The night was still going strong as the two hours drive seemed to fly by for Faye as she drove straight through the night. Though, she found herself stopped outside the small town of Fresno once her jeep was in need of gas, but also in need of a phone booth. Luckily for her, a gas station outside of the city limits was open, which was a blessing sent from heaven for her. While leaving her car to fill up, she found herself on the side of the gas station itching to pick up the phone booth and insert the coins to call up her and reveal where she was and headed. Her family had to have known by now and that scared her more than anything, which is why there was only one person she could call without them yelling at her, so she hoped.
With the night still young and the clock close to one in the morning, she had options on who to call, but she knew that her parents were out of the question. Her brother joining them as well. The coin purse was particularly heavy in her hand as she bit her bottom lip, now shaking her head at her options. She found herself picking up the telephone and once she did that, she had no choice.
"Pick up, please pick up..."
Once the the coins were inserted and she punched in the number Faye heard the haunting dial tone and brought the telephone to her ear, she prayed for her to pick up and not be angry. She was leaning against the phone booth, now counting down every dial tone and cursing herself under her breathe for making this choice to dial that said number.
She was close to hanging up the phone before hearing the voicemail, but the moment the doctors familiar voice was heard, she couldn't just hang up.
"Faye? Faye is that you?"
In that moment Faye heard the concern in Tara's voice, a concern that was aimed towards her which was surprising to the young woman. A small smile crept on her lips, now relaxing against the phone booth walls.
"You miss me already, Tara?" Faye chuckled as her fingers intertwining with the cord on the telephone; her humor lifting the serious tone to Tara's voice. "Is my brother with you? Because if he is, don't let him know it's me, please." She quickly demanded the doctor, receiving a heavy sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.
"... No, he's not here. He's out looking for you, where the hell are you, Faye? You have your parents worried sick."
That statement broke her heart knowing her family was searching for her in Charming, if only they knew they wouldn't find her there or at the cabin where she revealed she longed to go. She was far from there, in fact she could've given it up now and have them come chasing after her, but that wasn't an option in Faye's mind.
"I can't tell you that, Tara." She glanced over her shoulder as she watched a semi speed by to carry on throughout the night. "How's Abel? Is he asleep? I know he hasn't sleeping well the past few days, Jax told me about-"
"Don't change the subject, Faye. Where the hell are you?"
Faye heard the tone in Tara's voice and knew she was growing agitated, she bit her bottom lip and stole a glance at the name of the gas station before tapping her fingers against the phone booth. "I'm safe. Is that enough of an answer?" She heard the heavy sigh from the doctor on the other line, "If I tell you where I am you're gonna rat on me to Jax."
"I have a right to tell your brother... your mother is here-"
"Shit!" Faye pushed herself off the side of the wall and ran her fingers along her side, "You can't let her know I'm talking to you, Tara. Please, I'm begging you here, the one time I'm asking for your help... Please!" She heard the deep sight on the other line as she waited anxiously for Tara's response.
"She's in the nursery with Abel, she can't hear me. Dammit, you're not making this any easier."
The frustration couldn't go unnoticed as Faye stood there relieved to know that Tara was planning to keep this between them, but she wasn't going to let her location slip, not yet. She placed the coin purse on top of the phone booth and shrugged her shoulders, "Why do you think I didn't call my brother?" She snorted rolling her eyes. "... Is he pissed?"
"He got woken up with a phone call saying you were gone, what do you think?"
Faye nervously bit her bottom lip as she listened to Tara explain her brothers frustration; she knew that her brother was going to be frustrated by her choice in leaving town, but at this point, Faye didn't seem to care. "And my parents?" She asked reluctantly.
"I haven't seen Clay, he's been out with Jax and the club. They're out checking the cabin now."
"And my Mom?"
"In all the years I've known your mother, this is the first time I've ever seen her this quiet."
That set a tone for Faye's regret as she rested her head against the phone booth, knowing her mother was staying silent set a sickening tone in her stomach. Her mother never found a moment to keep quiet, especially when her anger seemed to get the best of her. She cursed herself in the back of her head once the warning of the call ending, she kept the phone close to her ear and took a deep breath.
"A phone booth? This late at night? Faye-"
"Fishing for questions isn't going to get you anywhere, Tara. I'm safe, I already told you that." Faye could feel the lack of sleep starting to creep in as she yawned into the phone. "Look the calls about to drop, but I'll call you tomorrow. Okay?" She heard silence through the phone which caused her to raise an eyebrow, now laughing a little under her breath. "Giving me the silent treatment isn't going to help you either, Doc."
The silence on the other line was unsettling as she waited to hear Tara's reply, which caused her to slip another coin in the slot as she waited. Yet, the moment a familiar voice come on the other end and it wasn't Tara's, she regretted springing the extra coin to continue the phone call.
