Jax took the rest of the night to cool down before deciding on his next move. He spent the rest of the evening playing with Abel and Thomas, reading them their favorite stories and telling them how mommy was watching them and that she wanted to make sure daddy was getting better with the stories.

Abel had eagerly nodded at the last part, looking up at the ceiling and waving at mommy, telling her that daddy still wasn't as good at her, but he was better.

Once he had both boys down, he turned his attention back to the letters Tara had left for him to read. After everything they discovered today, Gemma being involved in JT's death no longer surprised him, but Jax was morbidly interested in learning the extent of Gemma's deception.

By the time he finished, he sat back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling wondering where the hell things went wrong. How an MC that was about freedom and brotherhood turned into something dark and deadly.

The next morning he sent the boys off with Chucky and called the guys in to the table.

Bobby took his spot at the gavel, having no problem with Jax calling the meeting and wishing things would get back to normal so he could give the gavel back. Tig arrived slowly, in a bit of a daze from everything from the night before. He never thought he'd see the day where Jax was at his mother's throat.

"Cane said the evidence is pointing at two killers." Jax began drawing everyone's attention to where he sat at the opposite end of the table from Bobby. He leaned forward and folded one hand over the other. "The only person left in this town who would keep this kind of secret for Gemma is Unser."

"What do you want to do?" Chibs asked seriously.

"Talk to him." Jax answered with a shrug. "Find out what happened that night."

"Tig see if you can nail down a location." Bobby ordered.

"Got it." Tig quickly agreed and pulled out his phone. "Want him to come to the shop?" He asked Jax.

"No, we'll meet him at the trailer."

Tig nodded and left the room, already dialing Unser's number.

"We've got a meet set up with Tyler to discuss the situation in Stockton." Bobby informed Jax and the others.

"Good, you and Chibs handle that."

"You don't want to be there?"

"Na, Tyler needs to know you have the gavel now. I've got something else I need to handle."

"You want me with you brother?" Happy asked getting to his feet with Jax.

"Na, it's personal."

"Rat." Jax said causing the other man to stop at the door.

"Yea?" The other man asked straightening up and turning back to Jax.

"Catch up with Chucky and my boys, keep an eye on them."

"Juice, you're with Bobby and me." Chibs said getting Juice's attention, the other man's silence during the meeting did not go unnoticed. "We're heading out in five." He said catching Jax's and Bobby's eyes. Juice nodded his agreement and continued out the door shutting it behind him.

"You want Rat on the boys?" Bobby asked gently, surprised by Jax's call, but glad Rat took the assignment gracefully.

"We don't have proof that Unser is the other player in this. I don't want my boys unprotected while we dig deeper."

Chibs and Bobby nodded their agreement.

"We'll keep a close eye on the other one." Chibs promised, gesturing his head towards the door that Juice just slipped through.

Jax thanked the guys and headed out of the room. With a reminder to Tig to let him know when he got a hold of Unser, he made his way out of the shop and down the street.

He stopped outside the nondescript office building, only hesitating a moment before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

"She's waiting for you sir." The young receptionist said, jumping to her feet at the sight of Jax and guiding him inside.

Jax moved quickly into the office, watching as Lowen got warily to her feet.

"What can I do for you Jax?" She asked slowly, gesturing for him to take one of the chairs at her desk.

Jax dropped heavily into the seat, embarrassed that his actions a few weeks ago put the frightened look that he still saw in the lawyer's eyes as she lowered herself back into her seat opposite him.

"Tara had made a will." Jax began, as Lowen nodded.

"Yes, before she changed counsel."

"I know she had named a guardian in case something happened to us."

Lowen nodded again, unsure of where Jax was going with this.

"I want something legal, something that says who I want to get the boys if something happens." Jax said.

Lowen hesitated a moment, trying to gauge Jax's mood before asking her next question.

"What about your mother?" She asked, thinking back to Tara's adamant statements that Gemma would never get custody of her boys.

Lowen watched as Jax's face darkened and his fists clenched, she slowly backed away from the desk, making sure she had a clear path if she needed to move in a hurry.

"My mother." He seethed. "Will never get custody of our boys." Jax continued after taking a deep breath to bring his emotions back under control.


