today and in Jolene these past few months was anything to go by, good luck to anyone who tried to get in the way.

As pissed as she had been that Jax had made a detour on his way to the Clubhouse from Chino, Gemma backed down a bit when she heard that Jax had asked to be dropped off at home. It had finally dawned on her that seeing his old lady first would indeed be Jax's top priority upon his release. After all, that was a reunion four years in the making and they deserved to enjoy that moment without a Clubhouse full of busy bodies bearing witness. No doubt that tearing a strip off of Juice's hide was only Gemma venting her frustration at being kept out of the loop once again by her son and his old lady.

An overly-eager-to-please croweater had been dropping hints into his ear that were finally starting to register through Juice's alcoholic haze. As he was about to get up from the picnic table to drag her off to his dorm, he heard the familiar sound of Jax's bike pulling into the lot.

And there, perched right behind him was Jolene.

Juice did a quick scan around the lot, singling out each of Jax's past indiscretions, including his soon-to-be ex-wife and the porn pussy Ima Ho. No, no, it's Ima Tite, I think. They all looked about ready to shit a brick as they watched Jolene barely getting off the bike before Jax had pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss. Sitting back down, Juice chuckled to himself as he could practically see the steam coming out of their ears.

I gotta watch this.

A steady roar of cheers started to build up until it was deafening as the revelers realized that SAMCRO's favorite Son was home at last. Bobby, Clay, and Gemma, with Abel on her hip, came forward as Jax, with Jolene's hand in a death grip, swaggered his way towards the Clubhouse entrance. Gemma's heart clenched in her chest. She hadn't seen her son so happy and smiling in years.

Suddenly, Abel became as slippery as an eel as he pulled out of his grandma's embrace to drop to the ground. Picking himself up, he ran to Jax yelling at the top of his voice, "Daddy!" as his father swept him up in a ferocious hug. Jax opened his other arm as his mother rushed forward to wrap her arms around her son.

Gemma, wanting to tear him a new one, shook her head as she took in the cheesy grin on his scruffy face and the love bites and hickies currently covering his neck. Looking over his shoulder at Jolene, who pretty much looked the same, Gemma just gave it up with a smirk. Yeah, she should have known that he would want to go home to Jolene first to mark his territory and start the re-branding process on each other before coming to the Clubhouse.

"Welcome home, baby." Giving him another hug, Gemma stepped back to allow Bobby to embrace his brother. As Bobby pulled away, Jax came face to face with Clay.

Clay grabbed hold of Jax's neck with his big burly hands. "Welcome home, son."

Looking into Clay's eyes, Jax could see that the emotion reflected there was not one of anger, but of welcome. Jolene glowed with pride. She could barely contain her joyful shit as Jax hugged his stepfather with Abel caught in the middle, creating a sandwich of the most important men in her life. Her legs already a little wobbly after her private session with Jax, Jolene was grateful when Gemma put her arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. Her stepmother had the same shit-eating grin on her face as everyone else in their immediate circle. Jolene was almost afraid to think it, but couldn't help heave a sigh of relief.

Everything's gonna be alright.

Unfortunately, not everyone was sharing in Jax and Jolene's happiness. Wendy Case-Teller stood in shock as she watched the reunion of the Teller-Morrow family like she had been sucker punched.

This shit cannot seriously be happening.

After her last violent confrontation with Jolene in the Clubhouse, Wendy finally bought a clue and had chosen the better part of valor by keeping herself out of sight and pretty much out of everyone's mind over the last few months. Remembering Gemma's warning, Wendy had made herself scarce around the Clubhouse whenever Jolene made an appearance, which wasn't often as Jolene kept herself busy working with Fat Elvis at the porn studio and taking care of her little bastard brat.

Left to her own devices, Wendy began spending more and more time with Dahlmer and his endless supply of crank and sex to deaden the fact that, more than likely, the good life in Charming was soon going to come to an end. Wendy was nobody's fool and, knowing that today was Jax's big return to Charming, had made an extra effort to look presentable and to have a clear head.

In her usual cranked-up state of mind, Wendy had allowed herself to believe that she might still have a shot with her husband. She had even considered telling him tonight that she planned on going back to rehab in an effort to make things work. Knowing that meant she would have to put a serious effort into getting sober and staying that way, Wendy honestly believed that Jolene Morrow was a non-issue, especially after the way she had so publicly walked out on Jax. Wendy was convinced that, at the very least, she'd have to deal with being stepmother to his demon seed, Abel.

But seeing Jax pull in with Jolene riding bitch on his bike made it imminently clear to Wendy that any hope of securing Jax for herself was gone. It was made obvious by the reactions of those who were in the know that Jax and Jolene had reconnected long before showing up together tonight and, if the brat's reaction towards his father was anything to go by, Jax has had knowledge of Abel for quite some time.

There is no way in hell Jax is staying with me now, not when his slut has produced a son and heir.

Good thing she had secured for herself a neat little insurance policy. Wendy may have come into Charming with barely the clothes on her back, but she sure as fuck wasn't leaving that way.

The only bright spot for Wendy tonight would have been knowing that she wasn't the only woman on the lot who had been shocked and disappointed by the entrance of Jax with his old lady in tow. Sharing in her misery was Ima, who, uninvited to Jax's welcome-home party, was standing in a huddle with several other porn stars hoping to remain unseen until she had the chance to seek Jax out. Not expecting this particular turn of events, she was royally pissed.

I can't believe this shit!

Ima had spent the last several months before Jax ended up in Chino trying to work her way into his affections to no fucking avail. With his old lady in a perpetual drug-induced coma, Wendy had been unable to keep Jax's penis from wandering. Ima had managed to beat off the army of skanks elbowing each other as they circled the sexy, but grumpy biker and had pushed herself to the front of the line.

Ima had believed that with enough time, her dick-sucking skills would eventually pay off and she'd displace Wendy as Jax's new old lady. With barely two years in the adult industry under her belt, Ima was getting tired of earning her living on her back. Confident that her youth and skills in the bedroom gave her a slight advantage over most of the tired pussy chasing after Jax, including Wendy, Ima had believed that all she had to do was bide her time until he got out of prison.

