AN. I so should've said this in the first chapters of my stories but I just posted them in a hurry before I changed my mind and deleted the two stories but this is my first time writing things and I'm not that great so if anyone has a problem with anything that I write please tell me how I could improve. This is kind of a filler chapter. Enjoy.

"I'm not gonna fight you on this Gem. This is club shit and it needs handling. He's obviously got some shit up his sleeve so just leave him be. Nothing you can do or say is gonna stop me from letting him go" Clay growled out finally putting a stop to their never ending arguments over Jax. He was becoming agitated with how she dictated how he ran his club and his boys. Yeah she was his old lady and played a big deal in the club but at the end of the day, what Clay said goes. If he wanted to send Jax to San Fran then he was gonna send Jax to San Fran. He needed his Vice President there no matter what the circumstances. Clay had a feeling the Irish were up to something which is why he wanted Jax there in the first place.

"This shit with crow eaters? His constant need to get out of Charming is becoming a little much don't you think?" Clay hadn't thought that at all. In Clay's mind he could see his Vice President stepping up. Taking on more club business and keeping his head in the game.

Gemma had been riding Clays ass about forcing him to keep Jax in Charming. Something just seemed all too fishy there. Gemma constantly kept a close eye on her son knowing he was hardly in Charming now and hardly touched any of the crow eaters. She'd pulled a few guys aside often once they came back on their runs to ask if he was different in any way but they never put themselves in the position between the prince and their queen. There was no doubt who would win there.

23 December 2007

As Gemma watched her son today saddle up for his run once again to San Francisco tensing her jaw and crossing her arms like an impatient woman. Something was just too wrong with this picture and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Not the other day had she and Jax had a huge argument about him heading out over the Christmas holiday for another week but it was decided before then. The club had church the morning of and he was set to ride out with Tig and Chibs so Gemma couldn't fight it.

Jax couldn't wait though. He hadn't seen his old lady and son in almost a month and he was missing them. The time spent apart gave him time to readjust his priorities and develop some sort of bullshit plan to keep Tara in the dark about that one night. He still thought about that. Cheating. He knew it was a big risk and one he sadly took.

He sighed deeply as he finished strapping his duffle bag to his bike and ran his hand through his blonde locks before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up. He took a long pull from the stick and inhaled the toxic chemicals before looking over to the office and seeing his mother glaring at him. He mentally cursed himself for glancing her way as she stood in the door frame with her hand on her hip striking that famous Gemma pose with a cigarette in her hand.

Might as well get this over with Jax thought as he put on a fake smile and headed for the office.

"Hey Ma" Jax rasped deeply coming up to kiss the woman.

"M-hm. So how long you gonna be gone for?" Gemma questioned as she turned her back on him.

"A week. You know club shit don't stop for anything Ma. I gotta go" Jax exclaimed as he leaned against the door frame. He took another pull from his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and stubbing it out. He heard Gemma sigh in defeat which was never often.

"This is the second Christmas Jackson. You've been out on club shit two Christmas's now" Gemma tried explaining.

Two Christmas's? He pondered on. He nodded in acknowledgement and looked out to the lot to see Chibs saddling up.

"My head wasn't screwed on right last year Ma but I ain't about living in the past. I ain't gonna fight you either. You know what I've already . I'll be back for New Years so we can celebrate that. What do you say?" Gemma snickered obviously not pleased with that negotiation but nothing could change his mind. She suddenly perked up having formed some unlikely plan about how she was gonna spend Christmas and stood striking her most convincing poker face.

"Okay baby. Just stay safe and don't do anything reckless" Gemma stated as she wrapped her arms around her son. He sighed in relief and hugged her back.

"Come home whole baby." Jax smiled inwardly and kissed Gemma's cheek.

"I will ma. Love you."

"Love you too."

Gemma leaned against the door frame with one hand on her hip as she watched Jax swagger over to his bike. Her eye twitched slightly as she began forming her plan to have Christmas with her son.

-o0o-

"We're glad you made it safe brothers" Johnny stated as he stepped out into the lot to welcome his Charming brothers.

"Glad to be back" Chibs rasped as he bro hugged Johnny followed by the rest of the SAMFRAN chapter.

Johnny couldn't hide his smirk as he slapped Jax on the back. "Your old lady's going out of her mind brother. Maybe you should head home first. We can hold off on church until tomorrow" Johnny rasped into the national charters Vice Presidents ear.

Jax couldn't hide his grin and with a nod threw his leg back over his bike wasting no time ripping out of the lot. Tig watched with a smirk while Chibs stood dumbfounded.

"Where da hell is ye off to?" Chibs questioned.

"Nowhere brother. Let's head inside. There's plenty of entertainment for you both" Johnny gestured towards his clubhouse looking out after Jax's retrieving back.

-o0o-

Tara was just counting the minutes down. Jax had called her before he left Charming saying he was making it home in time for Christmas and she was thrilled.

The winter air was settling with a slight chill. This would be their first Christmas as a family and their first in just under ten years together and she couldn't wait. Tara and Leah went all out buying presents for their four month old babies and decorating the house with the family holiday feeling.

She smiled to herself when a rumble of a lone motorcycle could be heard from a distance before it came clear as day. She grinned to her son who just woke up for his ten o'clock feeding.

"Whose home my boy?" Tara murmured out happily. Her sweet son giggled at his mothers funny face before the door opening caught Tara's attention. She couldn't contain her excitement as she sat up in her seat on the couch raising Abel to sit from his lying position.

Leah was out for the evening needing time out. Usually Tara would tag along but she wasn't feeling up to partying all night long. Her priorities had since changed from being a bookworm to having the occasional night out to becoming a mother over the year and she wouldn't trade it for the world. Tara knew Leah was missing her husband but she wouldn't dare say it out loud.

"Babe?" Jax rasped as he came in to the lounge. He smirked with excitement seeing his two favorite people and dashed across the lounge to sit with his family. He sat down next to Tara and pulled her in for a much needed kiss devouring her mouth with his before Abel's little babbles broke them and he grinned.

"My boy. Master of timing" Jax smirked out as he reached for Abel's little arms.

The four month old beamed a toothless grin at his father before Jax reached for him.

"Hey. He needs feeding" Tara murmured but gave in knowing how long they hadn't seen Jax for.

"How's my son?" Jax questioned as he held Abel at arms length. Abel giggled when he pulled a face as Tara answered.

"He just had his four month immunization last week and he was a strong little boy" Tara rasped out as she made Abel chuckle.

"Just like his old man" Jax smirked with a wink to Tara who slapped him upside.

The small family spent a little quality time together before Tara fed him and gave him back to Jax to burp him.

"Are you hungry? There's some left over spaghetti or I can make something else if you want?" Tara offered as she tucked herself away.

"I'm good babe. Just sit with us" Jax stated as he opened his arm out for Tara to lean in to him. Tara smiled tiredly and laid with her boys before dozing off to Jax whispering things to their son that was the cutest thing ever.

AN just a heads up, I'm not from America so I don't accurately know if it snows in San Francisco around Christmas.