I have no excuses for taking so long to update. I suck, I'm sorry.
Her heart raced. Sweat trailed down her forehead as she panted hard, pushing her way through her set of mountain climbers. Her arms quivered and she kept her head down, squeezing her eyes shut to work through it. His face appeared then in the darkness, flushed and determined as he leaned down and kissed her neck hungrily. Her elbows finally gave way and she collapsed onto her knees breathing deeply.
"Fuck," Laurel let out, frustrated with herself. She stretched out her arms while she walked over to her fridge, grabbing a pre made protein shake from inside and leaned against the counter to drink it. The clock on the stove read 6:49 am and she sighed heavily before taking another gulp. She had been up for over an hour and figured she should get showered and make the most of her unexpected day off.
Stepping into the shower, Laurel closed her eyes and breathed in the steam before moving her face under the pelting hot water and feeling herself relax a little. Again, his face appeared. She quickly opened her eyes and reached for the shampoo. A few moments passed with no interruptions but as she was lathering up her facecloth with body wash, she gave in and allowed the images of her dream from last night to linger in her mind. She closed her eyes and began to run the soft, soapy cloth across her shoulders.
She never expected his lips to be so soft. He hungrily nipped at hers while sliding his warm hands under her sweater at her sides. She sighed softly, feeling a dull ache growing between her legs as she desperately tried to undo his belt buckle. He pulled away just then, playfully grinning at her as she opened her eyes and blinked him into focus. He looked so sexy and she couldn't deny that she wanted him. She yanked him closer to her with his belt and he took that as an invitation to pull her shirt over her head.
Her eyes shot open, a little blurred, and she realized that her right hand was making its way towards the sensitive spot between her legs. She sighed heavily and moved her hand down her leg, acting as though she wasn't about to pleasure herself to the memory of the naughty dream she had about Chibs the night before.
"How's my baby doin' today?" Gemma asked Abel, who was snuggled on the couch with a blanket, watching cartoons. She bent down to kiss his forehead and found it cool to the touch, giving her a sense of relief. He smiled at her instead of answering and continued to watch his show.
"He's doin' better today, but still doesn't have much energy," Jax offered, wiping his hands on a dishtowel after cleaning up Thomas's mess from his snack.
"You need anything?" Gemma asked, putting her purse down on the kitchen table before taking a seat.
"No, we're good," Jax said. "I'm gonna stay home with him today and make sure he's okay. Already called Laurel and told her not to come by."
"I'm sure he'll like that," Gemma said, referring to Abel getting to spend the entire day with his daddy. She turned her attention back to her son. "How you doin'?" she asked, wondering how he was doing with Tara still in jail. Gemma knew that Jax could put up a good front when it came to his personal life, but as his mother, she knew when he was hurting, and she could tell that he was struggling.
Jax sighed and leaned up against the counter, crossing his arms and staring at a random spot on the floor. "I'm fine," he answered, knowing what Gemma was getting at, but not really wanting to get into it with her. Not being able to be with Tara caused a constant aching feeling in him and he didn't know how he was going to be able to fix the situation. He also knew that Abel and Thomas couldn't quite understand why there mother wasn't at home with them, and that hurt him even more. "Actually, could use some more milk and diapers if you don't mind."
"I'm on it," Gemma replied. She grabbed her purse and walked over to Jax then stopped. She put her hand up against his cheek and gave him a small smile. "Be back in a bit," she added before heading out the door.
"Do you think you might actually want this guy, or are you just horny?" Beth asked outright after hearing about her dream. "Knowing you, it's probably been a while."
"Beth!" Laurel exclaimed, wanting to smack her cousin through the phone.
"What? You do tend to be picky when it comes to sex," she declared, knowing that Laurel had never been the type to have one night stands or flings.
"I'm not picky, I just don't want some random dick in me," she trailed off, feeling defensive. Laurel thought about her sex life and realized it was pretty tame. Because her biological parents had her very young, it made her cautious about having sex too early. As a teenager, she worried that she would get pregnant as well if she had sex, which usually made her shy away from having boyfriends in high school, knowing that most of the guys who liked her, wanted to have sex right away. She had lost her virginity at 20, feeling that if she did get pregnant, she would at least be more prepared to take care of a baby at that age. The guys she had slept with were all boyfriends who she trusted. Laurel then realized that she hadn't had a boyfriend in quite a while. "Maybe you're right," she confessed after a moment of silence. "Maybe I am just horny."