"Where are you, Faye Rose?"
It was her mother's voice on the line this time, which caused her throat to run dry as the fear of speaking crept in. Her mother's tone of voice was rather calm, instead she wasn't meet but he anger she had earlier that day. Faye felt tears form in the corner of her eye as she rested her head against the phone booth glass. "Mom... I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this."
"Then why the hell did you? Your father and I have been worried sick."
There it was. The anger and frustration was heard from Gemma on the other line, as Faye tempted to defend her actions.
"Why don't you ask Dad, he was the one who said I couldn't quit my job, threatened to kick me out of the house." Faye was growing angered by bringing up the tone her father set between them; which is why she reminded herself that her mother was on the line, not her father. "Did he tell you that?"
The silence through the phone was enough of an answer for Faye as she picked her head up from the glass, now debating on ending the call on that note. However, the heavy sigh that came from her mother on the other line broke her heart and she chose not to do so.
"Fresno." Faye spoke feeling the guilt of her actions causing her mother more pain, which is why she blurted out where she was headed. "I'm headed to Fresno."
"... Your little friend, Jo, right? She's the VP's daughter there?"
"Josie, but yeah... I was gonna call her and see if I could stay there with-" She was cut off by her mother after she quickly mentioned calling her up.
"I can call, Nora... she won't have a problem with it."
Nora Needles was the wife of the Vice President at the Fresno Charter, her husband was Dan Needles and had been good friends with the Morrow's for quite sometime now. Which is why when it came to calling them up for her daughter to stay, Gemma had no problem with doing so. Knowing they couldn't say no to the queen of the mother charter.
"Okay. Thank you, Mom." Faye whispered as a small thankful smile grew from her lips. "I know you're probably gonna tell Dad, I... I get it," She knew that if her father caught word of her whereabouts he would end up sending one of the guys to bring her home. However, she wasn't going to hurt her mother in the process, she couldn't.
"I'll tell him I heard from you, but he won't find out shit. He's not hearing it from me."
Her mother's quiet tone was stern as she spat through the phone, taking Faye back a little as she struggled to understand her statement. She never knew her mother to keep anything from her father, but revealing his threats might've changed Gemma's tone entirely. The fears slowly slipped away for Faye Morrow as her mother swore to keep her whereabouts a secret.
Faye quickly thought of her mother or Tara getting in trouble for her actions, which is why she was quick to ask. "What if he finds out that you've known all along? I don't want this coming back on you, not Tara either..."
"You don't have to worry about that, baby. I can handle your father, believe me." Her mother's heavy sigh carried through the phone, bringing comfort as she stood in the empty phone booth; she hated to admit it, but she missed her mother in this moment and craved her cooking as her stomach grumbled. "Where are you now?"
Faye rose her gaze over to the street gas station sign that was hanging up on the wall, now reading the name to herself before replying. "I'm outside of Fresno, a gas station off ninety-nine. I'm about ten minutes outside of Fresno, so not far." She explained giving a small chuckle. "Also the only one open this late..."
"Get your ass in the car and head into Fresno, I don't want you out late. I'll make the call." A small pause continued from Gemma as she heard her daughter reply with a simple, 'okay.' which sufficed for the mother. However, she wasn't going to leave the call on that note. "I love you, baby."
"... I love you too Mom." Faye felt thankful as she hung up the phone as a smile stayed plastered on her lips. She knew the relationship between her mother and herself wasn't fixed, but knowing she could trust her mother was a healing process for the young girl. Which was a stepping stone for the mother and daughter. She snatched the coin purse from her pocket and made her way over to her jeep, and in that moment she felt thankful and relieved.
The dial tone carried on as Gemma waited for her daughter to end the call and once she did, Gemma closed the flip phone as she clenched her fingers around the burner. Her rage burning on as she reflected on what her child had defined as her choice in leaving Charming, it just happened to be her husband threats, which shook Gemma to her core. She could feel Tara's eyes burning into her as she stood in the kitchen beside her, questioning what Gemma had learned and longing to know if Faye was heading home or not.
It was silent as Gemma handed the burner over to the owner, now nodding her head at the doctor who warned her of the phone call. Ever since the incident with Zobelle's men, Gemma learned to trust Tara Knowles and slowly, but surely she was learning to respect her. She leaned her hip against the counter of the kitchen and stole a glance out the window, debating on calling her husband and inform him of the news, but she decided to wait, let him learn a lesson, even if he could.
"Thank you," Gemma spoke now turning her attention back to the doctor who made her way to sit at the kitchen table. "I didn't expect her to call you out of everyone."
Tara Knowels couldn't help but agree with Gemma's statement. She knew herself that Faye wasn't fond of her, which is why when the young woman ended up on the other line, Tara let Gemma know of the information without hesitation. She was a parent herself, she took that into consideration when revealing the truth to her mother. She took a seat at the kitchen table now glancing at the mug of coffee as she chuckled, now shrugging her shoulders placing the burner down on the table.
