Disclaimer- I don't own these Character's they belong to Kurt Sutter
Chapter 9
"Where's Tara?"
"She is in the hospital Jax"
"What? What happened? Is she ok?"
"Well after the judge gave his ruling, she started to have contractions so the guys rushed her to St. Thomas. I am waiting on an update and I will let you know as soon as I do."
"Rosen...What was the ruling?"
"I'm sorry Jax it wasn't good. The judge ruled in favor of Wendy."
"Are you fucking kidding me, he gave Abel to Wendy. Even after she couldn't say clean for her pregnancy?"
"Well he said that Wendy is his birth mother and she has turned her life around. Once you get out there will be a new hearing and I am sure you two will regain custody. I'm sorry but Tara legal guardian status just wasn't enough ground to stand on without you in the picture."
Jax couldn't believe what he was hearing; some idiot judge would be paying for this later. Now once again Tara and his children's lives were in jeopardy and he was powerless to stop it until he got out in 8 months. He went back to the yard wondering what was going on with his family; he was so lost in thought that he missed the guys coming over to him.
"What's going on son?" Clay's voice snapped him back into the yard.
"None of us will be getting visits today boys. They took Tara to the hospital and are waiting on news."
"Jeez what happened man?" Juice spoke up
"Well when the judge's ruling came in; it put Tara in labor" Jax paused before yelling "What kind of fucking idiot would give Abel to Wendy over Tara!"
"Shit son I'm sorry. Listen your mom will be off house arrest in a week maybe she will be able to help. You know she won't let Wendy keep Abel."
"Yeah well what if Tara delivers today huh? They will both be busy trying to fight to keep this baby alive. Shit it's just like Abel except I won't be there to do anything to protect any of my family." With that he walked away.
Tara was sitting in the hospital room hooked up to all kinds of monitors and was just numb. The contractions had finally quit after the last round of drugs; so now that her unborn child was safe she was free to worry about Abel. How could the judge rule like that, visitations maybe but full custody until Jax gets out that was crazy. Tara was crying when Lyla and Opie walked in.
"Tara are you in pain do you need me to get the doctor?" Lyla anxiously asked as she came to Tara's side.
"No, the contractions have stopped I think I am out of the woods. Thanks for everything you two did for me"
Tara's thoughts drifted back to the courthouse from earlier that day… The judge had just given his ruling and Tara was thankful that she was sitting. She couldn't believe the judge had just taken Abel from her to give to a recovering addict. It had taken less than 5 minutes for the final straw to break her. She had been coping with all the stress well; until the judge took her son from her, her first contraction hit hard and she screamed in pain. The guys and Lyla were by her side almost instantly and Lyla rushed her to St. Thomas as fast as she could.
Her contractions had been coming 5 minutes apart which had the doctor in her panicked. She knew what the odds were if her baby was born now and she was scared. That fear was the only thing that kept her from completely falling apart before now.
Lyla put her arm around Tara and let her cry. Tara cried for a long time; she cried for losing Abel, for Jax being gone, the stress of being the head old lady without support and for her unborn child not being able to have Jax or Abel in its life in the near future. Finally she cried herself to sleep and she dreamed about Jax.
Jax just got back from his blood drive run and had surprised Tara while she was doing laundry. She was in the process of switching loads when he put his arms around her waist and she started hitting at him.
"Tara baby it's me relax"
He loosened his hold and she spun around and hit him in the arm.
"Jax you asshole you scared me, don't do that."
He was laughing "I'm sorry babe. I was just trying to surprise you but this isn't exactly the home coming I was hoping for."
"Well this is what you get when you scare me to death. I am thrilled to see you though, how was the run?"
He put his arms around her again "Fine; but I don't want to talk about it now. Where is Abel?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck "With Neeta and Opie's kids at the park, I wasn't expecting you until later or I wouldn't have let her take him. They just left about ½ hr. ago, so they will be gone for a while longer"
He shook his head "No problem I can think of a few things to do to pass the time"
She smirked "Oh really, so you must be wanting to help clean the house and do laundry then"
He shook his head and started kissing her, then without warning he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Before she knew it he had taken her shirt off and was kissing down her body. He was always very tender and loving but there was something extra special to this lovemaking. When they were done he wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you Tara"
"I love you too Jax"
Jax was surprised to have the club called to the visiting room. When Opie walked to him he knew he had news.
"What's going on Opie?"
"Well they were able to stop the contractions and if they stay stopped she will be released tomorrow, but be on bed rest for a while."
"What is she going to do then? She going to Ma's?"
Opie nodded "Lyla and I offered but she said no, that we had enough on our plates. You know Tara never wanting to be a problem, not that she is but..."
Jax nodded "Yeah I am actually glad I am in here for this. Ma and Tara cooped up together, they are going to kill someone" he chuckled then got serious again "This custody thing needs fixed, who was the judge?"
Chibbs spoke up to the group "that's the problem; he is new and was brought in by the Sheriffs. We don't know anything about him. Tara asked me to talk to Juice ask for any advice on how to get info we may need to reverse this."
Jax let the guys talk there was nothing he could help them with. He was thinking about Tara and how much she had been through since she got back together with him. He remembered he speech she gave him before half-sack's wake. She told him she was stronger with him but he didn't think she realized how much he depended on her. Her strength was what kept him going in his goals to change the club. He would make this club a better place, he had to; he couldn't risk losing Tara or his kids.
It had been a long 6 weeks of bed rest and Tara was thrilled to finally be off it. She still wasn't allowed back to work but at least she could go see Jax. She arrived with Gemma, who still wasn't allowing Tara out of her sight, and stopped to say hi to Jake before walking into the visiting room.
