NIKKI
Waking up with the man you love wrapped around you is a blessing. I am one lucky bitch when it comes to my husband. He's a good one, a good father too. This is why I knew we had to get those boys from their mother. It was hurting my man and so it was hurting me. Not that the boys getting hurt didn't, but hearing Jax cry when he thinks I'm asleep and can't hear him tears me up. Gemma kept our little one last night as the hearing is today. Should be fun *insert eye roll* I sigh and get up. I head to the bathroom to shower and do my routine, letting Jax sleep just a bit longer.
I have had to stop him on many counts the last couple weeks from going over and killing the guy in his son's house. They come over with more color on them since Tara got the papers for us taking custody away. Eli and Frank have been over to talk to the boys some more so that they hopefully had enough for the judge to side in the boys favor on this. They weren't quite old enough to choose Jax as they were 7 and 8, but with enough evidence, no judge would let them stay with Tara. Abel has been able to sneak the empty bottles to Kim, who's been giving them to me and Jax encase this hearing makes it court date upon court date. Roosevelt has put the dates on them for us so that Jax's handwriting won't be questioned. He's been keeping them also. I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around me, walking into our room to see my biker still asleep.
"Baby, you need to get up." I whisper, leaning down to his face and kissing him.
I lean back as he rolls over and takes my hand. "C'mon, Jax. That hearing is in two hours. I bought you some new clothes."
I watch as he opens his eyes and smiles at me. "I'm up."
I get up after giving him a kiss and head to the closet to get out a pair of grey dress pants and a red button up. I can't wear white because of the color on my arms and I want to cover as much as I can for the hearing. Jax touches my hip on his way by and I smile as the door shuts. I drop the towel as I hear the water start and pull up a thong and snap my red bra into place. I slip the pants up and then open the bathroom to dry and straighten my hair. After straightening my hair, I braid it to wear it hangs over my left shoulder. I take out my make up and apply just enough to accent my face a bit, not wanting to over do.
Jax gets out as I finish and I head back to the room so that he can trim his face and brush his hair and teeth. I find my grey boots and bring them to the bed. I slip on my button up and take down Jax's clothes so that they are ready. I got him a pair of black dress pants and a dark blue button up to go with his eyes and a black tie. I wasn't going to make him wear a jacket though, makes it look like we're trying to hard if he's too out of character. I get out some black biker boots that I bought him to wear because the sneakers aren't good for court. I sit everything out for him and then sit to put my boots on. I smile when he comes out, cleaned up and hair in a little ponytail so it's not all over the place.
"These are great, thanks babe."
I nod. "That's what I'm for. I'm going to make us a snack."
He just nods and drops his towel to get ready. I kiss his cheek and then head to the kitchen.
I put poptarts in the toaster and make us a travel mug while the tarts are heating up. I sit the mugs by the door and grab some napkins when the toaster pops. I sit the pastry on the napkins and wrap them up to eat when we need it. The hearing was ar 10 and it was about 9:15. I quickly eat mine while waiting on Jax. Jax grabs one and tries to eat it, but I know he's too nervous to really eat anything. He grabs my hand as we take our things and leads me out. I lock the door and Jax takes the keys to drive. We get in the car and leave the radio off as we drive to the courthouse.
The hearing was in one of the council rooms there and so we needed to get a spot. It's about 9:45 when we finally get out and walk up, Eli and Frank already here waiting for us. Frank was bringing Roosevelt as a witness and Matt was meeting us. Jax has relied on my friend because of his similar situation with Kim's mother. Mr. Little told us to let Matt and Sam know that we may need to get Kim on tape also, but today he was here for support while Sam did some things at their shop.
We turn as we hear people approaching and see Tara, who attempted to look clean, and George with a lawyer. They were prepared to fight dirty to keep those boys. I take Jax's hand, squeezing it to let him know I'm still here. Mr. Little opens the door for us and we all go in, letting Tara's people go first. Matt waits outside because he's not really involved yet, not unless we need Kim.
"Ok, my client has told me that you are trying to take your boys on false assumptions, Mr. Teller. Why do you think they are being hurt?"
Ok, she was a bitch and a half. She's getting paid though, so to each their own. I hear my husband answer with his concerns and told the other lawyer that we told Tara that if she got clean and stopped what was happening we wouldn't take them. I take his hand as he let the lawyer know it's gotten worse, not better. She nods and our lawyer tells them what he has observed from talking to the boys at our house with our consent. He also tells us what we have given to Eli and if this goes to court what it could mean for the boys. Tara keeps her eyes on me and I try not to look at her.
"Mrs. Teller, my client has let me know that if it wasn't for you, her and Mr. Teller would still be married."
I feel my anger and Jax squeezes my hand. "He went to court about visitations my first day out of the hospital. I was unconscious before that. Check the hospital records. We fought all the time about really stupid stuff. Tara can assume all she wants, she's been doing it for five years now. I found out my father was in the club with Jax and so was helping them rebuild from the fire. I got to know all the guys that way, not just Jax. He may be the only one I had a relationship with that went beyond just friends, but way after the divorce was done and over with."
The lawyer bitch didn't look convinced and Tara was a little smug. George was keeping his tongue, looking at me though. He made me uncomfortable and I scooted closer to Jax a bit. I listened as the lawyers, Jax, and Tara went back and forth about the boys homelife. Tara was denying it was happening and that she was messed up, Jax had evidence that says otherwise.
"Where do you get off?"