"You're not the only one, believe me." Tara picked up the mug of warm coffee and stole a sip. Knowing that her son was bound to wake up in less than an hour with the way his sleepless nights continued, as did hers. "Is she alright?"
Gemma snatched her purse from the counter and dug through the bag of leather, searching for the burner of her own, which she eventually pulled out. She raised an eyebrow at Tara's question and shrugged her shoulders, "She'll be fine." She explained, searching through the contacts she had in the small back booklet hidden in her purse as well.
"Should I call Jax? He deserves to know she's okay." Tara watched as Gemma went through the phonebook, searching for a single name and once she did, her fingers quickly typed in the number. "I won't tell him where she is."
Bringing the cell phone to her ear Gemma glanced over at Tara and shook her head, "Not yet." She answered as the dial tone carried on, but the questioning look in Tara's eyes caused Gemma to grow nervous. It was one of the reasons she snapped so quickly at the doctor. "You wanna learn how to be an old lady? Start taking notes, hon."
For Tara, she didn't understand why Gemma would keep this news from the rightful father, however, she was also unaware of the threats Clay dared to use against their daughter. Gemma was being fueled by anger in that moment in time, out of her years with Clay she'd never experienced a rage such as this. She wasn't about to let Tara learn her family secrets when she would only tell Jax, making things grow worse between the stepfather and stepson. So, she kept her lips sealed in front of the doctor and waited for the line to be picked up.
"Hello?"
A groggy voice came over on the line as Gemma recognized the familiar tone.
"Nora... it's Gemma." She heard movement on the other line which she was hopeful for as she waited for her response. "I know it's late, but I've got a favor to ask of you."
"What a way to get woken up by none other than Gemma Teller-Morrow. "
A small smirk formed from Gemma's lips as she heard the familiar voice, now licking her lips as she caught Tara's gaze locked on her. "I'll take that as a compliment," She heard the small laugh form on the other line and smiled. "Sorry to call so late."
"It must be good for you call me, what's on your mind Gemma?"
"Faye... she's about ten minutes outside of Fresno. She needs a place to stay for a little while and out all the club members in Fresno, you're the only person I would trust with my daughter." Gemma explained, but almost in a demanding tone.
"You're telling me little Faye is heading here, at this time of night?"
It wasn't exactly a question, seeing as Gemma chose not to reply. Not wanting to explain her husbands actions which caused this mess in the first place. Which seemed to catch on for Nora as she heard the silence through the phone.
"She'll be fine here, Gemma. You don't have to worry. Dan, he's out on a run, but he should be back by morning." She spoke of her husband, Dan Needles who just happened to be the VP of the charter in Fresno. The two had known Faye since she was a young girl after meeting at a biker rally, just so happened to they had a daughter the same age as Faye, named Josie Laine. "I'll keep my eyes on her."
"Thank you, Nora." Gemma whispered into the speaker; her worry for her child was growing with every passing minute, knowing she was out on the road at this time of night, but also alone.
Her worry didn't go unnoticed by the other old lady on the phone, she could tell that she was worried for her child's safety, but also could hear the slight anger to her tone as well. "I can have her call you when she gets here, that way you know she's safe."
Gemma quickly stopped her before she could continue on, "You don't have to do that, just... just let her get some rest and I'll call in the morning." She found herself starring at the ring on her finger which was only a reminder of her husbands actions. "Thank you Nora."
"No problem, Gemma. Goodnight..."
The dead phone line was a sign of the call ending as Gemma slowly dragged the cell phone away from her ear, now placing it back in her purse. She seemingly ignored Tara's eyes which were glued onto her, knowing she was longing to be answred. She herself wanted to call her son and alert him of Faye's well being, but he knew with Clay being by his side he would easily let it be known as well. Gemma wanted the control over Clay at this moment and time, which was the fuel to her fire.
"They should be on their way back by now..." Tara whispered under her breath as she stole a glance at the baby monitor which was silent, "Jax is gonna wanna know where she is, Gemma. I can't lie to him, that's his little sister." She tried defending her reasoning, meanwhile Gemma stared out the kitchen window, blocking Tara's words out of her mind.
Gemma was thinking to herself as she waited patiently for the sound of motorcycles driving down the street, but instead it stayed silent. She knew that Clay was on edge since the moment they found out Faye was gone, but now that she knew the truth behind her leaving, she didn't blame her daughter. How could she? She had runaway herself from the control her parents longed to have over her, her daughter was simply repeating history. Gemma simply prayed, it didn't end up on the back of a bike and pregnant coming back to town.
