Jax looked over at Opie. "So I guess I should thank you for getting me out of the line of fire back there." "There is no way I could have walked…or let alone ran for cover."

Opie said "You don't have to thank me for anything." "We are still members of the same club and we are still brothers in my opinion." "That won't change just because we don't see eye to eye right now." "And probably won't see eye to eye for awhile." added Opie.

"Well, I want to say thank you anyway. A lot of lesser men would have left me behind and worried about saving his own ass." "But me and you…it is going to take a lot more than you saving my life to put us right." "You know how I feel about Tara…what she means to me." "What she has always meant to me." "I've always loved her…even before I really knew what love was or how to love someone." "I knew my heart belonged to that girl." "I couldn't…and haven't loved any woman the way I love Tara." "I married Wendy…so that I wouldn't be alone…but she never compared to Tara…" "And she knew that…I think that was part of the reason…we didn't work out."

"I know how much you love Tara…." "But you've got to see it from my side." "I grew up with her too…" "I loved her too." "But I stepped back because I saw how interested in her you were. I was used to letting you take the big fish." "It had always been that way. You got what you wanted and I took what was left." "I didn't resent it because I was young." "What the hell did I know about anything?" "But Tara and I have always had a connection." "You just…never paid attention." "I don't think Tara or I…ever really thought out our feelings…but we both knew they were there." "But we put them aside for you Jax." "But how long are we supposed to do that?" "How long am I supposed to wait for her because you can't get your shit together."

Jax sat there stunned listening to Opie. "How long?" asked Jax through clenched teeth.

"How long what?" asked Opie looking at him. "How long have we been sleeping together?" "Two days." said Opie. "It happened…because I was drunk and depressed and I needed someone." "I was drowning and…Tara reached out her hand and she pulled me out, man." "And I looked at that woman laying next to me and I knew." "I knew I didn't want to wait any longer…" "But…I didn't know how she felt about me until…later the next day when she told me." "And it was like…this gift…I had been waiting for…for so long finally arrived." "I realized that this woman cared about me as much as I cared about her."

"How long have you loved her?" asked Jax looking at him. "How could you have never said anything? You are acting liking am this selfish fucking bastard…that took everything you ever wanted." "I would have given you anything! You are my brother! I would give my life for you and you are acting like I treated you like some second rate flunkie." "And that is bullshit!"

"You have always acted like the freaking heir apparent." "Because you were…" "From the time that we were kids we both knew you'd be President one day…" "You want a date and time?" "Fine…" "I realized I was in love with Tara when we were 14 years old." "All three of us skipped school." "We stole Clay's truck…and drove it the reservoir…" "It was a really rainy season so it was filled to the brim with water." "We were sitting in the truck…with the music blaring…sharing some cheap whiskey we had stole from the club." "Tara was sitting between us." "And me and you got out of the truck after awhile to take a piss…" "But we had left the truck in neutral and it started to roll…"

Jax listened and said "I remember that." "The damn thing rolled right over the bank and into the reservoir." "With Tara still in it…"

Opie nodded and said "And my first thought was Tara. I ran after the truck into the water and pulled her out and swam with her back to the bank." "She was spitting up water…and could barely breathe." "And she clung to me like…if I let her go she was going to die." "She was shaking like crazy…" "And I looked into her eyes and….I knew…I knew that if anything ever happened to her…I'd stop breathing too." "I knew that I loved her…" "But I also knew that you wanted her…that you loved her." "You were my brother and…you had just lost your dad." "And the rumors were flying about your mom and Clay hooking up. People were saying that he killed your dad…so that he could have Gemma." "It was crazy…" "So I didn't pursue Tara…" "I didn't want to hurt you." "And more than that…when you want something…you always got it." "Cut the hurt look out." "You tell me…if I had pursued Tara…you would have pursued her too." "There is no way you would have let me be with her without a fight."

Jax stared off into space for a bit before saying. "I knew you were into her…" "I didn't know…back then…" "But…I definitely knew by the time we were 16…" "You were always looking after her." "Making sure that she was okay." "You were always making sure that I was treating her right." "When I'd fight with her… you were always appealing to my better half… telling me to work it out with her." "You were always supportive…" "But there were some times…that I would catch you looking at us…or rather…looking at Tara…and I knew." "You are my brother…and I knew that you loved her…" "But I loved her too…I needed her too much." "Thomas died when I was twelve, my father died when I was fourteen, and everyone in that fucking town looked at how Clay was after my mother." "I was on a war path…I was destructive…I was drowning…." "And Tara was there…she made my miserable life livable." "She looked after me…she took care me…you did too." "I wouldn't have lived long if it hadn't been for the two of you…stopping me from self-destructing." "And then after high school she left and my whole world fell down around me." "And I slept with woman after woman. Face after face. Because I was looking for someone to fill that void that Tara left in my life."