"So, what does this guy look like?" Beth asked, trying to get a sense of what Laurel was dealing with.
"Mmmm," Laurel subtly groaned. "Sexy," she found herself admitting, pacing around her living room. "Dark, warm eyes, salt and pepper hair and goatee. He's tall and lean and he's got this smile," Laurel paused for a second then exhaled deeply, picturing the way his lips curled into a smile and how his scars accentuated his dimples.
"That must've been one hell of a dream," Beth said. "I can practically hear you panting," she explained, finding it funny.
"What do you think it meant?" Laurel asked, hoping for some clarity from Beth. She wasn't used to having heated dreams like the one she had about Chibs and it was confusing her because, although she found Chibs to be very attractive, she never really thought of him in that sense before last night.
"I think it meant that you want him, and I think you should go for it," Beth stated, not knowing why Laurel even bothered asking.
Laurel grumbled then sat down hard onto her couch, feeling frustrated and antsy. "What do you mean 'go for it?' I can't get involved with him. When I got this job I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't get too deeply involved with the club. I'd be there for the kids, that's all," she explained, hoping that voicing that promise would help her stay strong and true to herself.
"Laurel," Beth stated. "You're already involved with the club. Why not enjoy a few perks?"
She sighed deeply, thinking about what Beth said. She had been enjoying flirting with Chibs for the last little while and she always had a good time whenever he was around, but it never seemed to be leading anywhere. However, things seemed to have become amped up after her dream about him and she found herself wondering if deep down she really wanted to be with him or if she was still worked up from how it felt being with him in her dream.
"Listen, try not to think about it too much right now. You have a few days off, right? Cool down for now and see how you feel the next time you see him," Beth suggested plainly. "If you get really embarrassed, it was most likely the dream that made you feel like you wanted him. But," she became more playful. "If you get all warm and worked up, chances are you have feelings for this guy and really want him."
Laurel sighed, figuring that Beth was right, and suddenly became nervous about going to work again.
"Let me know how it goes?" Beth asked.
Laurel nodded then answered. "I will. Talk to you later."
"Love you," Beth sang.
"Love you too," Laurel laughed.
Gemma grabbed the sunglasses from the top of her head and shook the hair from her face before putting them on. She adjusted the paper bag in her hand and looked inside, smiling as she thought of how happy Abel would be to play with the water guns she picked up for him. She had picked up a few other things along with what Jax had asked for, wanting to surprise them with a few goodies. As she approached her car, a glint of orange caught her attention and she turned to her right to get a better look. It was a Bastard for sure, she knew the cut, she just couldn't get a good enough look to see who it was. He stood at the passengers side of a black SUV, resting his arms against the rolled down window. She placed her bag on the ground and quickly swung her purse in front of her, searching for her phone. When she found it, she dialled Jax's number without taking her eyes off of the Bastard.
"Yeah, I'm at Winnie's Convenience. Can you get down here? There's someone in a black SUV down the road talking to one of the Bastards," Gemma explained.
"You sure?" Jax asked, suddenly feeling the need to move.
"Yeah. It's too far away for me to make out who it is but it's definitely a Bastard," she paused, figuring that she was about fifty yards away from them. "It might be nothing but it might be the SUV you guys have been looking for," thinking of how Laurel spotted one outside of her apartment the night before.
Jax looked at Abel on the couch and regretted giving Laurel the day off. "Shit," he commented under his breath. "Let me give Laurel a call and see if she can come watch the boys," he explained.
"Jax, I can be there in five minutes," Gemma began but was cut off.
"No. Stay there and let me know if they move at all. I need you to keep an eye on them," he ordered, not wanting to take a chance of losing the SUV in case it was the one that had been evading them somehow for the last month.
"Alright, I'll keep you posted," Gemma agreed then got in her car and began her watch.
"Laurel, you busy?" Jax asked quickly, wanting to get going.
"Um, no not really. Why?" she asked, noticing the unease in Jax's voice.
"You mind comin' by for a bit? Somethin' came up and I gotta leave," he asked.
"Yeah, give me a few minutes," she answered, beginning to head for her bag and feeling like a day off was too good to be true. She was glad that she got ready for the day instead of deciding to lounge around in sweats.