Tara's patience was slowly wearing thin with her boyfriend's mother, but she also couldn't understand Gemma's mindset at that point, she'd never dealt with a child, let alone a teenager. However, judging by the explosive fight that had happened earlier that day, she'd never dealt with a controlling father like Clay, so her judgement didn't matter. She knew she couldn't lie to Jax, that was her best friend and she wasn't willing to keep that from him, all she hoped was for Gemma's understanding.
"Gemma-"
"I'm not asking you to lie, Tara." Gemma was quick to snap at the doctor as she dared to question her again. "I haven't asked anything of you, so the questions better stop while you're ahead." She threatened now pushing herself off the counter and snatching her purse as she made her way to leave the kitchen. "Tell Jax the truth, tell him a lie, whatever you do, Clay better not get word of it." She snapped now snatching the keys from her leather jacket pocket and making her way out the front door, leaving Tara Knowels understanding Gemma's anger and fearing the rage that was festering.
Fresno, California was home to many, but most importantly a home to the charter of Sons of Anarchy, their presence was well known driving throughout town. A patch never seemed to go unseen, even at night as Faye drove through the small neighborhood. Once she arrived to the address printed on the sheet of paper in her hand, it wasn't much of a surprise to see a motorcycle in the driveway. She was quick to hop out and stare at the victorian blue painted home, the white paneling almost made it seem as if she was shifted back to a time when the home was first built. The front porch wasn't large, but it ran along the front of the house, grand windows covering the home, but covered by curtains, and steps leading up to the front door. How charming it seemed to be, sweet.
However, once spotting a familiar face in the window, her mind completely spaced from examining the home and left her bags as she darted up the front steps as the front door swung open. In the doorway, stood a young girl with light red hair down ending just above her shoulders, her blue eyes matching her fathers as her tiny frame matched her mothers. She was still dressed in her pj's judging by the oversized shirt and nightie shorts. It was one of Faye's best friends, Josie Ann Needles.
"No warning email, no warning text, nothing whatsoever. I couldn't think of a more Faye thing to do." Josie spoke now stepping out on the porch with a smile on her lips. "What, it's been two years since I last saw you? Couldn't even call?"
Faye's smile grew now standing on the porch in front of the familiar face, a small fit of laughter coming from her lips. "Spontaneous ideas seem to spark my mind at late times of night." She smirked as Josie wrapped her arms around her, causing Faye to react by embracing her as well. "It's so good to see you, Jo." She whispered to her good friend.
"It's good to see you too, Faye." Josie whispered back now laughing a little at her comment. "Gosh, I can't believe I woke up to my mother waking me up in a tear, telling me that you were gonna be here any minute. She's warming up leftovers, I hope you know that."
Nora Needles soon stepped into the doorway as she heard her daughter poking fun at her, which was the cause of her entrance in the first place. "Making fun of my mothering when you can hardly cook mac and cheese?" She chuckled placing the hand towel on her shoulder, "I'll keep that in mind when you ask for dinner next time." She playfully smacked her daughter on her arm with a smirk on her lips. However, her attention quickly turned to the grown woman who stood in her doorway, the shock and awe of the beauty of the brunette. "Little Faye, my how you've grown."
"Mrs Needles, it's good to see you..." Faye smiled as Nora stepped forward to wrap her arms around her, which she quickly allowed and embraced her back. "I'm assuming my mother got a hold of you?"
Nora held the young woman close before placing a kiss on her head, now drawing herself back before nodding her head and looking the young woman in the eyes. "Calls me in the middle of the night, asking if I can look after her little Faye, you could say that." She now stepped back into her home and waved the deep haired brunette inside. "Come on in, can't have you stand out there all night."
"I need to grab-"
Faye was cut off before she could explain, Nora quickly drawing attention away from the thought.
"Don't worry about it. Raze can grab your bags." Nora watched as she helped Faye further into her home.
Now seeing the patch member standing near the front door as well, but well hidden behind the curtains protecting the windows. He must've been late thirties, had long black hair that was tied in a ponytail, hair slicked back, his club tattoos running along his arms as he had a gun hidden under his kutte which was resting on his back. His eyes watched as the young girl came into view, he heard from Nora that the Presidents daughter from the Mother Charter would be arriving, which set his stress level for a watcher even higher.
"Faye this is Raze, he's stuck watching us for the night."
Faye heard as Josie shut the door behind her and quickly came to stand by her side, grabbing the keys from her hand without asking before tossing them to Raze who caught them easily. "Must be interesting watching these two," She joked before receiving a small smirk.
"Oh, yeah... they're just lucky I don't report back to the VP." Raze joked now receiving a fit of laughter from the three woman who stood around him. "Bags in the back?" He asked Faye as he stepped around the woman and made his way to the front door.
"Yeah... thank you." Faye replied watching as the patch made his way out of the house to grab her things, but she was quickly dragged up the stairs before she could even protest.
