Hey everyone!

I am pretty happy with how this story is going and I am so glad so many of you like it too!

This chapter has some more stormy weather for our pair but I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel finally! Not to say that more rockiness isn't in their future, no relationship is without its trials!

I will try to have another chapter up maybe this afternoon, maybe tomorrow!

As always, let me know what you guys think!

DDM

I headed in the direction of the waiting room, hoping to find Juice and Tig. I paused as I passed the room I know Wendy was in but decided I didn't need that kind of stress today. I found Juice flirting with a nurse at the nurses station and rolled my eyes. Tig was in the waiting room, texting away on his phone.

"How is he?" He asked as I plopped down next to him.

"Stable."

"How's Jax?"

"Stable-ish." I said shrugging.

"He has a lot going on."

"Yeah, he told me what happened with The Mayans."

Tig looked surprised before he smirked at me.

"Of course he did."

"Shut up Tigger." I grumbled.

"Where is he?" He asked.

"Talking to Tara."I said.

"Not anymore." He said, nodding toward the door way. I turned to see Jax storming our way, his face dark, expression furious. Tig and I stood up and met him at the nurses station, Juice joining us.

"Let's go." He snapped. We all glanced at each other, confused before following him back to the elevator and out the front door.

"I need a ride back to the library to get my car since David drove me." I said.

Jax scowled darkly at me before handing me his helmet. I strapped it on before settling on the bike behind him. I could feel how tense he was as I held onto him as he drove. I was thankful to get off a few minutes later, his angry aura was stifling, even outside.

"What's going on between you and Hale?" He asked when I handed him his helmet back.

"What?"

"You and Hale...David." He gave me an angry, pointed look.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, getting irritated myself.

"Tara said she saw the two of you hanging out in the park yesterday, he came to your rescue today, and you called him David." He was nearly sneering at me And I felt my hackles raise.

"For your information," i seethed. "I went to the park to finish crying after what you did to me yesterday. He saw me sitting by myself and came to see if I was ok."

I balled my hands into fists, feeling my keys dig into my palm.

"Mindy called the police when Deb attacked me today and Hale just happened to be the deputy that showed up. I had already taken care of Deb and didn't need rescuing! He drove me to the hospital because I decided to press charges and he needed information from the hospital for his reports. I called him David because I was being polite and that's what he asked me to call him. Even if there was something going on, it wouldn't be any of your business. At least it would be a relationship not just screwing someone I picked up at random."

I was nearly shaking by the time I was done, turning on my heel and unlocking my car. I yanked the door open but paused to turn back to Jax. He was sitting on his bike still, looking more than a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, Lily."

"You seem to be saying that a lot lately." I snapped. "I know you have a lot of stress going on, between the club, Able, Wendy and I am sure Tara, but that doesn't mean you get to take it out on me. I haven't done anything to deserve your temper being directed at me. I just decided that I was going to forgive yesterday and now you turn around and get nasty with me for no other reason than Tara making something out of nothing." He tried to speak but I kept right on going, not interested in what he had to say at the moment.

"Leave me alone for a few days while you get your shit together. I have had a rough week and I don't need this. When you decide you can treat me with the respect I deserve, you can come see me again. Until then, fuck off Jackson."

I climbed into my car and slammed the door, pulling out of my parking spot I ignored the pained look on my friends face. I didn't even glance at my rear view window as I drove away. I know I was a bit harsh but he can be so bull headed that over the years I have found that this is the only way to get my point across and ensure that it sticks.

I was not his verbal punching bag that he got to take his frustrations out on. It wasn't fair and I wouldn't stand for it. He could go jump off a cliff as far as I was concerned today. As I drove I pulled out my phone and hit the 4 button, bringing it to my ear.

"Hey." Mindy's voice sounded in my ear.

"Hey, will you be ok if I take a couple days off."

"Yeah sure, are you ok?"

"Yeah, just a lot going on and I am emotionally drained. I need a couple days to myself watching Netflix and eating junk food. I know I have been asking a lot of you this last week or so but..."

"Sounds like the perfect plan." She laughed, cutting me off. "Now that Deb is gone, things should start running smoothly again. I'll call you if there are any emergencies."

"Perfect," I said. "Thanks Mindy, I really appreciate this."

"No problem, take your time." She said gently. She was a genuinely good person and I was lucky to have her in my life.

I pulled up to my house, and hurried up my front path, locking the door behind me I slid down to the floor and just sat there. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to let the stress of the last few days leave me. My cheek had begun to throb and I was so tired. I went to my room, pulled on my pajamas and went to the kitchen to find food.