"Thanks," Jax answered then hung up without waiting for a reply. He began dialling Chibs's number next and was relieved that he picked up before the second ring. Jax filled him in on what was going on. "You with anyone right now?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm with Tig, Bobby and Happy. Juice is 'round here somewhere too," Chibs answered, sensing Jaxs need to act.
"Good. Get 'em and head over to Winnies's. Don't do anythin' 'til I get there." Jax hung up and got ready, impatiently waiting for Laurel to show up.
Within five minutes of receiving Jax's phone call, Laurel arrived, wondering what the urgency was. She parked and was met by Jax coming outside before she even got out of the car.
"Boys are inside in the living room," he said, putting on his helmet. "Don't know how long I'll be," he added as he got on his bike. He started the engine and before taking off yelled out "I'll keep you posted."
"What the hell?" Laurel thought as she watched Jax speed off down the street.
As Jax approached Winnie's, he recognized the row of bikes lined up about half a block away from Gemma's car. He realized that the guys were smart and parked far enough away down the street that they wouldn't make their presence known before they were ready to approach. He pulled in along side them and parked his own bike beside Chibs' then walked the rest of the way to meet up with them. He spotted the SUV and quickened his pace.
"Hey. What's goin' on?" Jax asked Gemma, leaning into her passenger side window.
"They've just been talking for a bit. Two other Bastards showed up since I called," she explained, pointing towards the SUV, "but they aren't doing anything."
Jax shook his head slightly, furious to think that the Grim Bastards may have something to do with the threat against his club and family. "Good," Jax finally said, realizing that he had the advantage with more men. He stood up and approached his brothers. "Happy, take Bobby 'n Juice and circle around to 5th, blockin' them in if they try to take off," he ordered, pointing past the SUV. "Tig, Chibs, we'll ride up from here," he said, wanting to finally get it over with.
"Yes," Happy slowly exclaimed before they made their way to their bikes.
Gemma sat in her car, watching her rear view mirror as her family disappeared down the street. Jax, Tig and Chibs waited for a few minutes before starting their own bikes, allowing the others to make it around the block and circle around to meet them head on. She watched as her son took off down the street with a snarl across his mouth.
As Jax approached the SUV, he spotted three bikes rounding the corner and grinned as he felt a rush of brotherhood course through him, knowing that they had his back.
The three Bastards that stood by the SUV looked around in disbelief, feeling themselves become surrounded and outnumbered, causing them to became defensive. They backed away and drew their guns, knowing that they didn't have the option between fight or flight.
Jax took the lead, stopping in the middle of the street and got off of his bike, drawing his own weapon in return. Chibs and Tig followed their President and moved in as Happy, Bobby and Juice did the same to their left.
"What the fucks goin' on T.O.?" Jax yelled out, aiming his gun at T.O. after recognizing who it was.
"What're you talkin' about Jax? Put the fuckin' gun down," T.O. ordered, holding his own gun in Jax's direction.
"Who's in there? He the one that's been followin' my family around?" Jax asked, becoming more heated and wanting to head to the front of the SUV and see who was in the drivers seat. Instead, he held steady and took a step closer to T.O., looking for answers.
The other Bastards had their guns up as well, one of them aiming at Jax, Chibs, and Tig and the other at Happy, Bobby and Juice. They were tense but doing their best to hide it.
"This look like the same one Juice?" Jax yelled over his shoulder, keeping his eyes fixed on T.O.
Juice nodded before answering, having recognized the rims as soon as he pulled up. "Yeah," he answered simply.
Jax's upper lip pulled up a bit in disgust and he began moving forward, putting his gun away in the back of his jeans. He marched towards T.O., wanting answers. T.O. put his own gun away and lunged towards Jax as he approached.
They met with a clap of leather as they both grabbed onto each other's cuts at the chest, trying to force each other backwards. The rest of T.O.'s crew looked between their President and the leader of SAMCRO, then back towards the other members that were surrounding them, watching for either instructions from T.O. or for one of the Sons to make a move.
"Is it you?" Jax screamed in T.O.'s face. "Is it you?" he screamed louder this time, barring his teeth.
"Is what me?" T.O. asked, holding Jax back.
"The one that sent the note, threatenin' my family? Followin' us around," he asked, feeling all of his frustrations about Tara in jail coming forward, fueling his anger. He felt betrayed staring into the eyes of a man who at one time, felt he could trust. He hadn't seen T.O. since Chibs had killed his cousin and although he wasn't counting on the Bastards to be their allies, he never expected them to be a threat.