Jax saw his mom walk in with a huge smile on her face, hopefully that meant Tara had a good doctor visit yesterday.
"Well ma what did the doctor say?"
"Jax how about you let me visit with my old man and you talk to the next person thru the door" she laughed at his confused expression
The door opened and Jax looked up to see Tara! He broke into a smile and started laughing
"Ok mom you visit with Clay I'll talk to the cute pregnant girl"
"Aw Jax you always take the good ones" Tig said laughing "It's great to see ya Doc"
She walked to Jax, she had gotten a lot bigger since the last time he saw her. He loved seeing her pregnant with his baby, it gave him this old fashioned feeling of claiming what was his. As she got closer he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the heartbreak in them.
"Hey baby, what are you doing here?"
Tara gave him a smile "Wow, that's all I get, not exactly the reaction I was going for"
His smile told her he knew what she was calling him back to "Well I am thinking the guards might not let the reaction you want go down." He paused "How are you babe?"
She put down her ultrasound picture from the day before as she sat down. "We are ok, the baby is great my OB says I could deliver tomorrow and should be 100% fine."
Jax studied the ultrasound, it was one of the 3D ones and it amazed him to think that in just a few weeks it would be here. "Do we know what it is yet?"
She smirked "No; he or she will not allow us to find out. So I have packed one girl and one boy outfit to take with me. I guess it is definitely a Teller; stubborn to last minute."
She looked down and whispered "I'm sorry Jax."
He sat the picture down and put his fingers under her chin making her look at him
"What are you sorry for?"
She paused as a tear rolled down her cheek "I let you and Abel down again"
"This was not your fault; some idiot judge did this not you."
She wiped her face and got a look of hope in her eyes "Actually I figured out what happened" she paused and motioned for Clay to listen "At the taste of Charming fundraiser I saw Wendy walk by with a guy; he had some Nord's tattoos."
Jax started swearing "stupid bitch what is she thinking?"
Tara continued on "Well since I have had nothing but time this past month I used Juice's tips and did some investigating. This Judge used to be a criminal Judge and his record of letting white power get off is crazy. I think that is why she got custody not because she turned her life around."
Jax looked around they all had the same look of disbelief.
"Are you sure Tara, because if that is what's going on we all could be in trouble. If Nord's get free reign we all are in for a fight when we get out." Clay asked
"Yeah I'm sure."
Opie spoke up "So what are we allowed to do about this?"
Jax held Tara's hand while they made a plan to get Abel back with Tara. They had just finished when Tara got an emergency call from St. Thomas.
"Gemma we have to go now" When she paused Tara yelled "Gemma Now!"
Tara filled her in on the way there.
"That was Margret; the EMT's just brought in Abel and Wendy. They were in a car accident, Abel is fine but she knew I would want to check him myself and I have to get there before they leave"
They made it there in record time and Margret met them at the doors.
"He is in room 5. Jenna is with him, she knows to let you see him."
"Thank you"
Tara walked in and started crying. He didn't even have a scratch but it reminded her how much she had lost. She examined him and finally felt comfortable with putting him down. Just then Wendy came in
"Get away from my son"
"Wendy I was just examining him"
"You lost custody and you're not allowed to have him. I am leaving get out of my way"
Tara noticed she was talking and acting odd so she followed them to the nurse's station. When they got there Wendy had to sign some forms and that's when she saw them…Tracks.
"You stupid junkie, you have been using I can see the tracks." Tara turned to Jenna "Look at her chart did she have a drug test"
"You arrogant bitch you can't talk to me like that, I'm out of here"
Tara grabbed her arm "I don't think so, not until you take a drug test"
Wendy pulled away from her and went to run past her but Gemma stepped in her path
"I don't think so Wendy, You aren't leaving with my grandson right now."
Tara looked at Jenna
"No Dr. Knowles there was no Drug test"
"Call security and get someone to draw blood on her. We need the results rushed"
It was less than an hour later and they got the results they were waiting on.
"Dr. Knowles, the results are positive for crank"
"Thanks Jenna, go ahead and call social services" with a nod Jenna left.
Tara had already started dialing Rosen's number. She explained the situation and got him to file an emergency motion for custody. A few hours later Gemma and Tara walked out of the hospital with Abel safely in Tara's arms.
The next week Tara was first in the visiting room hardly able to contain her excitement. Jax could tell something had Tara excited and was glad. She looked amazing, she was well rested and happy which was a great switch.
Jax smiled as she sat down "Hey baby, you look happy what's going on?"
She smiled "We got Abel back!"
"What? That is amazing! I can't believe the plan already worked."
She lost a little bit of her smile "It didn't actually. The phone call I got last week was letting me know that Wendy and Abel had been in a car accident. He is perfectly fine not even a scratch, before you ask. But when she went to leave I saw tracks on her hands, so I ordered a drug test and it came back positive. I got Rosen to file the paperwork and we have had him since then. I hate the circumstances but love the outcome."
Jax took her hand "As long as he wasn't hurt. I am thrilled that he is back home and I promise when I get out we will make sure she is never a problem again"
He felt her squeeze his hand tightly and loose the smile.
"Baby relax I am sorry if I worried you I just meant we would make sure"
She cut him off "I know what you meant, relax. You can't scare me off Jax"
They talked for a while longer but she seemed distracted.
"Babe what's the matter?"
She smiled "I have to go Jax"
"What? No way not until you tell me what has you so distracted"
"Gemma we have to go" she looked back at Jax "I am fine and I love you but I am in labor so I have to go"
Authors note- I could use some help with a name for the baby. I have a few ideas but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I also want to thank you all for your great reviews; you guys make my day and keep me wanting to stay current with this story. I hope you continue to leave your comments and critiques.