The reappearance of his former old lady had been an unexpected curveball, but one she could deal with because, when Ima heard that Jax's ex was the MC President's daughter, she hadn't expected Jolene to look like she did. In spite of her pretty face and nearly-perfect body, Ima had to believe that Jolene Morrow was Jax's ex for a reason and he didn't appear like the type of man to repeat past mistakes.

But now seeing Jax playing "happy family" with his former old lady and a son she didn't even know he had, Ima realized her new boss and current bane of her existence was a force to be reckoned with. It was clear that the affection between the two was very real and the bitch was going to prove a little harder to displace than Wendy.

Ima knew that anything worth having was worth fighting for and she was determined to be the new Queen of Charming. If that meant getting down in the mud and playing dirty, then Jolene Morrow was going to learn the hard way that nobody played dirtier than Ima Tite.

---

Jax hadn't let Jolene out of his sight all night. He couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off of her. Even now, as he sat on the Clubhouse couch with her cradled on his lap, her head on his shoulder as he caught up with Chibs, Jax couldn't keep himself from touching her. His hand was lost in her thick, sweet-smelling hair and he had lulled her into a near-catatonic state as she cuddled up against him while he lovingly caressed her locks that curled around his fingers.

Jax smiled to himself. If she were a cat, she'd be purring.

Although he loved his brother, Jax was glad when Chibs offered him a beer, which he declined, and excused himself to go grab a drink at the bar. Caressing her face with his free hand, Jax brought Jolene's mouth to his and kissed her softly, but thoroughly.

Someone with a desire to live dangerously was standing in front of them, clearing their throat and trying to get Jax's attention. Reluctantly pulling away from his delicious lip lock with his old lady, Jax looked up with narrowed eyes as the Prospect One-Nut or something shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Half-Sack started, but Jax stopped him.

"Then why are ya?" He asked grumpily as Jolene nudged him.

Kip "Half-Sack" Epps had started his probationary period around the same time Jolene had returned to Charming. Although he had grown to know Jolene over the past several months, this was the first time he was within spitting distance of SAMCRO's VP. From what he could tell so far, Jolene's old man was just as delightfully laid back as her father, the Club's Pres—NOT!

Half-Sack swallowed hard then stuttered, "I, um, just, um—"

Jolene shook her head slightly and smiled as she realized that Jax's was doing his best to scare the living shit out of the poor Prospect by mean-mugging him. And it was working.

To Half-Sack's great relief, Jolene spoke up. "Did you pick up my car, Kip?"

Half-Sack nodded. "Yeah, that's why, um, here." Seeing the threat of a beat down clearly evident on the VP's face, he dropped the keys to Jolene's Mustang into her hand and took off.

"Thanks, Kip." Jolene called out to Half-Sack's quickly retreating back as Jax's shoulders shook with laughter. "You are so mean. He was doing me a favor."

"That's his job and mine is to make him fear the Reaper." Jax dropped another kiss on her lips. "Besides, ask anyone. I'm only nice to you."

Tilting her head until it was practically on his shoulder, Jolene caressed his bearded cheek as Jax swooped in for another round, their tongues dancing against each other.

"I'm so ready to go home, darlin'." He said against her lips.

Jolene smiled. "We've only been here a few of hours."

"Isn't it past Abel's bedtime, though?"

Jolene cocked an eyebrow at him. "Abel's bedtime, huh? I think it's more like his daddy's ready for more bed time."

"Can you blame me?" Jax smiled as he pulled her in for still another kiss. "We have a couch to break in and a house to christen after we put our son to bed. It's gonna be a long night, baby."

"Good luck getting him to cooperate." Jolene giggled as Abel made a run for it across the Main Room, clutching several cigars from his grandfather's pocket in his tiny fist, with Clay in hot pursuit. "He's a little ball of energy tonight."

"Yeah, but you know the real party won't start until all the buzz-killing kids and their parents are gone." Jax responded. "At this point, everyone's just being polite. They can't wait for us to get the hell out."

Jolene held her old man's face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Bullshit!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "You're just horny."

"Duh!" Jax said, his eyes crossed.

With Jax's "help", Jolene jumped off his lap as he gave her round ass an appreciative squeeze, almost causing her to yelp in surprise.

"You goosed me." Jolene accused good-naturedly.

"That's nothing. Just wait 'til we get home." Jax smiled as he braced himself to catch his tiny speed demon of a son as Abel was about to whiz by him after running circles around his grandpa.

Jax made one more pass-through the Clubhouse and the lot, talking to his brothers and showing off Jolene and their son one last time before rounding up his family and taking them home. He never saw Wendy or Ima, both of whom had been watching him the entire time he had been on the lot.

With Jolene and Abel in her Mustang, Jax followed them on his bike until they reached what Jax considered to be their new, albeit temporary, home. Parking his bike behind Jolene's car, Jax beat her to the backseat and unstrapped a sleeping Abel. But as his father carried him into the house, Abel got a second wind.

"Daddy, are we home?" Abel asked, rubbing his eyes.

"That's right, Little Man." Jax smiled at Jolene. "We're home."

"And you are going to stay wit us?" Abel questioned anxiously.

"That's right. I'm not going anywhere." Jax replied softly.

Abel gave him a wide grin. "Come see my room."

Wriggling out of his father's arms, Abel grabbed hold of his father's big hand with his tiny one as he marched towards the stairs with Jolene in their wake.

Jax had been so busy celebrating his reunion with Jolene that he hadn't really paid attention to the house, but as he climbed the short set of stairs, he took a quick look around and liked what he saw. Even though it was a furnished rental, Jax could see his old lady's subtle touches around the house, making it into a home. He smiled as he realized that the neat freak was alive and kicking in Jolene because, in spite of having a very active three-year as an occupant, the house was spotless. Jolene had chosen well as the two-story house was well-designed and comfortable. As much as he wanted to have Jolene need him, he knew she was more than capable of being on her own. Jax didn't like it, but he loved her too much not to respect her independence and knew that unlike women like Wendy, Jolene was with him because she wanted him, not because she needed a man to provide for her.

Dragging his father into his room, Jax was almost struck speechless at the mural of a lone biker, who curiously looked very much like Jax, and his ride. Jax swung around to look at Jolene, who shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "Ronnie did it."