"You're damn right it was me," T.O. admitted. "You didn't expect to kill my own blood right in front of me and not do anything about it."
Jax didn't answer. Instead, he pulled his right arm back and punched T.O. in the jaw, while keeping him close by holding onto his cut. After regaining his balance, T.O. dropped his shoulder and charged torwards Jax and tackled him to the ground, gaining uproar from SAMCRO and his own crew. They scuffled on the ground for a few seconds, connecting a few good blows before being pulled apart by Chibs and Sticky, but still within reach of each other.
"Jesus Christ, T.O.," Jax said, a little out of breath, fighting to get away from Chibs. T.O. stood watching Jax without saying a word. "What was your plan? You gonna kill us? Take out the Sons for somethin' you know we had every right to do?" he went on, thinking about the sense of satisfaction he felt after taking out one of the men that brutally killed his best friend.
"No, I knew we couldn't take you all out. I just wanted to see you squirm," he emphasized. "I wanted to know that you were always lookin' over your shoulder, wonderin' when something would go down." He watched Jax tense up, knowing that he wanted to hit him again. "Your boys are getting big Jax," he went on, trying to goad Jax into getting physical again. He had been wanting things to come to a head with the Sons ever since they had killed his cousin Randy after giving their word that they wouldn't.
It worked. Jax lunged for T.O. and began connecting punches to his stomach. T.O. blocked a few and landed a few of his own. The rest of the Sons and Grim Bastards reluctantly stood back, allowing their Presidents to work it out. In frustration, Jax stepped back and pulled his gun from his waistband, mirrored by T.O. doing the same. They stood facing each other with bloodied noses and split lips.
Down the road, Gemma spotted a few Sheriffs vehicles pull up without lights or sirens, catching Jax and T.O. with their guns drawn on a busy street. She looked around and saw people on the sidewalk quickly running by or hiding around the corner of buildings. "Shit," she let out to herself, watching as Roosevelt jumped out of his vehicle with his own gun drawn. She got out of her car and jogged over to Jax.
"Jax, put it away," Bobby called out, trying to be discreet. He didn't listen and him and T.O. kept their guns fixed on each other's heads, not noticing who had just arrived.
By the time Gemma made it to Jax, he was being handcuffed by Roosevelt and led to a squad car.
"Go to the house and stay with the boys tonight. Take Chibs with you," Jax insisted, not resisting but making his arrest a little more difficult than need be.
"Jackie, I'm not gonna babysit right now. What do ye need me to do?" Chibs asked, glaring at the other Bastards that were surrounding T.O. who was also being taken away in handcuffs.
"This is what I need you to do. Take a few of the guys to stand watch outside the house and take care of my boys." Jax looked over at T.O., remembering how he had said that he just wanted to scare Jax into thinking there was a threat. Chances were T.O. wasn't going to have his crew do anything, but he didn't want to take a chance. "Tig, keep an eye on them," he decided as an afterthought, motioning towards the Grim Bastards.
"You want us to go to the clubhouse?" Gemma asked, figuring it would be safer there.
"No," Jax answered, wanting them to do what he said.
While Abel finger painted at the kitchen table and Thomas smeared yogurt across his highchair tray canvas, Laurel heard a swarm of vehicles approach and park outside of the house. She looked through the window and saw Gemma, Chibs, Happy, Ratboy and Filthy Phil marching towards the front door before Gemma stopped them.
"No, you three," she began, pointing at Happy, Filthy Phil and Ratboy. "Stay out here for now. I don't want to spook Laurel or the boys."
"Yeah, it's too late for that," Laurel asked, whipping open the door. "What the hells going on?" she said in a whisper so Abel and Thomas wouldn't hear her.
"Just get inside for now," Gemma insisted, ushering Laurel back inside the house with Chibs following behind.
Gemma walked inside, putting a full grocery bag on the counter, and headed towards her grandsons, kissing Abel on the forehead. "How are you feelin' baby?" she asked him, hoping that Jax made the right call in staying at the house and not going to the clubhouse.
"Where's Jax?" Laurel asked, noticing him missing and the look of unease on Gemma's face. No one answered her. Chibs closed the door and locked it behind him then stepped farther into the house. "Where is Jax?" she tried again, a little louder.