"Josie Ann, you couldn't wait five minutes?" Nora called out to stop her daughter, but hearing the laughter come from both girls, she stopped herself, now rolling her eyes at the two of them. "What have I gotten myself into?" She asked herself, now making her way into the kitchen to put away the leftovers.
Josie's excitement didn't go unnoticed as she raced up the stairs with Faye in hand, she pulled her down the hall once they stood at the top of the stairs and dragged her into the bedroom which was hers. Faye recognized the home she once played in, not much had changed besides the pictures which were updated to current family photos. Even Josie's room color was the same, the light purple walls however had posters covering a few spots which were once covered by paintings of flowers. The posters were bands like Panic at the Disco and Fall Out Boy.
"Gosh, your room is still the same. Except the doll houses are missing and so is the teddy bear collection that used to be in the corner." Faye stole a glance at the trundle neatly made and pulled out from under her bed. "Please tell me the scratch and sniff stickers are still on your closet door."
"Oh, they'll be there until the end of time. Do you know how hard my Mom tried to scratch those off?" Josie smirked sitting down on her bed which was pressed up against the wall, she laughed under her breath. "Don't worry about your bags, Raze will bring them up for you." She watched as Faye nodded her head, now leaning against the dresser which was across the room. Josie noticed that Faye seemed more quiet than usual, but she could only assume it was from her unexpected visit. "... So, what made you drive two hours in the middle of the night to Fresno?"
Faye knew that Josie was going to ask questions about her arrival, which is why she was prepared to explain, but also exhausted from the drive, which she hoped would've been a good excuse. "Oh, I don't know... felt like it was good time to visit." She shrugged her shoulders and bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry I didn't call before, I should've."
"It must be a good reason to visit." Josie heard the front door open downstairs as her eyes stayed fixed on her dear friend who was avoiding her gaze. "I remember you telling me that you were on thin ice with your dad... how thin are we talking about now?"
"I'm here... that's how thin." Faye gave a small chuckle as her lips grew into a fake smile as the remembrance of the fight was burned in the back of her mind. "I just need some time away from Charming, Jo. Get away from the club and away from my Dad." She explained as she eyed the moonlight coming in from the window.
"So, you come to Fresno, another charter?" Josie questioned, but received a playful glare from her friend, which caused her to roll her eyes. "I just... you were always so close to your dad, then you called me a few weeks back, crying. You told me that you'd gotten into it with him. I thought it was a one time fight."
"... I wouldn't be here if it was just a one time fight." Faye heard footsteps along the wooden floors as they made their way down the hall; she could only assume it was Raze bringing her bags up. "Your dad out on a run?"
Josie took notice in the change of subject and nodded her head, now finding Faye's attitude shift as well. "Yeah, he comes back tomorrow." She replied now watching as Faye's eyes shifted to the photo by her nightstand; it immediately caused her to smile at the sight of the familiar face.
"Is that the infamous Marcus you've told me about?" Faye chuckled now pushing herself off the dresser and making her way to sit down on the trundle bed. "The stories I've heard, he sure is quite the looker you've told me about." She was quick to reach for the framed picture and eye the handsome face. "How's your dad like you dating a member?"
"Dad loves Marcus, it just happens to be a plus that he's a member. I mean, Dad's been great friend with his dad forever..." Josie stole a glance at the picture as Faye took it off the nightstand, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink as her friend mentioned her handsome boyfriend.
The soft knock at the door caused the two to pause as Josie hopped off her bed and made her way to open her bedroom door, now seeing Raze standing there with Faye's bags in hand. She smiled now holding her hand out to take it from the patch member, "Thank you," She smiled at the elder now watching him nod his head and head back downstairs.
Faye was left starring at the picture with curiosity at the familiar face, Josie was sitting in the handsome gentleman lap, his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her close. He seemed taller than Josie, probably around six foot at least, his arms covered in a few tattoos which happened to be club affiliated, his brown hair was shaggy along his shoulders as his small smile was resting on his lips. He seemed happy with Josie, which was the only thing Faye could've asked for.
Josie noticed when she turned back that Faye was starring at the photo, almost asking him questions in the back of her mind. She placed the suitcase down by the door and flipped the light switch on now shrugging her shoulders, "He's a good guy, Faye. He's... he's pretty amazing if you ask me." She explained to her friend with a small smile. "They're not bad guys..."
"I'm happy for you." Faye mumbled under her breath now getting a better look at the Marcus pictured with Josie. "I'm looking at his tats though, they're good. Does he have your name on him yet?" She joked now raising an eyebrow with a smirk on her lips. "Just please tell me the crow's not on your boob."
The laughter broke the silence between them which was an immediate crack between the two friends; it was what the two needed, laughter and a good moment of peace.