Abel, not wanting to be left out of the conversation said to his father "Auntie Ronnie drawed it for me. I wanted you on the wall and she painted it. Like my picture." Abel ran to the small table next to his toddler bed and picked up a photo and handed it to Jax. "See? That's you." Jax looked with astonishment at an old photo that Jolene had framed of him leaning on his bike, his arms crossed over his chest and Tig, Bobby, Piney, Juice, Big Otto, Opie, and Chibs surrounding him in a tight semi-circle. Everyone was smiling happily, except for Piney, of course.

Jax's heart swelled when he saw just how much care Jolene had taken to ensure that Abel knew and loved his father. Clearing his throat, Jax stooped down to Abel. "Why don't you show me the rest of your room?" Not needing to be asked twice, Abel spent the next thirty minutes showing off all his little possessions to his father.

Jolene smiled, the sight of Abel doing his best to fight off sleep tugging at her heart. As much as he wanted to stay up with his daddy, it was a losing battle. "I think we need to get him into bed before he passes out. We can forgo a bath tonight."

Picking up a very sleepy Abel from the floor, Jax helped Jolene get him out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Before they could even get his little SAMCRO t-shirt off, Abel was fast asleep. Laying him in his bed and tucking him in, Jax bent over to kiss Abel on the forehead.

"I love you, son." Jax whispered softly before he and Jolene walked out of the room and quietly shut the door.

---

This is too fuckin' intense.

Jolene moaned. "Oh my God." She whimpered into her pillow.

Jax stopped moving. "You okay, baby?" He breathed into her ear. "Am I hurting you?"

"No! Oh God, Jax! Don't stop!" Jolene demanded.

Jax smiled as he dropped a kiss on her back and started pushing himself into her again. He had Jolene pinned to the bed on her stomach, with one leg hiked up and bent at the knee, opening her up to him as he pounded into her from behind. Now it was Jax's turn to moan.

Her pussy's tight, but this shit is insane!

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back before she came, so he pulled out.

"Jax!" Jolene cried out, practically glaring at him over her shoulder.

"Relax, darlin'." Jax smiled. "I won't leave you hanging."

He needed a brief time out or, for the first time in their history together, he was gonna leave her hanging. He didn't know what it was, couldn't explain it. Maybe it was their time apart or the time he'd spent in lockup, but the intensity he felt each time they had made love so far was almost too much. Pushing himself onto his knees, Jax grabbed her slender hips and coaxed Jolene to flip over onto her back.

Jesus Christ, she's beautiful.

Her raven curls were a tousled mess against the pillow as she watched him through heavy-lidded light green eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips. Jax shook his head and smiled as he leaned over her.

"You know exactly what you're doing to me, don't you?" He kissed her mouth before blazing a trail of hot kisses over the faint scar between her breasts before practically swallowing one of her nipples. Jolene hitched a sharp intake of breath as she arched against him.

"I don't know what you mean." She smiled wickedly as she reached between them and wrapped her dainty hand around his dick. Stroking him with her own juices, Jolene forced a groan out of him.

"Fuck, Jo!" He grabbed her hand and pinned it with the other over her head. As amazing as it felt having her touch him like that, she wasn't helping in improving his stamina at the moment. A couple of more strokes and he would have cum in her hand. "You're gonna act like a bad girl, I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson." He threatened with a wink.

"Oh, I'm ready, baby." She challenged.

Jax watched as the playful belligerence in her eyes was replaced with a smoldering heat as he entered her with two fingers, his thumb circling over her clit.

"Holy shit, Jackson!" She almost screamed as he coaxed her into cumming.

Can she possibly get any wetter, Jax smiled to himself.

Pulling him towards her, Jolene moaned and kissed him at the same time. "You don't play fair."

"No. I don't." Jax sucked his fingers. She tasted sweet, almost like a peach.

Although she found the gesture extremely sexy, Jolene couldn't help but laugh. "You really like pussy, don't you?"

"What are you talkin' about? I love pussy." He smiled. "Jolene-flavored pussy's my all-time favorite, though."

Pushing himself up again, Jax grabbed her by the hips and pulled Jolene towards him, his dick as hard as a rock as he entered her, her moist heat instantly clenching itself around him. Jax pounded into Jolene mercilessly, forcing her to cry out and her gorgeous tits to bounce up and down violently. Jolene had to place her hands on the tops of her breasts to keep them smacking her in the face.

"Let me, baby." Jax gently pushed her hands away and palmed her tits, his thumbs grazing over her pierced nipples. They both groaned as Jax felt her tighten further around his dick.

"I'm cumming, baby." Jolene moaned, reaching for him.

"You do that, darlin'." Please, Jax nearly begged as he squeezed his eyes shut and he bit down on his lip.

He ran his hand over his face, fighting for control as he finally felt her pussy's contractions. Jax let himself fall against Jolene, kissing her face as she convulsed beneath him. Groaning, he let himself cum inside her as she ran her hands through his closely cropped hair, telling him how much she loved him.

Looking into her eyes, Jax smiled. "I love you more."

---

Jax heard the toilet flush from deep within the large master bathroom directly opposite the massive bed as he flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray on the nightstand. He listened with a smile as Jolene hurriedly washed her hands, exited the bathroom, and quickly dashed across the room. Wearing one of his SAMCRO t-shirts, she jumped under the covers and cuddled up against Jax.

"You did that in record time, darlin'." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"It's almost sunrise. There's no telling when Little Man's gonna come barreling through that door." Jolene smiled as she played with the feathery hair on his belly trail. "I wanna get my cuddle time in before that happens."

"You mean after that last round, you still haven't had enough?" Jax teased.

"We weren't cuddling. We were fucking." Jolene smiled. "And, for the record, I can never get enough of either."

"I know. I lose like five pounds in bodily fluids each time we hit the sack." Jax kidded as he stubbed out his smoke.

"If that were possible, after the last eighteen hours, you'd be dead by now." Jolene retorted.

"I can't think of a better way to go, darlin'." Jax started. "If I could choose how to die, it would be with my dick buried deep inside your pussy."

"Aww, you're such a romantic." Jolene wrinkled her nose at him.