"She saved us both…you needed her back when John died…and you needed her again when Abel was born and he was sick." said Opie. "But after she saves you from drowning…." "You take her for granted." "The sleeping around this last time broke her heart." "Even in my drunken depression I could see that."

"And what makes you different?" "Right now you are drowning in grief, in depression, in booze." "You can't take care of your kids because you are drunk most of the time." "And there is Tara…saving you…pulling you back from the abyss." "What happens when you aren't grieving anymore?" "Will you be as devoted?"

"I was faithful to Donna and I would be faithful to Tara too." "I am not promising her forever because I don't know what the future holds." "But I think that Tara and I owe it to ourselves to see this through… to see what we could mean to one another." "My love for Tara wasn't one sided Jax…" "She loved me too." declared Opie.

"So you are saying that she loved you all of this time and didn't love me?" asked Jax laughing.

"No. That is not what I am saying." "I think she loved us both." "Hell, I think she still does." "At the house today she wasn't yelling Jax don't hurt Opie or Opie don't hurt Jax." "She didn't want us to hurt each other." "And as much as this is destroying us…it has to be eating Tara up inside." "We are the only two people she's ever really loved…and no matter how this plays out…one of us is going to be heartbroken." "So what would you have us do Jax?" "Do you want to have a truce and neither one of us gets to be with Tara, which would make all three of us miserable?" "And most likely Tara would pick up stakes and leave Charming again…" "Who wants that?" "I'd miss her…you'd miss her." "My kids would miss her…"

Jax said "Abel would miss her…he's a baby but whenever he sees her…he lights up and Tara loves that kid." "She'd do anything in this world for him." "It's like she's been watching over him since the moment he was born." "She was at the hospital working when they brought Wendy in…" "Tara was the one who told me how bad off Abel really was…" "And she got herself put on his case so that she could watch over him every step of the way in that hospital." "Every week he was there in that incubator…she was with him."

"So we agree that our children would suffer too." said Opie. He chuckled and said "Too bad bigamy is illegal." "We could both be her husband."

Jax laughed at the thought. "Oh yeah like Tara would go for that." "What woman would?" "Two husbands to have sex with and look after." "Two houses to clean." "Two sets of kids to raise." Jax laughed and shook his head. "I think the only thing that we can do is let Tara do the deciding." "We can't decide this for her." "And we have to live by…whatever decision she comes to." "Whether it is me." said Jax with a smirk. "Or you." said Jax in a more somber tone as he looked over at Opie. "It is the only way to stop…both of us from losing her."

Opie nodded and said "I think that is the smartest thing I have heard you say all day." He gave a half smile. "I think that is the only option that we have." "It puts a lot of pressure on Tara…but this should be her decision."

Jax nodded and said "Agreed… but we can both try to sway her vote though…" "I mean a couple of nice dinners…" said Jax laughing.

Opie shook his head. "You did always try to find loopholes." He chuckled. "But I think that is a good idea if Tara agrees to it." "Hopefully, she is still there when we get back." "Tara is good at running when she feels trapped…like the way she took off after high school."

"Don't worry about that." "I doubt my mother would let her just run off." "Not after all of the trouble this has caused." "You know nothing means more to my mother than the stability of the club." "And you and me fighting…well it isn't good for the club." said Jax. He chuckled and said "You know Clay wants us to work this out too…we are his retirement plan."

"Yeah…the future of SAMCRO…" said Opie. "There are a lot of people's hopes and dreams riding on the two of us to rise to the top of the club." said Opie.

Jax laughed and said "You are right about that…my mother has been waiting for that since the day I was born." "I think I am her life's work." "You know she loves you too." "You are like her other son." "As much as she wants me to be president of the club…she wants you as my vice president." "Someone to have my back and help me lead."

"I'll always have your back brother…always." said Opie. Opie stopped and said "I hear something." Opie grabbed his gun and moved off of the log to see if he could see anything.

Jax got his gun ready hopped up on one leg ready for a fight.

Clay appeared and said "Are you two okay?" "We didn't see any Mayans when we got here." "Your bikes are still here but they are trashed."

Jax said "I guess they are afraid of the dark or something." "They took off around the time the moon came out." said Jax laughing.

"You two okay?" asked Clay.

"I took a bullet to the arm and one to the thigh." said Jax.

"I took one to the arm." said Opie.

Chibs said "We are just glad that you are alive brothers." "Come on we will get you lads up to the cabin and I will patch the two of you up."

Clay said "Tig and Hap are standing guard at the edge of the forest to make sure we don't get any unwanted visitors." "Bobby's got the van so we can transport the two of you." "Let's get you out of here so I can call Gemma." "She's worried sick about the two of you." He said "For more than one reason…."

Jax said "Well, she doesn't have to worry…we came to a compromise." "We are going to let Tara choose who she wants to be with…and no matter what her decision is… we will both stand by it."

Clay chuckled softly looking at the two of them. "Looks like the two of you came to the same decision John and I came to."