Back in Charming, the club had looked out the cabin to find it empty, to Clay's dismay it crushed him to find the place empty and his daughter no where to be found. He decided to call it a night and told his brothers to head home, his step-son had received a call from Tara and he decided to head back to his place with his old lady. Sure enough, he decided the same thing. However, he didn't know who he would be coming home to. He came home to see the familiar suburban sitting in the driveway and he was hoping to find Faye's jeep parked next to it, but instead it was an empty park space waiting to be filled.
He paused before making his way inside, now staring at the burner cell in his hand, it was Faye's cell that she left on the office desk at the garage. He wasn't surprised to find it still sitting there after the little chat he had with her, but he didn't expect to find her missing once he headed back home, only sending him and his wife into a tailspin. He didn't panic at first, he couldn't allow that when he never expected his daughter to runaway. However, now he was seeing it for himself, he knew that he had no choice but to believe.
Clay got himself off his bike as his fingers tightened around the burner, now looking away from the phone in hand. He had gone through her texts, checking to see who she had texted, but the only people left in her cell was himself, Gemma and Jax. Which made him close to believe that she had deleted any texts that didn't belong to family members.
"Dammit, Faye..." He was tempted to chunk the phone at the garage door; he knew it would crush the cell phone, but Clay didn't have anything to take his anger out on at the moment. A cell phone would have to do.
Inside the Morrow household, Gemma was left sitting at the kitchen table in Clay's seat, joint locked in between her fingers as she waited for his arrival, her pistol resting by the ash tray as she waited for his arrival. She had already received word that Fay arrived safely to Fresno, which relaxed the mother she was, but now it was her job to take care of her careless husband. The joint in between her fingers wasn't doing it's job, the reason she lit up in the first place was because her anger could easily overtake her at times, but at this moment, Gemma didn't believe she would ever calm herself down.
So, she sat patiently waiting for his arrival, gun at her side and joint in hand.
The click of the lock was heard as Clay unlocked the back door and soon enough stepped inside, but the sight of his wife awaiting his arrival caused him to pause in the doorway. The tension in the air had seemed to follow the couple and he had a feeling it was about to be broken, not by his doing. He closed the door behind him and left his keys hanging on the hook, now making his way in the dinning area to see the gun placed on the table by her side. Clay could always spot the hatred in his wife's eyes and he saw it in that moment.
"She wasn't at the cabin, we scanned out all the hotels too, no sign of her anywhere." He explained to his wife; her cold stare caused him to fear what was coming to him. "You heard from her at all?"
"..." Gemma exhaled a puff of smoke as she placed the joint down on the ash tray, leaving her eyes fixated on her husband. "No, I would tell you if I had, you're her father after all." She said her voice rather stern. Gemma could tell he was left questioning her, which she didn't mind. She wanted that.
Clay was left studying his wife as her threatening look in her eyes that seemed to set an understanding between the two of them. He knew this side of Gemma, her passive aggressive tone was enough for him to understand. He nodded slowly now eyeing the pistol resting on the table, his own curiosity striking him as he bit his bottom lip. "... Have you checked her room for anything?"
"... What's there to check? Her closet is empty and her jewelry is gone, she never leaves home without it." Gemma said with narrowed eyes as she crossed her legs and leaned back into the dinning room chair. "It's as if she was kicked out... of her own goddamn house." She spat at her husband; the moment Clay heard that comment he lifted his head and placed his hands on his hips.
Clay felt his nerves growing as he heard his wife's comment; he knew now that his wife was in contact with Faye, because no one in the club had his his last conversation with his daughter. He clenched his jaw now stepping closer to his wife who stayed seated, "You spoke to her?" His voice raising as his did his anger with time. "Why the hell would you keep that from me?"
"Oh, I spoke to her, she told me all about your little threats. Saying she wasn't allowed to quit her job at the garage, kicking her out of the house. Well, looks like she beat you to the punch." She spat now narrowing her eyes at her husband who dared to question her. "You did that to our daughter... you threatened her."
"I didn't threaten shit." Clay snapped at his wife as he was continuing the fight he seemed to have started, "She wanted to act like an adult and speak to me that way, she won't live under my damn roof." He knew that the tension between them had been strong, but now it was reaching a breaking point.
Gemma knew she was testing her husbands temper as he was getting heated by the truth being slapped in his face. "You just pulled that out of your ass. The only reason you're so ticked off is because Faye disrespected you in front of the club. She did it in front of your brothers and you lost a fight, you couldn't take losing, could you?"
Clay stood a few feet away glaring at his wife who's eyes only matched his own, her words were only eating more away at the guilt. "She's had it coming... her attitude towards me-"
"Is your fault, dammit." Gemma cut him off as he was going to continue on about Faye's disrespect, but she was done hearing him. "Faye's known about Cherry since she walked her skinny ass into town, she hid it too damn well for you to notice. Why do you think she's acted that cold? That's when this shit started. I wasn't the one trying to prove a point for your damn mistake, she was."