"I know, right?" Jax bent his head to rub noses with her. "Too bad you only love me for my big dick." He teased, with just a hint of cockiness.

Jolene pulled herself up to face level with Jax. "And what a lucky girl I am." She almost whispered as Jax brought his mouth to hers and kissed her softly at first, deeper and more demanding as she responded. So lost were they in their embrace that Jax didn't have time to react before a pair of tiny knees connected with his crotch, almost crushing his balls.

"Morning!" Abel greeted happily as he forced his way between his parents.

"Good morning, baby boy." Jolene kissed the top of Abel's blond head as she sympathetically watched Jax writhe in pain.

"Morning, son." Jax groaned hoarsely, running one hand over his face as he cupped his balls with the other.

Grateful that the pain was starting to slowly ebb away and with the color returning to his face, Jax looked over to see two pairs of seafoam green eyes watching him intently.

"You okay?" Jolene asked, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from smiling and doing a piss poor job of it.

Jax nodded as he exhaled a deep breath. "I think Abel's working on being an only child, aren't you?" He grabbed a surprised Abel and lifted him up in the air. Bringing him down to rest on his bare chest, Abel melted into a puddle of giggles as Jax tickled his ribs.

"Careful," Jolene warned with a smile. "I doubt Little Man hit the head on his way here. Wouldn't want you to get peed on, too."

Jax suddenly stopped his tickling. "You wouldn't do that to your old man, would ya?" He held his son up in the air again as Abel crossed his little arms over his chest and nodded, the devilish grin on his face all too familiar to Jax. It was the exact replica of the one on the beautiful face of the love of his life, who was sitting to his immediate left.

Biting her lip, Jolene watched as Jax lovingly pressed a kiss against his son's head and placed him on the floor next to the bed. "Go pee." He said and Abel dashed out of the room and down the hall as fast as his little feet could take him.

Smiling at the goofy look she was giving him, Jax asked, "What?"

Reaching for Jax, Jolene pulled herself onto her knees and kissed his new "Abel" tattoo on his muscled chest, courtesy of Happy, before brushing her lips against his. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see the two of you together. I never thought I'd get to see that." She replied with a slight catch in her throat.

"I never thought I could fall in love in an instant like I have with my son."

"He loves you, too."

"Thanks to you, darlin'. He knows who I am because of you."

"I'm so sorry, Jax." Jolene said, stealthily brushing away tears. "I shouldn't have kept him from you for so long."

Jax was shaking his head as he cupped her face in his hands. "No, Jo. Stop, okay? We're moving forward, baby. Don't look back 'cause even if I get to live my life twice, I'll never be done apologizing to you and we can't live like that, can we?"

Jolene shook her head. "I wouldn't want to live like that."

"Good." He pulled her in for a kiss and could taste the tears on her lips.

"Gemma says—" Jolene started, but Jax stopped her by kissing her again.

"Don't finish that sentence, Jo." Jax warned. "I know it's not you, darlin' but for the sake of my sanity and my relationship with my mother, I don't wanna know what Gemma has to say about any of this."

"You're bound to hear it, Jax." Jolene said and Jax nodded.

"Trust me, I have and I've dealt with it. If I have to, I'll deal with it again, but for now, let's not spoil my first weekend out of the joint." He smiled. "Aside from being a little sleep deprived thanks to my sex-starved old lady, we've already started it off with a great bang." He winked at her, emphasizing the double-meaning of his statement.

"What do you wanna do first?" Jolene smiled, brushing away the last of her tears.

"Pancakes!" Abel called out from the foot of the bed, before climbing up and over Jax, who was prepared this time and protected the family jewels from further rough-housing.

"I'm not sure, darlin', but I think he wants pancakes." Jax kidded.

"Uh-huh." Abel nodded his head in righteous agreement.

"Why not? It's barely six a.m. on a Saturday," Jolene shrugged her shoulders. "It's never too early for pancakes." She teased.

"I don't know about all that, Jo." Jax replied, a little worried that sleeping in on Saturdays had just gone the way of the dinosaurs.

"Don't worry," Jolene smiled. "He usually goes into a pancake coma for a good two to three hours afterward."

"Ahh, more 'cuddle time' for mom and dad?" Jax waggled his blond eyebrows at her as he jumped out of bed and into a pair of boxers.

"You know it."

---

Jolene finished cleaning up after the Teller-Morrows' first official pancake feast to rival any of Gemma's breakfast buffets at the Clubhouse. Half expecting to find Abel talking Jax's ear off as they watched Saturday morning cartoons, Jolene felt her heart tighten in her chest as she entered the family room and spotted Jax fast asleep and spread out on the couch with Abel passed out and snuggled on his bare chest.

Oh my God, Jolene's hand flew to her mouth.

Once again, she couldn't believe that she had almost denied them, and herself, this moment and many more like this for years to come. Bending over them, Jolene dropped a light kiss on her son's furrowed brow. Turning her head to drop one on Jax, she was confronted by a pair of smiling blue eyes. She kissed his mouth softly and Jax shifted on the couch, careful not to disturb Abel.

"Come," He whispered. "There's always room for one more."

Jolene climbed onto the narrow space. Wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders, Jax hugged her to his side, managing to cradle both his son and his old lady in his arms.

"Wow," Jax marveled as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. "This is mind-blowing, darlin'."

"It's only the beginning, Jax." Jolene replied, as she snuggled up against the only man she would ever love. "We have so much too look forward to."

"I dreamt about this moment for so long. I was starting to give up hope that I would ever hold you in my arms again." Looking down at Abel, Jax smiled. "I never thought that Little Man here would be a part of the package. God, he looks so much like you, Jo."

"Oh no, he's you, through and through, baby. You can't see it now since you cut off all of my hair, but that's changing this afternoon."

Jax quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. "How's that?"

"You'll see." Jolene said playfully.

---

It was late afternoon when the Teller-Morrow family pulled up in front of Floyd's Barbershop. As Jolene got out of her car, it hit her that this would be her first time at Floyd's since the shooting. She had been across the street to Murphy's Stop-N-Shop numerous times since returning to Charming, but she had always managed to avoid looking in the direction of Floyd's shop.

