Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

98989898

Max had been standing in the hallway kissing Jax when she heard Gazzy's piercing scream. She raced past Jax, who called after her. She had to get to Gazzy. Max raced from the Clubhouse, around the back and found Gazzy, pressed back against the wall, parts of a bomb he was making all around a small crate he'd been using as a table.

Gazzy stood back against the wall, his gaze stuck on the spot he was sure he saw something. Max raced up to him, and pulled him into her body. She was breathing extremely heavy, and her heart was thudding in her chest.

"Gazzy? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" she gasped. Max dropped to a knee as fatigue hit her. She was trembling from her sprint. She'd forgotten how sick she'd been.

"I saw something," he blurted out. "I saw something. It was real, Max. I'm not imagining it. I'm not." He pointed out to the woods. "It was out there and it was brown and black, and it reminded me of Ari, with his hair, and that black outfit he was wearing."

Max's head swiveled to look out at the trees. "I believe you, Gazzy. It's alright. I'll check it out. Go find Iggy and Nudge. Chances are they're on their way." Without another word, Max bolted for the woods. She didn't think to go for help. She didn't think to wait for reinforcements. Max had been taking care of the Flock on her own for a long time. She'd had Fang to help, once upon a time, but for the last seven or eight months it had been she alone who made sure they were safe. Well, that wasn't quite true. Nudge helped, as she learned. And then Gemma and the Sons had begun helping. But not with Eraser threats.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, and there was a faint buzzing. Max could barely catch her breath. She thought she might vomit. No, she didn't have time to be sick. She burst through the trees, trying to avoid hitting anything painful. About fifty feet in there was a small clearing. The loud woman from Abel's coming home party stood near a large tree. She had to have been what Gazzy saw, Max deduced. Brown hair, black jacket. Tara. This was Jax's Tara.

"I hoped it would be you to find me," Tara said conversationally.

Max just looked at her.

"Wow, you do not look well," Tara seemed surprised. She tilted her head to the side. "Still pretty though. Pretty always did turn Jax's head." She gave a sardonic laugh, and shook her head. "Young and Pretty. Do you even know what you're getting involved in?"

Max watched Tara, and wondered if the other woman was there to hurt her.

Tara looked at her, and seemed sad. "He'll use you. Take everything you can possibly give him, and he'll still be with other women. You'll think he only has eyes for you, but… it's not the way he works. I have pictures from when he cheated on me. And I was his Old Lady. You're so young."

Both of their heads turned slightly as they heard others approaching, and Jax yelling.

"He's the Prince of SAMCRO." Tara told her. "He'll take, or have whatever he wants. And when he's done with you… when he's had as much as he wants… he'll just toss you out. I'd better go. We both know he'll be angry if he sees me." As Max watched, Tara turned and slipped into the trees. She could hear the other woman getting farther and farther away.

Juice broke through the trees to her left. "She's over here!" he yelled as he spotted her. "You okay, Max?"

Nudge burst through a moment later.

"No," Max answered Juice. "I don't think I am."

Nudge who had heard the question, moved to Max, and hugged her. "What happened?"

Max began shaking her head. "I don't know… Maybe… reality?"

Jax was next into the clearing, and moved to Max quickly. He pulled both her and Nudge into a hug. "Jesus, you fucking scared me! Don't go off running like that without back up! You're just now getting over being ill."

Max only nodded. She was so confused.

"What do you mean, reality?" Nudge asked.

"I don't know."

"Was there someone here?" Juice questioned.

She almost didn't tell them, but it was safer for her Flock if everyone knew the other woman had been there. "Tara." She said softly. "Tara was here. It was Tara that Gazzy saw."

"What did she want?" Nudge asked, concern on her face.

Jax had stilled.

"She wanted to talk to me." Max answered. "Can we go back now? I don't want to be out here anymore."

Jax yelled out for everyone to return to the Clubhouse, everything was fine. He held Max to him, but her arms were wrapped around her own trembling body. What the fuck had Tara said to her?

Nudge was seriously worried. Max was pale, and there was a haunted look in her eyes. The woman, Tara, had said or done something to upset Max.

When they got back, they headed straight inside and found Gazzy and Angel with Tig and Gemma. Gazzy looked at them expectantly.

"It wasn't Ari," Max assured him. "But you did see something. Tara was out there."

"What did she want?" Gemma asked, standing up. She knew that the only thing the doctor would have wanted was to cause trouble. And when Max looked at her, she worried that Tara had succeeded.

"She wanted to talk to me. Said she'd hoped it would be me that showed up."

"What did she say?" Gemma asked. Jax was silent, just keeping his arm around the slim blonde.

Max waited for Tig to take the kids out before continuing. She wasn't stupid, she knew Angel would still pick it all up. "She asked me if I knew what I was getting involved with. Being with Jax. She said that young and pretty had always turned his head." Max found all of the poison the other woman had spewed, coming back out. "She said he'd use me up and toss me aside. That he was the Prince of SAMCRO and took whatever or whoever he wanted, when he wanted. She asked me if I thought he only had eyes for me. And then said that wasn't how he worked. That she had pictures of Jax cheating." Max looked down and swallowed the lump in her throat. "And she said she was his Old Lady."