Clay felt the weight of the world shift onto his shoulders, knowing his daughter had known of his infidelity from a few months ago, the pieces began to add up. Her attitude shifted around the time of Cherry's arrival and with time got progressively worse with her father, the control he had on her only made it worse. His actions were the reason she ran off in the first place. His eyes turned soft as his jaw clenched, now flexing his hand which raged on with pain.
"... So glad to see it finally click," Gemma slowly stood up from the dinning room table and snatched the gun off the table, "You only made things worse the more you tried to control her, now look at this shit. She ran-away." She dared to step closer with the gun in her hand as she raised her voice. "You ran our own daughter out of Charming, and all you give a shit about is proving your point... father of the fucking year." Gemma was at loss for words as she scoffed, her fingers now tightening around the grips of the revolver.
She could see the blank stare in her husbands eyes as her words seemed to sink in for the man in a kutte, but for her she felt nothing but rage towards him. His attitude stunned the mother she was, knowing that her husband had been less of a father broke her heart. His eyes glanced down at the revolver in her hand as she backed away from him, now making her way out of the dinning room to head to bed. As if she could sleep.
Clay stayed focused on his wife's footsteps as she made her way upstairs, leaving him more than unwelcomed in the home they shared. The sound of her heels almost causing him to detach from the world as he slumped down into his seat at the dinning room table, now leaving the man to question his actions. He knew he'd been overbearing with his only child, but now it made sense as to why her distance only fueled the animosity. How could he blame his child for his own stupidity? He couldn't.
His heavy shoulders hung low as he took a glance at the glass of scotch his wife left unfinished at the table, then snatching it he easily downed the amber liquid, only causing him to crave more. Tonight, Clay realized what his actions had done and it wasn't the liquid setting it off. Between his wife's rage and daughters absence, Clay Morrow finally realized, his daughter wasn't that little girl anymore... and it was too late for him to ask for forgiveness.
"Tell Jax the truth, tell him a lie,"
The queen of SAMCRO's words seemed to have left Tara with a battling choice, and it only seemed to get worse as she waited for his arrival. Her mind racing with ideas of telling him his sister whereabouts, then telling him the reason behind her leaving, while knowing it would only throw fuel onto the fire between him and Clay. Either choices would end badly, which is why Tara's heart skipped a beat the moment she heard the motor of his Harley pull into the driveway.
Tara sat patiently at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in hand, the baby monitor on the counter only causing the silence to be unbearable. Surprisingly, Abel had stayed asleep since Gemma had left, which left Tara at the risk of her own mind. She heard the front door open and close and silently prayed for Abel to stay asleep, his footsteps were quiet as he made his way into the kitchen and spotted her familiar face.
A gentle smile graced her lips as she saw Jax's heavy eyes meet her own, she was going to stand up to greet him, but he was quick to stepping into the kitchen and standing by her side. For Jax, it was a relief to see his old lady waiting on him at a time like such, but he didn't want her lack of sleep to get in the way of the job to which she fought for. He'd had one hell of a night as his little sister went missing within hours of him coming him with his family, but he expected to find her and bring her back, just as he planned, but the plan seemed to have fallen through.
"You didn't have to wait up for me, babe."
His voice assuring the doctor on her discussion, she shook her head now shrugging her shoulders, "I wanted to make sure you were okay." She explained as he leaned down, grazing his lips along hers as he then pulled away to sit by her side at the table. "... You didn't find her?"
"... Cabin was empty and all the hotels in Charming and outside of Charming were too." Jax pressed his elbows against the table as he licked his lips, now thinking back to yesterdays events between Faye and Clay. "I knew she was pissed, but she can't just runaway because she didn't get what she wanted. She's acting like a damn kid."
Tara could see the frustration on his face as he struggled to understand his sisters choices, which is why she pushed the coffee mug away and reached across the table to lace her fingers with his. "You have any clues as to where she could be?" She felt him relax at her touch as he met her gaze. "She couldn't have gone far..."
"She's only eighteen, I can't imagine her going an hour outside of Charming... I should've just knocked some sense into her thick skull." Jax spat, now chuckling under his breath as he thought back to the moment out at the gun range. He would've never raised a hand to Faye, but he could've easily yelled at her for the thought of running away, he called her bluff and was now paying for it. "I should've followed her home..."
"It isn't your fault, Jax. None of us could've seen this coming," Tara felt a light squeeze of his hand as she tried to help him understand. "Nothing you could've said or done would make Faye question it, she would've runaway either way." She explained as he broke their gaze now glancing at the pictures up on the fridge. "... I, I gotta tell you something, but Clay.. he can't know about it."