It was 5pm by the time I was done making myself spaghetti with meant sauce and garlic bread. I set everything down in the living room and went to close all the curtains, making my house nice and dim before clicking on tv and loading Netflix.

I wasn't bothered for two days, my phone didn't ring, no one knocked on my door, no text messages. It was lovely.

When I went to the library on the third day, I felt calm and refreshed, ready to tackle the day, and hopefully move on. Mindy and I finished all the catalogs, scanned in all the book and had a nice lunch. I had taken my bandage off to let my cut heal, it had scabbed over nicely and I was optimistic that it wouldn't even scar. I was even still feeling good when I pulled back into my driveway at the end of the day and saw Gemma's big black SUV sitting in front of my house. She was leaning against the driver door, smoking

"Hey Gema." I greeted, getting a hug after she stubbed out the cigarette.

"Hey."

"How did the rest of the cleaning go?" I asked. "Did the prospect come get the bags?"

"All finished." She said as she followed me into the house. "Sack picked up all the bags and took them to the dump for me."

"Good, good." I nodded as I went to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of water, I poured two glasses and went to the kitchen table, my guest following. "What brings you here?"

"Jax said he screwed up," she said. "Came to find out just how bad. I wanted to come sooner but he told me you wanted a few days to yourself."

I huffed.

"Tell me what happened." She said. I rolled my eyes but did as she asked, telling her about the issue with Candace as well as my altercation with Deb and Jax lashing out at me over Hale after his chat with Tara.

"That bitch is already trying to make trouble." She scowled.

"It's not all her fault," I said. "Jax didn't have to rise to the bait and lash out at me, he chose to."

"True. As much as he will deny it, he loses his mind a little at the idea of someone taking you away from him."

I rolled my eyes.

"Doesn't make it ok." I said firmly. "I told him that he can come back and talk to me after he gets his shit together and is ready to treat me with the respect I deserve."

Gema grinned as she took a sip of her water.

"What?" I demanded when she just continued to look at me.

"You can say you are not his Old Lady all you want but you sure talk like one. A good Old Lady will support her Old Man But never let him forget just who she is."

"We went to see Able." I said, changing the subject.

"Good, he needed to do it."

"I figured I would go with him after I got out of work the other day but Deb gave me a first class ticket to the hospital early."

"Stupid bitch." Gema huffed. "Your face looks like it's healing pretty well. She got you good."

"Yeah, cheap shot." I said. "I broke her nose and knocked her on her ass with a book to the face."

"That's my girl." Gema grinned at me.

"Have you gone to see the baby in the last couple of day?" I asked.

"Yeah, he is doing well. Better than Wendy is." She seemed to hesitant when she realized what she said.

"What happened to Wendy?" I asked. I waited as Gema busied herself taking another drink of water. "Gema?"

"She OD'd in the hospital." She said finally. "They managed to get to her in time though so she will be fine. Still Fucked up and selfish, but fine."

"How did she even get her hands on anything to..." I trailed off as I saw the stubbornness come over Gema's face.

I just looked at her.

"What?" She demanded this time.

"Tell me you didn't." I said.

"Didn't what?"

"Tell me you didn't bring the recovering addict drugs while she was in the hospital."

"So what if I did?" She scowled. "Would it be so bad if she died? She nearly killed my grand baby and made my son miserable. There is no way she will be let anywhere near that boy and she know is. It would be best if she disappeared all together and that was the most permanent way I could come up with without killing her myself."

"There is a special place in Hell for people who hurt children, especially their own. I think she belongs there." I said after a moment of silence. "I may not agree with quite the way you went about it, but I definitely agree with her needing to permanently go away. It will be better for Abel and Jax in the long run."

Gema just started at me hard for a minute before nodding.

"There isn't anything we wouldn't do for them." She said. "This stays between us, just us."

"No one else knows?" I asked.

"Well, Tara suspects but I haven't confirmed it." She admitted.

"She is looking to stir up shit, if she knows, she will say something to Jax." I warned.

"If he asks I won't deny it." She said. "Having some back up would help though, in case he decides he disagrees."

"I am in your corner on this one." I nodded. "Doesn't matter how she goes, she will end up in the same place. No matter how 'saved' she says she is."

"I gave it to her in a bible and told her to 'Go with God'." She smirked.

"So dramatic." I laughed. "You don't have any of that shit left over right? You got rid of it all?"

"Yeah, didn't want Clay to find it, it's all gone."

"Good, you don't need that kind of heat from him."

"So, when are you going to forgive Jax?" She asked, jumping back to the topic I didn't really want to discuss.