We all turn to look at George, who finally says something. Jax doesn't say anything because he's not sure what to say I'd imagine. His boys were being hurt, that's where he got off. We all knew that. George keeps his eyes on my husband, expecting an answer. When he doesn't answer, George smiles. "I was told to keep my mouth shut, but I may just open it to see what you'll do. Those boys belong with me and their mother. We give them a stable environment. Not some tattooed bitch."
My eyes open wide and I feel Jax tense. It's one thing to talk bad about him and the guys, they all had a rap. It's another thing to bring me up and call me names. Eli gets up before Jax and leans over the table. "Mr. Conner, you will not say anything else unless it helps either part of the case. Name calling to get a rise out of Mr. Teller is uncalled for and inappropriate."
I smile at Roosevelt as he sits down and the questions continue.
Their lawyer asked the sheriff his thoughts on what has been told, both today and before. I gotta hand it to the cop, it was very professional and answered the questions that way. He told everyone his thoughts as a police officer was that the boys were in big trouble and scared because of what was going on. He tells us the symptoms he's observed by just watching them. Thomas stands in front of Abel so he doesn't get hurt or yelled at. Thomas doesn't talk and flinches when anyone but me comes near him, Abel does also, but it's less noticeable. Eli continues and tells both lawyer and the parents what he observed when the boys went through the box that Abel had given to him.
He doesn't mention Jax gave it to him, but I don't think it's relevant. He did say that Abel snuck the box out and gave it to Kim at school to give to the police because he was too scared too. I could tell that Tara was going to take this to court and it hurt. I watched her as everyone talked. She started fidgeting and scratching her arm a bit. I leaned over to Jax and whispered for him to look. He just nods, letting me know he already noticed it. Tara's lawyer tells the prosecutor that as soon as the date for court is set, we'd know. We all get up to leave and Tara grabs my arm. I hang back and look at her.
"You won't be their mother. I'll make sure of that."
I don't say anything and she walks out.
I watch her walk down the hall and then to my husband as he takes my hands. He pulls me to him and I wrap my arms around his waist as we walk back to the car. Frank lets us know that the date will probably be the first of many and we nod. I tell them what she told me and the lawyer writes it down to keep. He also has Jax forward all the conversations with Abel so he can get it ready for court and put in for evidence against their mother. We get in the car and Jax takes my hand as he pulls us out of the parking space.
We drive to the shop since Gemma was meeting us there for lunch with Mikayla. We pull in and get out, the bikers all looking at us. I walk with my husband and let him tell Chibs, Happy, and my dad how it went. He tells them what Tara's lawyer was trying to accuse me of and what George said. I tell them what Tara told me and what the lawyer told us when it was over. Tig gives me a hug and they all hug Jax, letting him know it'll work out and the boys will be back and safe.
"I could have some fun."
We chuckle at Happy and my husband shakes his head. "As much as I really wanna hurt the fucker, Hap. We can't. With the club's history, they'd know we did it even without the trail."
"I know, but I would still do it. Those boys don't deserve this and you're doing it right. That's showing Tara you changed and I think it scares her."
"I agree with Happy, Jackie. We usually retaliate against those tha' hurt tha family. Ye and Nikki took her ta court. It's scarin' tha shite outta'er."
My dad just nods in agreement.
Jax takes his hair down and sighs. "I know. This is just hard. Tara's would look like an overdose anyway. I have to keep those thoughts out of the way. She was itching today as it was for the hour we were there."
We all get quiet as we hear Mikayla get out of the car with her grandmother and running to me and Jax. I pick her up since her daddy is smoking and we head over to the play area so he can finish. I put her in the swing and push her a bit, not to high because of the fence around the area. I sit in the other swing as she gets off to slide and I smile, just watching. She was so carefree, not a care in the world. I know she can tell something's up with her daddy and I know it hurts her to see him like that. She's asked me why he doesn't smile like he used to.
I haven't told him because he's already carrying so much hurt, he doesn't need to know he's not keeping from her as well as he thinks he is. I don't tell him I cry silently with him at night when he thinks I'm asleep. He's such a brave, strong man and he's broken. He's slowly losing it. I hear him at night, telling me if it wasn't for me and Mikayla he'd have killed Tara and George already. He wants to take the pain from his boys so much that he'd use the same violence he tried so hard to get out of after taking the gavel from his stepdad.
I look over to see him looking at us as he finishes his cigarette and smile. He's my constant, my heart, and he's hurting. Mikayla breaks our gaze and as she asks me to push her again. I get behind her and help her in the swing before pushing her a bit. Jax heads over and sits in the other swing. Mikayla gets out and throws herself at Jax, who picks her up and swings with her in his lap.
"HEY, FOOD." we hear Gemma yell.
Jax picks up Kay and grabs my hand, leading us to Gemma. I eat silently, watching our family try to cheer us up, Mikayla most of all. She's such a sweet girl and I don't know how Jax and I got lucky enough to get her. What I did know was she would never go through what her brother's are going through. Jax's phone rings and he gets up when he tells us it Roosevelt. I keep watch with Mikayla so she doesn't fall back and hear a crash. I turn to see that Jax had fallen and the phone shattered. I get up and get to him before everyone else and he holds me.
"Thomas is in the hospital." is all he says as the brave, strong man finally breaks in front of his family.
First update today! Thanks so much for all the kinds words that got me going this morning to give you wonderful reader an update! Please continue to leave thoughts and questions at the bottom for me as I love them, every single one! Jax up in a bit!-Brianna