Jax raised an eyebrow as he was surprised to hear Tara mention his step-fathers name, but he was quick to question what this possibly could've been. He knew Tara would've never helped Faye runaway, but knowing about her whereabouts would easily cause him to question that. "... What is it?" He asked now sitting up as he straightened up in his seat.
"... Faye called me tonight, from a payphone. She called me to tell me she was safe." Tara explained as she watched the shock rise in her lovers eyes. "I tried finding out where she was, but she wouldn't tell me. Anytime I tried digging, she knew. I couldn't get it out of her. Your mom was here, helping me with Abel... she heard me on the phone and knew it wasn't you, she pretty much caught on and got on the phone with her."
"Why the hell didn't you call me? Ma' could've Clay..." Jax wasn't raising his voice, but he was angry knowing that Tara had heard from his sister and didn't let him know immediately after that.
"She found out the reason why Faye left, Jax." Tara was quick to cut him off while he was ahead and continued on. "Clay was threatening to kick Faye out, she even tried quitting her job at the garage and he wouldn't let her. It was before she left the clubhouse when all this happened."
Jax knew his anger towards Clay had to be dealt with, but the moment he heard about his sister missing, he put that aside knowing a father was missing his child and he was missing his sister. Yet, knowing the truth now, he clenched his jaw and his free hand soon turned into a fist, revealing the gold rings lined up along his knuckles. He stood by Clay's side as he desperately searched for Faye, but now knowing that he was the cause of her running away and his ugly attitude only made it worse, sparked a battle worse than before.
"Son of a bitch... " He cursed under his breath as he was tempted to punch a hole through the wall. "He threatened her... that bastard better threaten me." He now stood up from the table as his hand slipped away from Tara's and he was quick to make his way out the door, but Tara was quick to following his steps.
"Jax!" She watched him pause in the hallway now as he snatched the keys from his pocket. "A fight isn't going to bring Faye back home, especially if she hears about you and her father fighting." Tara explained as his anger was growing with the realization hitting him. "Your mother said she would take care of Clay." She whispered.
"I bet she will," He snapped as he paused in the doorway of their home and clenched the ring of keys in his hand, feeling the cold metal dig into his skin. "I should've followed her home, made sure she fucking went home." Jax cursed under his breath as he locked the door back up and turned to face Tara who stood a few feet away. "She promised... she swore she wasn't gonna leave."
Tara could see the hurt in his piercing blue eyes as she listened to him speak; however, she didn't think she could do anything to help him understand why Faye left in the first place. She leaned against the wall and frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Nothing could've stopped her from running Jax..."
"..." Her calm brown eyes seemed to reassure him that even though his guilt was eating him up, she must've been right. He nodded slowly as he stepped closer to Tara and shrugged his shoulders, "Where is she?"
"I don't know... Gemma was the one who got that out of her." Tara took comfort knowing Jax was believing her and smiled gently, "She in a good place, your mom made sure of that. You can talk to her about it tomorrow."
"I'll make sure of that..." His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a small cry coming from he nursery, but as Tara stepped forward to tend to the infant, Jax placed a hand on Tara's waist gently pushing her back. "I can take care of him, you should get some sleep, you've got work tomorrow." He received a small smile from her as he then leaned in to place a kiss on her lips as he followed her down the hall. His eyes watching as she stepped into the bathroom to shower before heading to bed, but his attention was quick to turn back to his son.
He scooped up the crying baby and found himself sitting in the rocker before long, his son quickly drying his tears as his fathers presence seemed to calm him. It brought comfort to Jax knowing that his son was calmed by him, but it also brought sadness knowing his son wasn't going to be having his aunt near. Abel adored her and never seemed to fuss when she was around, but Jax knew that Faye was going to find her way back home eventually. The little boy in his arms being the one reason for her return.
"She's gonna come back, bud... just give it time." Jax explained with a small smile as he slowly began to rock back and forth, admiring his son who starred back up at him with his adoring blue eyes.
Jax had been worried before, but knowing his little sister was gone and her whereabouts unknown to him, made it far worse. He felt guilty knowing he yelled at her for the thought of skipping town, but now that she was gone, he didn't want to yell or scream, he just wanted to know she was safe and at peace. The last few months had been difficult, starting with Donna's death and spiraling into the unknown secrets Jax knew nothing about, it all lead to this.
The only thing he could hope for was Faye's return back to Charming; For now all he could do was fester his anger towards his step-father and pray that a gun wouldn't be present the next time he saw him. As far as Jax knew, he wasn't going to let Clay forget the reason Faye left in the first place.
A/N: Well, I'm sorry I've been gone, with my finals and the start of summer, I can't believe it's done. I can't thank you enough for being patient. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review. Love hearing your feedback.