"Mom, I'm gonna take Max, and we're going to talk," Jax told Gemma. He knew she wanted to talk to Max, but this was between them. Gemma finally nodded, and Jax turned Max, and led her to their room. He had her sit on the bed and sat next to her. "Did you believe her?"

Max looked up and met his eyes. "I don't know. I don't want to. But, she sounded so sure of everything she said."

He nodded. Jax could understand that. This was a whole new world for Max. "Tara stopped being my Old Lady when she left me after high school. I wouldn't leave the Club, so she left me. So, yes, she was my Old Lady, but she hasn't been for a long damned time. Did I cheat on her? Yes. I've never said I was the best person, or the smartest person. Will I cheat on you? No. I won't. I haven't been with ANYONE since you brought my Ma home. But, you'll have to decide if you trust me. I can't make that decision for you. And yes, you are young and pretty, and you turned my head. But, young and pretty isn't all you are, Darlin'. You are so much more. I couldn't toss you aside. I need you. I have never felt that way, and sure, some it's probably this mate stuff, but that's not all it is. I promise you, Max, I won't ever betray you. I can't say I won't ever hurt you, people hurt each other all the time without even meaning to. I will try my best not to."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I do trust you. I don't know why…"

Jax moved his hand and rubbed his knuckles on the side of her face. He hated to see her worried and upset. "I do. You've been sick. You've gone through Hell in the last week. You've been scared that this will ruin something important to you." He leaned in and put his forehead to hers, his hand curling around the back of her neck. "And Tara knows exactly how to push people's buttons. But she doesn't hold a candle to you, in any way."

Max hesitantly lifted her head and brushed her lips against Jax's, and then she kissed him. She loved kissing him. The things he made her feel were unlike anything she'd ever felt. Max scooted closer to him, and he deepened the kiss. When she broke away for air, he looked at her.

"I'm yours," he promised. "Only yours."

And she kissed him again, this time more urgently, crawling onto his lap in her need. Jax wrapped his arms around her, his hands fisting in her shirt. Max pressed herself against Jax feeling how hard he was against her center, she ground herself into him and it felt so good. "Jax," she whimpered. This… she'd never felt this before.

"Shhh," he said, moving his mouth to her throat, and sucking. "It's alright, Darlin'." Jax wanted to roll her over and take her, but he knew he couldn't do that yet. She wasn't ready. But, it seemed like she was ready for more. He moved one of his hands to the front, where their bodies were meeting. Jax rubbed his hand down, over her clothed pussy, and she arched. Oh, yeah, she was ready for a little more. "This is gonna feel so good, Max. Do you wanna feel good?"

She nodded frantically. "Yes… yes, please."

He rubbed his hand down a little harder, and then his thumb found her cloth covered clit. Max let out a little whimper at the feeling, and pushed into his hand. Jax lifted his hand and slid it into her leggings. She was so wet, he ached for her, but instead he found her clit again, this time bared to his thumb. He rubbed over it lightly, and she trembled. Jax made sure he was gentle as he inserted his index finger inside of her. She stilled, and then began moving against him, fucking herself with his finger, his thumb rubbing over her little nub. "How's that feel, Max?"

"Strange, but so good. I need… I need…"

"Don't worry, Baby, I know what you need. I'm gonna take care of you." After a few minutes of the steady pace he'd been keeping, he inserted a second finger. She was so fucking tight. He was kissing her, and she was riding his fingers and he was hard as a rock. Her hips sped up their movements, and he knew she was getting closer, so he slipped in a third finger. He wanted her to get used to the feeling of something moving inside of her. Because with the way she felt around his fingers, he didn't think it would be long until it was him inside of her.

Max felt so good. She wanted more. So much more, and Jax was making her feel so amazing. She couldn't help but move her hips frantically, and what his thumb was doing… it was rough and it was causing this almost tingling feeling through her entire body. She didn't realize it as she started making little noises in the back of her throat. Something was building inside of her, she could feel it, and it was huge. Suddenly, it burst over her, and her body stiffened, as a cry was loosened from her throat. She trembled, her hips giving just a few more thrusts, and Jax kept rubbing, but his thumb and fingers were slowing.

Finally they were both still, and she leaned back from him to look into his eyes. He never broke their gaze, instead pulling his hand from her pants, and then he stuck his fingers in his mouth, tasting her. Jax's eyes closed as he licked up her essence. So fucking sweet. All he wanted to do was put her on the bed, take off her pants and go down on her until she screamed. He held himself back. He smiled at her.

Max leaned down, and kissed him while his fingers were in his mouth, and then she licked his fingers at the same time, he let out a little moan. She didn't mind her own taste. She didn't know why he seemed to like it so much, but it wasn't bad.

"What about you?" she whispered.

"I'll take care of it," he told her.

"I.. I could…"

"Don't you worry about it, Darlin'," he told her. As much as Jax would love her to touch him, he wasn't going to rush her.

"Could… Could I see it?" she asked, staring down at the bulge in his pants.