Jax, having pulled up behind Jolene, had already parked his bike and was unbuckling Abel from his car seat. As he stood up with Abel in his arms, he made eye contact with Jolene and she could see that his thoughts were taking him back to that horrible Sunday evening over four years ago.

Reaching over to wrap his arm around her waist, he tenderly kissed her forehead. "You okay, darlin'?" He asked.

With a small smile, Jolene nodded. "Let's go in."

Floyd had his back facing the front door, so when it gave a little jingle as it opened, Floyd asked without turning around, "What can I do you for?"

"How about a haircut for my son and a hot shave for me?"

Floyd turned around to see for the first time the new Teller family. "Well, welcome home, son!" Floyd held out his hand, which Jax shook warmly.

"It's good to be home." Jax smiled. Nodding at his girl, he said, "You remember my old lady, Jolene."

"Why, yes, I do." Reaching out to shake her hand, Floyd was surprised when Jolene suddenly wrapped her arms around him for a hug. The last time Floyd had seen the young woman, she had been bleeding out and dying on the street outside his shop. He was happy for the young Teller that the woman he so obviously loved and almost lost was back in his life. As she pulled away and Floyd looked into her huge eyes, they both realized that there was really nothing more that either of them needed to say.

Floyd looked over at the small boy with blond wavy shoulder length hair in Jax Teller's arms, and asked, "Now who is this?"

"I'm Abel Teller and I'm going to get my hair cut. What's your name?"

"It's Floyd. Put it there." Floyd held out his old and wrinkled hand and Abel reached out to shake it. "Well, why don't you sit down in my best chair?" Floyd offered, as he reached under his workstation and pulled out a booster seat, which he secured to the barber's chair and turned to face Jax so he could put Abel in.

Whipping out a small cape, Floyd tied it around Abel's neck. Looking at Jax, Floyd asked, "Anything special you want today, son?"

Before Jax could reply, Abel piped up. "Yes. I want my hair cut jus like my daddy's."

Floyd smiled hugely. "Well, I like a boy who knows his own mind."

"Can you cut hair good?" Abel asked.

Jolene, who was videotaping the event with her phone, tried to stifle a laugh.

"Why, Abel, I'm the best barber in NorCal." Floyd replied. "Not only have I cut your daddy's hair before, I cut your mama's, too."

"You did?" Abel said with big, wide eyes.

"Uh huh." At Jolene's perplexed look, Floyd let out a belly laugh, which was quite a loud noise coming from such a small man. "You don't remember, do you?"

Jolene shook her head, bewildered. "No, I don't. You must be thinking of someone else."

"Oh, no. It was you alright. I'll never forget that story."

"Tell it. Please tell me the story bout my mama's hair." Abel cried.

Floyd started pulling together his instruments as he talked to Abel. "This was a really long time ago, when your mama was a little girl, just a few years older than you, actually. You see, your grandpa, he wasn't real big on hair fixing. He could have taken her over to Gina's Cut-and-Curl, which is a lady's hair salon down the block, but I think it was just a little too 'pink' for him." Floyd's shoulders heaved a little with his laughter. "So one day he came in here with Bobby Elvis and in between them, came your mama. She was this little tiny thing with fantastically big green eyes."

"Jus like mine?" Abel asked, enjoying the story.

"Just like yours. She had all this hair all over the place. I think Bobby tried to fix it into something resembling pony tails, but your Uncle Elvis is a singer, not a hairstylist. Your mama looked just like a sheepdog. It wasn't 'til I cut her some bangs that you could really see those pretty green eyes."

As Floyd was talking, a flash of memory hit Jolene. "Oh, my God. I completely forgot about that."

"Uh, well, you probably wanted to forget. Your dad brought you in here cause you got in some fight with some boy, who you beat the tar out of. In fact, if I remember right, you got expelled from school for a little while. Anyway, the boy's only line of defense had been pulling you down by your hair, so Clay had me cut it as short as a boy's."

"Mommy, what is espelled?"

Jolene's eyes darted around wildly. "Oh, it means I took a little break from going to school for a while." Floyd coughed loudly and turned his head.

Smiling, Jax looked at Jolene. "I think I remember that. Wasn't his name Brick, or Bart, or something?"

Like it only happened yesterday, Jolene's head whipped around towards Jax. "Brad. It was Brad Watson. I'll never forget that little mother—" Jolene snapped her mouth shut as Abel's eyes swung to her.

"Little what, Mommy?" Abel asked curiously.

Jolene sighed ruefully. "Little mother trucker, baby."

Looking at Jolene's hair, Floyd shook his head. "Well, I truly hated to do it." He continued. "You had such beautiful hair. Still do. As it turns out, though, by the time it grew back, you were never in my chair again. That's when Gemma started taking you over to Gina's and I heard from Gina herself that you didn't like it over there much."

"Why didn't you like it, Mommy?" Abel asked.

"Because I liked hanging out with your grandpa, daddy, and Uncle Ope way better. It was nice here and a lot more fun." Jax and Opie would get their hair cut in Floyd's all the time.

And by that time, I was so in love with your father I wanted to spend every minute I could with him.

Abel smiled. "I like it, too."

Floyd smiled. "So, are you about ready for your hair cut, young man?"

"You gonna make it jus like my daddy's, right?" Abel asked, wagging his little index finger at Floyd, in what was, in Jax's opinion, a perfect imitation of his grandpa Clay.

"I sure will."

"Okay. Then go ahead."

So with his parents looking on proudly, Floyd cut the hair of SAMCRO's next generation.

---

Jax was on top of the world.

Being back home in the small town he had grown up in, with his old lady and son at his side, Jax couldn't see how anything could bring him down off of his natural high.

That is, until he stepped out of Floyd's and ran smack into Deputy Chief David Hale.

At first, Jax hadn't realized that it was Hale he had bumped into, as he was too concerned with Abel, who had borne the brunt of the assault by being in Jax's arms.

"Ow, Daddy!" Abel had yelped as he connected with Hale's chest.

"Sorry, Little Man." Jax looked up to excuse himself and stared into the cold winter glare of Hale's blue eyes.

Jolene, who had lingered behind a moment with Floyd before following Jax, got an eyeful as she stepped out of the shop. Apparently, the two alpha males were getting ready to square off on Main Street, just like in the old westerns she used to watch as a child with Uncle Elvis on Sunday afternoons. Well, actually, she watched them while Bobby tried to recover from tying one on the night before.