"He got tied up with something," Gemma began without looking at Laurel, figuring a vague excuse was all she needed. "You go on home sweetheart. I'll take care of the boys for the rest of the day."
Laurel stood still for a moment, her stare alternating between Gemma and Chibs, noticing that they seemed stiff and on edge. Chibs looked outside the window, finding Happy standing guard at the end of the driveway and Phil and Ratboy sitting in a van. He turned away from the window and found Laurel standing close to him, looking in his eyes.
"Chibs, what's goin on?" she asked him, hoping he would be straight with her.
Chibs looked at her and suddenly felt very protective of her. "Don't know if I should say," he trailed off under his breath, looking into the kitchen at Gemma.
"Chibs," Laurel stated firmly. He turned to find her staring back at him with wide eyes that weren't scared but confused. He took a deep breath and moved towards the hallway bringing her with him by lightly holding onto her right arm.
"Jax got arrested," he said quietly, receiving a look of quiet shock from Laurel. "It's nothin' serious. He just got into a fight. Shouldn't be gone fer too long," he explained, knowing that Roosevelt was probably just proving a point and wouldn't keep Jax at the station for more than a few hours.
Laurel exhaled slowly but noticeably and Chibs watched as she folded her arms in front of her and turned her eyes to the ground, looking around her, clearly thinking, then towards the kitchen. He wondered what she was thinking about. Suddenly, she looked at him and touched his arm gently, saying "thanks," before walking to the kitchen.
"Gemma, I'm gonna stick around for a bit longer. At least til after dinner," she stated as she reached for the grocery bag and went to put the items away. She looked at the stove and saw that it was almost five o'clock.
"No, Laurel, we're fine here," Gemma admitted.
"It's only another hour or so. Let me cook dinner while you watch the boys," she offered. Gemma didn't answer right away.
"Alright, sweetheart. Thank you," she conceded, running her hand over Abel's hair.
Knowing that Abel's stomach wasn't fully settled from being sick the day before, Laurel decided to make dinner simple. She opted for having breakfast for dinner with eggs, toast, bacon and a fruit salad. Gemma didn't eat much but watched how Abel devoured his eggs and toast, and felt very appreciative towards Laurel for insisting she stay. Chibs picked at some toast but mostly stayed standing, making his way around the kitchen and living room, taking a peak through the windows on each pass. He watched Laurel every so often and was surprised that she seemed to be handling the situation well, without asking too many questions. She was calm, even though he could tell that she knew she wasn't being told everything.
After settling the boys in the living room, Gemma began cleaning up in the kitchen, thanking Laurel and telling her that they were fine and that she could leave for the night.
"You're sure?" Laurel asked. Gemma nodded her answer. "Okay. I'm just going to use the bathroom before I leave," she explained.
Gemma's phone rang then, making her wonder if it was news on Jax. She answered it and heard Nero's voice. She could tell something was wrong.
"What is it?" she asked after Nero asked if she was busy.
"I need your help," he told her. "One of the girls took something and," he paused. "It's not going well. She won't let any of us near her," he explained. Gemma heard yelling and something shattering in the background.
"What the hell do you expect me to do?" she asked. He didn't answer, she just heard him exhale before another scream came from somewhere within Diosa. "Jesus Christ," she muttered. "I'm busy right now."
"Gemma," Nero said quietly. "Please, I need you," he pleaded.
Gemma sighed and made her way to the kitchen window, looking outside to see Happy, Phil and Ratboy still guarding outside. "I'm on my way," she said, feeling that she could slip out for a bit and the guys could handle things. She grabbed her bag and went to find Chibs to let him know that she was leaving then spotted Laurel leave the bathroom.
Laurel saw Gemma with her purse, staring at her. "What is it?" she asked.
"You mind staying for a bit longer?" Gemma asked.
Laurel smiled and lightly laughed. "You glad I stuck around?" she asked.
Gemma nodded and smiled. "Be back in a bit," she answered, looking at Abel and Thomas. She looked up at Chibs then, who nodded slightly, knowing that she was telling him to watch her boys.
Laurel sat down next to Abel on the floor who was building a castle with wooden blocks. She looked up at Chibs and, without Gemma as a distraction, finally allowed herself to admit to how she was feeling. She knew at once that it wasn't embarrassement she felt as he looked back at her with his deep brown eyes. She was short of breath as her heart beat faster and felt a warm tingle growing across her chest.
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