"So I'm guessing that you guys found the Mayan who killed Donna," Kat asked nonchalantly, pulling on a pair of tight fitting jeans and looking back at Jax through the mirror. She saw him tense and he stopped bouncing the baby, instead bringing him in close and hanging on tightly. She watched that cool façade come down over his face like a mask and that's when she knew. Knew that David Hale, even though he was a dick, knew something she didn't know-and wasn't supposed to know. She had been buying her time, waiting a couple of weeks before asking this question.

"Actually, we did."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It must've," he paused before letting his eyes roam over her naked upper half and down to her ass and her legs being hugged tight by the dark denim, "slipped my mind."

"Don't even go there Jackson Teller. You cannot distract me with sex."

She thought back to her conversation with Gemma. "Jax and Clay aren't exactly getting along." Which in Gemma speak meant that things were going straight to hell. Things were shitty with the ATF, Donna's murder was suspicious, and suddenly Clay and Jax were at odds. It didn't take a rocket scientists to figure out maybe things were just a little bit connected. And knowing the MC like she did and knowing both Jax and Clay as well as she did her spidey senses were definitely tingling.

"Really? It's worked before-."

"Not tonight. I gotta get to work and I will not be late…again," she told him reaching for an off the shoulder cut off black Nirvana t-shirt.

"Do I need to escort you to work," he asked, looking at the exposed skin between her top and her jeans, singular eyebrow raising a bit.

"Nope. But I do need you to tell me what exactly is going on between the club and the ATF. Why the fuck David Hale was throwing out bait about my sister-in-law's murder, and why your mom asked me to talk to you about your relationship with Clay. I'll give you time to come up with something acceptable while I'm at work."

Jax watched Kat leave out the door and picking his son up looked Abel in the face and said, "We are so fucked." Ever since Kat walked back into his life, the guilt had compounded and was now eating him alive. Lying to her had never worked to his advantage and quite honestly Kat had been the only person he had never been able to lie to-at least well. He knew this conversation was coming. She was too smart not to begin connecting the dots.

Bartending was something she was good at. She loved the rowdiness, she loved the drunks who came in with entertaining problems-and she happened to be exceptionally good at it. Ever since moving into Jax's place she had to stock the kitchen and once she started cooking, he expected it everyday. She smiled at the thought of it. It didn't bother her, she loved to cook. It was the only thing she didn't feel like she had to control. Bars, kitchens, car garages, and Jax's bed were the only places she felt extremely comfortable and relaxed in. Thinking of stocking up, she needed to call Alison and find out where the hell the rest of her stuff was. Some of it had come in but it had been almost six weeks now, there was no way Eric was still packing up her crap.

"Hey, you good," Daniel asked saddling up next to her behind the bar, cleaning out a few glasses.

"Yeah. I'm good. A lot on my mind."

"Everything well in paradise?"

She rolled her eyes. Daniel was an interesting guy, cool and laid back. And he wasn't interested in getting in her pants, which was good. She could use a friend who wasn't MC biased. He sort of reminded her of her brother, all quit protectiveness. And in jeans, a blue button down, and black boots he looked less polo guy and more like someone she could trust.

"Paradise is actually pretty damn amazing." If you didn't count the fact that her boyfriend was keeping something from her.

"Somebody called for you today-some guy named Eric."

She stilled. Eric? What the hell was he doing calling Avery's Yard? How did he even know-she had told Alison, maybe it got mentioned in passing. She shrugged, wiping down some spilled beer and peanuts. A blonde came to the bar, signaling for two beers. She obliged, popping the caps and setting them down kind of harshly in front of her.

"Anybody you know?"

"Ex fiance," she told him biting her lip.

The expression on his face read shocked. She really didn't want to dump her emotional baggage on a new friend. And Daniel was fast becoming that.

"Wait a second-."

"Long story short. Me and Jax were together for four years. We broke up and I headed to Denver. But when my sister-in-law died I headed back home-."

"And to Jax. Sounds like he's the love of your life."

"It's been said," she told him on a smile.

When closing time rolled around Daniel practically kicked her out telling her to get back home to Jax and Abel, saying that he didn't need SAMCRO on his ass. She laughed at that, telling him he was already in their sights. The VP's girl did work for him. His parting words were, "Be safe. Seriously. And maybe you should, you know-not that I'm advocating any illegal or violent behavior-tell Jax about Eric and the mysterious phone call."

Yeah right, Kat thought. That was not a conversation she wanted to have. All it would take was one phone call to the Denver chapter and there it was, Eric was a news piece. She didn't need that kind of guilt on her conscience. She pulled her phone out and took a look at the clock, 2:45 before dialing Alison.

"There had better be an amazing reason as why you're calling me while I was sleeping?"

"Ali-how's Eric doing?"

"Um…he still hasn't dropped off all your stuff yet. God Kat I think you should talk to him. I really do, he took a leave of absence from work. And he's been MIA-."

"What?"

"Yeah. Gees Kat, I hope that this Jax guy is-."

Kat didn't hear the end of what Ali had to say because something struck her in the back of her head-hard. And she went down. Blinking quickly momentarily before she was struck again in the face and her eyes closed. She could hear Alison screaming on the other end of the line but she couldn't open her mouth to say anything-not with random fists coming towards her.

A/N: Sorry guys. I've been seriously busy organizing stuff for National Food Day (which is October 24th btw) and working on my senior project, and finishing up requirements for college graduation in May. Dear God, it's getting super real.