Jolene quickly moved to defuse the situation. Stepping in between the two men, she smiled, "Hi, David. How have you been?"

After several seconds, Hale pulled his gaze away from the Teller men and looked down at Jolene. "I've been fine. I can see by looking at you that you're doing well yourself."

Hale returned his gaze back to Jax. He too looked surprisingly well. With a new short haircut and a healthy golden glow, Teller looked more like he had spent time in a day spa for men than as a guest of the State of California for the last 14 months.

As he held Abel in his arms, who was now sporting a matching haircut, it was obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that Jax and Abel were father and son.

"I heard that you were getting out." Hale said quietly.

"That's right," Jax replied, his jaw clenched so tight, he barely moved his mouth to speak.

With his blue eyes gone slate gray and his nostrils flared, Hale realized that Jax was livid. In fact, that was too tame a word. Jax was enraged, as if he was doing everything he could to hold himself back from tearing Hale apart with his bare hands.

As Hale's eyes met his cold resolute stare, it finally hit Hale full force. He knows. The former Marine could see the murder in the outlaw biker's eyes and, for the first time in his life as an officer of the law, Hale felt the cold fingers of fear wrap around his heart. If anyone could get away with killing a cop in this town, that man would be Jackson Teller.

"Ow, Daddy! You squeezing me!" Abel complained as Jax's arm had tightened around him through the brief exchange.

At once, Jax released his death grip on his son. "I'm sorry, Little Man." He pressed a kiss against Abel's forehead.

His momentary hurt forgotten, Abel asked hopefully, "Okay. Can we go get ice cream now?"

"Yes," Jolene quickly interjected. "I think that's a great idea." Linking her arm with her old man's, she nodded at David. "We better get going. My two men really deserve a treat today."

Especially Jax for not killing Hale in front of our son.

As the Teller family walked away, Jax took one last look over his shoulder at Hale, who was still standing on the sidewalk as if he was frozen. On Jax's face was all of the rage and anger that he felt, along with a message.

It's not over, asshole. Not by a long shot.

---

Jolene was standing in the kitchen with Donna, laughing and chopping veggies over a glass of pinot noir. She was simply dressed, nothing fancy, but she made the red, belly-bearing tank top, blue flannel shirt, and low riding jeans look runway ready. Her notorious mane of thick black curls was pulled back into a loose ponytail that nearly fell to the small of her back. If Donna had not known Jolene since they were in middle school, she would be hard pressed to believe that this was the same grease monkey tomboy who had practically lived at her father's garage.

Shit, was it any wonder that, after all of these years apart, Jax still had a hard-on for her friend, Donna contemplated.

Since Jolene's return to Charming, Donna had seen her BFF settle into life among her family again. It was a different Jolene, though, a harder, tougher woman than the one that had left town. But now that Jax was back, Donna could see that the light had been switched back on in her best friend and she was happy for it.

And so was Jax.

He had propped himself against the edge of the doorway leading into the kitchen. He was watching Jolene again, a hint of a smile tugging on one corner of his mouth. He tried convincing himself that he wasn't stalking her, that he wasn't obsessed. He just needed to look at her, hear her voice every once in a while in order to convince himself that he wasn't dreaming and that she wasn't going anywhere.

Jolene had been hard at work in Gemma's kitchen helping to prepare for the first of what Jax hoped would be many family dinners under his mother's roof. After he had cornered her in the pantry earlier, his hands making the delightful discovery that she wasn't wearing a bra, she had been actively avoiding Jax. The last thing Jolene wanted was getting busted by Gemma acting like a hormonal teenager. Jax wasn't giving up, though and he certainly had no problem with getting busted. He was fresh out of prison, for fuck's sake, and had he had it his way, they wouldn't have let their bedroom at all today.

Moving on to the totally engrossing and all-important task of folding paper napkins in order to avoid making eye contact with him, Jolene was prattling on with Donna about Cara Cara. Whatever Jolene had just said nearly caused Donna to choke on her wine before both women nearly collapsed into each other's arms laughing. Jax smiled, his heart tightening in his chest at the sound of her laughter.

Goddamnit if he wasn't turning into a chick. Jax shook his head as he headed out back to do something manly like grill some steaks or torture the Prospect.

With a larger crowd than usual over for Jax and Opie's first Sunday dinner in over a year, Gemma had set up a large picnic table in the Teller-Morrow backyard. Two smaller tables had been set up as well. One to hold the massive spread that Jolene, Donna, and a couple of other old ladies had helped put together and the other for the children of SAMCRO.

Music played in the background as, sitting across from Jolene at the picnic table, Jax was having a tough time talking to her without mentally fucking her as well. Jolene knew him so well, she could read it in his eyes and in the half grin he flashed her with from time to time. That was the same wolfish look that had gotten her into trouble so many times. That look was a warning that, when the opportunity presented itself, he was going to bang the living shit out of her. If anyone on the Academy's Board of Trustees back in Seattle had ever met Jax Teller, the incident with the loser in Lodi would have made so much more sense. They would have been like "Yeah, alright, we so totally get it" because the man was the personification of sex on wheels and what woman in her right mind wouldn't bash another man's head in to protect him?

Jolene used the napkin she was holding to dab away the light sheen of perspiration that suddenly broke out on her face and then used it to wipe up a little spill that Abel had with his milk. Shit, he was making her hot.

Just throw me a signal, baby. You know how much I love a quickie, she smiled to herself.

Catching the hint of a smile on her lips, Jax raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to respond with a barely perceptible wink. Yeah, he needed to find a way to extract himself from the family to pinch some alone time with his old lady. Like right now. He was getting hard just looking at her bite her lip as she struggled to keep her eyes from connecting with his again for too long. As if reading his mind, Jolene suddenly excused herself as she plopped Abel down into his grandfather's lap and followed Gemma back into the house while carrying several dirty plates.

Downing the rest of his beer, Jax almost slammed the bottle on the table as he got up from his seat. Clay's eyebrows raised as Jax made to leave the table. "I'm gonna take a piss." Jax lied and made his way inside.