Just after his meeting at Lowen's office, Jax had returned to the shop when Tig informed him that Unser was waiting for him at the trailer. Jax asked Tig and Happy to follow him to Teller-Morrow, to keep an eye on things while he spoke with Unser.

Now Jax stood outside the beat up trailer, Tig at his side a hand over his eyes as the sun reflected off the metallic dome.

"You sure you don't want us in there with you?" He asked, shooting Jax a suspicious look.

"Na. I got this. Check on the garage, see how it's looking."

Happy clapped Jax on the back as he passed, sharing a meaningful glance as he followed Tig to the garage. Jax stepped up to the door of the trailer and knocked sharply.

He was tense as he listened to Unser moving around inside, impatient while he waited for the old man to answer the door.

"Jax." Unser said quietly, opening the door and stepping aside so Jax could come in. He led the way to the back of the trailer where some seating was arranged and dropped heavily onto the cushions.

"Did you hear about my mom?" Jax asked, knowing that Unser still used his old connections to keep in the loop about the going's on in the sheriff's office.

"I found out this morning." Unser replied with a shake of his head, a sick feeling still in his gut when he found out that his suspicions had been proven, that Gemma was responsible for Tara's death.

Jax stalked slowly towards Unser, one step at a time as he tried to read the other man.

"This was the first you heard of what she had done?" He asked slowly, not believing for a second that Unser wasn't on the same page as Gemma.

"She was in a bad way that night, but she didn't say anything about what happened."

"The cops think there were two killers."

"That's what I heard." Unser responded, nodding to himself. He glanced up and noted Jax's calculating glance. "It wasn't me!" He burst out, holding his hands up as he got to his feet. "You really think I would take out a cop?"

"To protect Gemma? I don't know how far you'd be willing to go." Jax reasoned.

"Look Jax. I love your mom, that's obvious, and she was a mess that day. She'd just found out you were going inside, thought Tara had ratted and broke up her family. Her mind was in a bad place."

"That day?" Jax asked, his eyes darkening in warning.

"I stopped by the house after Tara's lawyers called, they needed some of your old arrest files for when you were brought in, I told Gemma what was going on, so she didn't find out too late."

Jax stilled at his words, his eyes narrowing. Unser swallowed thickly as his own words registered.

"Oh my god." He breathed out as understanding dawned on him. His mind put together the pieces that he had refused to see, showed him the truth that he refused to believe, that his words set this tragedy in motion. His thoughts went back to that day, to telling Gemma that Jax was being taken in, that it looked like Tara had ratted. He remembered Gemma trying to get up to leave, asking him to get her pills, and his return to the empty dining room. He remembered going to the ice cream shop, thinking she had gone to see her son, remembered telling Jax to make sure someone let his mother in on the plan. His mind finally stopped on the image of Gemma, coming to him that same night, in different clothes and an absolute wreck.

"You son of a bitch!" Unser heard the scream as the younger man rushed towards him.

Unser tried to brace himself for the impact, shocked when instead of being thrown back against the cushions he felt a sharp pain in his gut. Looking down slowly he watched the knife slowly slide back out, bright red with his blood.

Unser fell to his knees, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he reached out and grasped Jax's cut.

"I'm so sorry." He gasped out. "It was my fault."


Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry this update is late! It's busy season at work, so it's been really difficult to find some extra time to sit down and write. Add in I still have no idea how I want to end this story, it's been tough to update. I've pretty much narrowed it down to two possible endings, I don't like either option (I pretty much don't like any option that doesn't end with Tara getting herself and the boys out of dodge, so I guess I'm screwed on that one).

That being said, Unser is gone. I just couldn't let him live after what he did. He not only wasn't a support to Tara when she was trying to get out, but he's the one who gave Gemma bad information, and then acted like it was no big deal that she stole his car, while drunk and high right after he told her Jax was going to prison because Tara ratted. Yea, Unser had it coming. And I liked bringing back that reactive side of Jax, the guy who killed Kohn to protect Tara without a second thought, that guy came back to kill the man who had part in Tara's death.

Can't wait til Juice finds out, he must be sweating!