Bobby, who was standing by the backdoor nursing a beer, raised his bottle to Jax with a smile. "Go get her, tiger." Rolling his eyes at Bobby, Jax patted his friend on the shoulder as he entered the dining room, only to run into Gemma and Donna.

Well, so much for being discreet, Jax thought as his mother flashed him a look that told him she knew exactly what he and Jolene were up to.

"Upstairs." Donna simply said with her hand on her cocked hip, looking at him as if asking what took him so long.

"And be gentle, please. I just re-did my bathroom." Gemma almost pleaded. Jax gave her a smirk that said he wasn't making any promises before tearing into the next room.

"Oh shit!" Donna laughed as Gemma shook her head.

While she could certainly understand what it was like having your old man back home after being locked up for fourteen months, if Donna knew her best friend and her old man like she knew she did, these two were quickly approaching setting a world's record for the number of times they could have sex in a 72-hour period. Donna wasn't into voyeurism and never really watched porn, but hot damn, what she wouldn't give to be able to see what the hell that was all about!

Jax hit the second floor landing and spotted Jolene leaning against the wall outside the hall entrance to the master bathroom, waiting. His crystal blue eyes clashing with her sea green ones, Jolene dazzled Jax with a sexy grin. Smiling back, Jax prepared himself to catch her crazy ass as she ran towards him. Leaping into his arms, Jolene wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, darlin'," Jax smiled at the familiarity of the situation. In the past, no matter how long he'd been away on a run, one week or one day, Jolene had always celebrated his return by running and jumping into his arms. Having been tormented all day long by the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, he stroked her back as she nuzzled his neck with kisses, causing his skin to goose bump all the way down to his crotch.

Jolene pulled away. "What is this? Like our fourth time today?" She smiled, tenderly holding his scruffy face in her hands.

"Hey, it could've been our fifth if you hadn't stopped me in the pantry." Jax grinned.

Leaning in, he kissed her softly at first, relishing the sweetness of her lips, with Jolene responding quickly and demanding more as she nipped his bottom lip. Smiling at her impatience, Jax forced a surprised squeal out of her as he plundered her mouth with his tongue while heading towards the bathroom.

As he set her down on Gemma's new marble-topped vanity, Jolene broke away. "Close the door." She reminded him, breathlessly whispering into his ear.

Backing up, his intense blue eyes never leaving her face, Jax kicked the door shut. With her heart threatening to pound itself out of her chest, she beckoned him back her. Jolene worked her hands under his cut and hoodie and caressed his rock hard stomach, up to his chest. In spite of not leaving each other's side for the past three days, Jolene still needed to feel flesh-on-flesh in order to convince herself she wasn't dreaming.

"I can't get enough of you, Jo." Jax breathed heavily, her hands on his skin searing through him. She felt the same way, but before she could reply, his mouth was on hers again, kissing her hungrily.

Jolene moaned, feeling the wonderful and familiar weight of Jax's hands on her breasts as he squeezed them through the material of her tank top. She broke away from their kiss, wincing in delicious pain as Jax pinched her nipples, feeling for the piercings that decorated her beautiful tits.

"Ouch, Teller." She laughed, as he gently tugged on the titanium bars with a wicked grin. "Don't start anything we can't finish here." She warned.

Jax grabbed her face in his hands. "Oh, we're going to finish this alright. You got somewhere else you gotta be?" He asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

Jolene bit her lip and shook her head. Damn, she wanted to die in his arms. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Jax smiled. "'Cause we're gonna be here a while, darlin'." Getting back to the business at hand, he kissed her again, his hands stealthily unzipping her low-riding jeans.

Burying her hands in his hair as he nuzzled her neck, Jolene suddenly arched her back. "Oh God," She moaned as Jax invaded her moist core and gently rubbed her clit. Coaxing her to ride his fingers like she would his dick, Jax quickly brought Jolene to the edge of an orgasm. Looking into her face and seeing her eyes glaze over, he kissed her deeply as he felt her come against his hand.

"You like that, huh?" Jax asked against her mouth and Jolene nodded, too breathless to speak.

Slowly, Jax pushed her tank up and over her breasts, his thumbs playfully flicking the piercings in her taut nipples. Gently pushing her back, he trailed kisses from the side of her neck, down her throat and to her tits. Catching a bar with his teeth, he sucked her sensitive nipple into his mouth.

Jolene gasped, letting her hand slip past the waistband of his jeans. She giggled as Jax growled against her breast. With her hand currently dancing in his pants, Jax was having a hell of a time trying to link two thoughts together that didn't include him pounding her into the vanity.

"Shit," Jax cursed, leaning his forehead against Jolene's as she stroked the hot, silken flesh of his dick. "Fuck, darlin'!" He cursed again. Jolene was quickening her pace, and rolling her hand down his shaft and up over the head. Feeling his cock practically pulsating, she pulled her hand out and unzipped his jeans.

Unaware that he was holding his breath, Jax watched as she pulled his stiff cock out of his pants. Looking at him coyly, Jolene ran her tongue over her fingers before wrapping her hand around him again. Stroking him with one hand, she pulled him towards her with the other on the back of his neck, her tongue dancing over his lips before kissing him deeply. With a grunt, Jax suddenly yanked her off the vanity and, with her pants now around her ankles, he swung her around and roughly bent her over the counter.

Jolene gasped as Jax buried his face in her hair, groaning as he slipped inside her. She gripped the vanity with both hands as he balled his hands up in her hair and gently pulled her head back. He needed to watch her beautiful face in the mirror as he moved inside of her, slowly at first, his pace quickening with her every gasp and moan.

Jolene arched her back towards Jax and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh God, Jax," She moaned, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. "Harder, baby." She nearly begged.

Jax kissed the side of her face and neck as he pumped his hips, driving himself deeper and deeper. He was moaning incoherent obscenities, his whiskers tickling her ear as his hands traveled from her tits and roughly grabbed onto her hips.

Pounding into her, Jax groaned as he felt her muscles griping his cock. "Fuck," He growled, fighting for control. "Cum for me again, darlin." He nipped her ear.

Feeling her tremble in his arms, Jax watched her in the mirror as she obeyed his command, cumming with such force that she couldn't hold back the scream that tore itself from her throat. Falling onto her elbows against the vanity, Jolene braced herself as Jax continued pounding into her, groaning as he rode the crest of his own climax, collapsing against Jolene when he was done. He held her like this until they were both able to catch their breath.

Dropping a light kiss on her lips, Jax pulled out. "I can't feel my legs." He marveled.

Jolene turned towards Jax and smiled. "I don't think I've ever paralyzed you before. I hope that's a good thing." She teased.

Jax grabbed her face and kissed her, long and slow this time. "Good? You almost have me believing in God again, darlin'."

Jolene laughed as she set about the task of getting herself halfway decent again, making Jax a little sad as he watched her cover her breasts when she pulled down her tank. Grabbing the lapels of her flannel shirt, Jax yanked her towards him and started buttoning her up. Jolene gave him a quizzical look.

"You need to cover these puppies up, babe. I can see your piercings through your shirt. I'm sure Gemma would be royally pissed if any of her furniture got broken while I'm kicking somebody's ass for looking too hard." Jolene couldn't help but giggle at the dead seriousness on his face.

"Jax, most of these men have known me since I was six." She reminded him.

"I've known you since you were six. What's your point, darlin'?"

Jolene shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep the smile of self-satisfaction off her face. "I just don't remember you as the jealous-type."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did we just meet? I'm Jax Teller, by the way, your old man, who will snap a prick in half for sharing the same air space with you." He teased, offering his hand for a shake, but Jolene slapped it away. He was being playful, but Jolene had not forgotten his stand-off with Hale yesterday outside Floyd's.

"I guess we haven't met. I'm Jolene Morrow. I've been your old lady since I was ten. You just didn't know it." Jolene crossed her arms underneath her ample chest.

Rolling his eyes as he uncrossed her arms, Jax said, "See, don't do that. Every time you cross your arms, Tig's eyes bounce around the room and if they land on you, I'm gonna have to rearrange his insides by shoving my fist down his throat."

"Jesus!" Jolene exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Such violence."

"Men of Mayhem." Jax pointed to the patch underneath the one declaring him SAMCRO's VP. "They don't just give these out, darlin'. They're earned." Even though Jax knew in his heart that none of his brothers would cross the line with his old lady, not being able to lay into Hale had left him itching to throw a punch.

"Okay, I get it." Jolene reached up and dropped a kiss on his perfect lips. "I won't leave the house ever again without a bra."

"Thank you."

With Jolene cradled in his arms, they kissed each other for a long time, making out like they used to when she was a teenager. Barely breaking away, Jax buried his hand in her thick hair and softly kissed her face.

"I love you." He whispered, looking into her eyes lovingly before holding her tight against his body once again.

Jolene squeezed him back. "I love you more." She muffled against his chest. Jax smiled to himself. Being the one everyone called the prince paled in comparison because, at that moment, he was feeling like king of the world.

---

Leaning back on the couch in his mother's house and looking around the room packed with his brothers, their old ladies, and children, Jax sighed happily. It was so good to be home.

Even though it was almost 6:00, it was still bright outside and Jax thought it was as good a time as any to give Abel his surprise. Getting up from the couch in the living room, Jax went looking for his son and found him in Gemma's kitchen. The women of SAMCRO were getting ready to set out the desserts. Bobby had just placed his prized chocolate cake in the middle of the dining room table when Jax approached him.

"Hey, bro, did you bring what I asked for?"

Bobby smiled. "Yeah, it's with my bike. You ready?"

"Sure am." Walking over to Donna, who currently had Abel in her lap, Jax reached out and plucked him out of her arms. "Sorry, Donna, but I have something special for Little Man here, so I'm gonna need him for a minute. You wanna come with me, son?"

"Uh huh. Where we going?"

"Right outside."

As Jax carried his son towards the front doors, Donna got up. Looking at Gemma, who had one of Neeta's famous apple pies in her hands, Donna said, "I better get Jo. If this is what I think it is, she's going to need moral support."

Gemma, Donna, and Jolene walked out of the house to the driveway where they found Jax surrounded by his brothers. Jolene's heart was in her throat as she approached Jax, finally realizing what was going to happen.

"Oh, baby, it's too soon."

But it was too late. Jax, perched on his Dyna-Glide, had Abel in his lap. In his hands was a gift bag that Bobby had just handed to him. Dropping a light kiss on the tip of her nose, Jax smiled. "Don't worry, darlin'. He's gonna be just fine." Turning his attention back to Abel, Jax said, "Go on, Little Man. Pull it out."

Abel eagerly reached into the bag, throwing the tissue paper on the ground and pulled out a toddler-sized biker helmet with the words "Little Man" stenciled on the front.

Gemma, who was standing with Clay's arms wrapped around her, felt her heart melt when she saw her grandson's reaction.

"It's mine? You gonna take me for a ride?" Abel yelped happily.

"That's right." Jax buckled the little helmet on Abel's head and then reached into the bag and pulled out a little denim vest, with matching elbow and knee pads.

Donna did everything she could to bolster a sagging Jolene. "Don't worry, Jo, he'll be all right. I lived through it when Kenny was four. You'll live through it, too."

"But D, he's so little." Jolene said anxiously.

"Relax. You know Jax will take care of him."

Now outfitted to the nines in the latest biker gear for toddlers, Abel was the spitting image of his father.

"Ah, Jackie Boy. You betta watch out. This one'll be a Prospect in no time and will probably patch in before ol' Sack here." Chibs teased his hapless Prospect, who, by the look on his face, didn't think Chibs was kidding.

"Yeah, and if he's anything like his old man, by the time he's twelve he'll be hip deep in pus—" Tig started and, noting Jolene's glacial stare, suddenly stopped. "Girls. I was gonna say girls." He threw his hands up.

"Ain't that the truth." Clay laughed. "It's in his blood, baby girl. You can't fight destiny." Nervous enough to throw up, Jolene couldn't help but smile at her father's choice of words. She was a great believer in destiny.

"All right, son. You ready?" Jax revved the engine.

"I'm ready. Let's go!" Abel shouted.

As Jax pulled out of the driveway, all of his brothers let out a roar of approval as a new generation of Teller men sped down the street.