Hello people! I am pretty happy with this chapter and where things a headed. Just a heads up, as I mentioned before, the next couple of chapters deal with the Fun Town episode which is about sexual assault. I don't go into detail, but I wanted to let you guys known since it is a trigger for some.
Besides that, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I will hopefully have another one up in the next few days!
As always, let me know what you think! Reviews feed the Muses!
DDM
The library was blessedly quiet the next morning, Mindy was manning the front desk while I was putting back the returns, taking my time and enjoying the quiet. Our library wasn't very large but it fit our little town nicely. We had some people who came to check out books religiously, others who just wondered in to look and high school students just looking for someplace quiet to study. It was my little slice of paradise.
Just before noon I went back to the front of the library, Mindy was already getting her stuff ready to leave since we always close early on Sunday.
"Any plans?" She asked as I locked the front doors.
"Just dinner at Gema's," I shrugged. "You?"
"I have a date!" She said excitedly.
"With who?" I asked, pleased for her.
"His name is Dereck and he is so sweet and so nice."
"He better be!" I said, laughing. "Have fun!"
"You to!" She hugged me and we went our separate ways.
I was making myself a sandwich when there was a knock on my front door. Confused, I went to open it. The people that usually visit me either have a key or just walk right in.
"Oh," I said, surprised to see who was standing in my steps.
"Hi Lily," Said Hale. "Do you have a minute?"
"Sure, come on in." I held the door open.
I lead him over to the couch and we sat.
"What can I do for you?" I couldn't think of any reason why he would be here.
"I wanted to talk to you about my cousin." He said.
"Is there paperwork I need to fill out?" I asked.
"That's the thing," he said hesitantly. "I was hoping I might be able to talk you out of pressing charges."
"Why?" I asked, eyes narrowing.
"She made a bad decision, Lily. We all do it."
"She attacked me." I said.
"I know, but..."
"But what?" I asked, cutting him off.
"She has agreed to go to anger management and therapy to work on herself." He said.
"So you want me to what, exactly? Let bygones be bygones." I was getting more and more irritated.
"I know what she did to you was wrong..."
"If one of the club members did something like that you would be looking to put them in a cell and throw away the key." I snapped.
"But She isn't like them," he snapped back.
"No, they don't attack people when their backs are turned like cowards."
"Look, I have enough to deal with right now after what happened last night at Fun Town, I don't need to handle you and Deb on top of that." He said tiredly.
"What happened at Fun Town?" I asked, confused.
"Elliot Oswald's daughter was found last night, she's was assaulted."
"Oh my god." My hand covered my mouth. I worked hard to try and block out the dark memories that were trying to take over after hearing this news. The damage done to my face was nothing compared to that, I knew first hand. "You focus on finding the bastard responsible for that, don't worry about me."
"I really appreciate this Lily." He said with a small smile.
"And I will really appreciate it when you look the other way if I happen to punch Deb again if she starts in with me."
"I'll see what I can do." He chuckled, standing. "Also, I know Elliot has talked to the club but..."
"I don't know anything about that." I cut him off.
"Ok," he didn't look convinced but let it go.
I heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching as I opened the front door. I glanced down the street and saw Jax coming this way. When I turned back to Hale he was watching me curiously.
"Thanks again," he said and leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I really appreciate it."
I stared after him, dumbfounded as he got into his Jeep and pulled out of my driveway just before Jax pulled in. The dark look he was giving the Jeep told me he had seen what Hale had done. He yanked off his helmet and strode up the walk.
"Hey baby." He said, scowl in place, body tense.
"Hi." I turned to go back inside.
"You and Hale?" He asked as he followed me into the kitchen.
"Hardly," I laughed.
"I saw him kiss you." He said. I could see him trying hard to keep a cap on his temper and I appreciated that.
"He came by to ask me to drop the charges on Deb." I said, hopping up onto the counter, next to my abandoned sandwich. I wasn't hungry anymore. "He told me he has a lot on his plate."
"I bet he does." He scowled.
"He told me about Elliot's daughter." I said softly, feeling tears start to well up. I had held my ground really well with Hale but now the horrible memories of my own past were flashing in my mind.
"Hey," Jax said quickly, coming to stand in front of me. He pulled me to the edge of the counter, standing between my legs and wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face in his shoulder, clinging to him while I tired to get my mind under control.
"Nothing is going to happen to you," he murmured in my ear. "We got that bastard, he is gone now and he isn't coming back and whoever this asshole is won't get anywhere near you."
"Maybe I should go see her." I said softly as I sat up straight again.
"Not a chance." He said firmly, wiping a tear off my face with his thumb. "I want you to stay out of this one. Hale is on it, but Oswald came and asked for the clubs help with this to. We will find this asshole just like we found the other one and he will disappear to."
"But..."
"Lily, let this one go." He said. "If it makes you feel better, I will tell mom to tell them they can contact you if they need help after all this is over. There is to much going on right now for me to worry about what this will do to you."
"What else is going on?" I asked.
"You heard about Wendy?" He asked, I nodded. "There is that shit, and we met with the Irish yesterday about the guns."
"How did it go?" I asked, glad to have something else to think about.
"Not good," he sighed. "We told them about what happened and that we will be down for a few months. They said they can't wait that long. Unless we can come up with the money for the next shipment, they will look for buyers elsewhere."
"Oh no. What are you going to do?"
"We are not sure yet." He shook his head. "It would be easier if we just stopped the guns all together."
"How would you make your money?" I asked, curious. I've grown up around the club almost as much as Jax, they have always run guns.
"Not sure. Something legit though, so we wouldn't have to worry about people like ATF." He said.
"I am sure you will come up with something." I said.
"Why did Hale kiss you?" He asked and I sighed, back again.
"He kissed me on the cheek, probably as a thank you for dropping the Deb shit. I don't have the energy for it anyway." I shrugged.
"Only on the cheek?" He asked.
"Yes, Jackson!" I said, frustrated. "Could we please move on."
"Fine." He said finally. "Tara called me today."
Oh boy.
"Oh, what did she want?" I asked as I pushed on his shoulder, getting him to take a step back from me so I could slide off the counter.
"She wanted me to know that Wendy was out of detox, if I wanted to come see her." He was watching me as I got a glass of water, my usual distraction while I gather my thoughts.
"That was nice of her."
"She told me about her theory about how Wendy got the drugs." He continued.
"Yeah, she mentioned it at Fun Town." I nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded.
"She just brought it up last night, besides it's only a half cocked theory." I said firmly.
"She said you didn't seem surprised when she brought it up, that you were probably in on it."
"I was out of commission for a few days following your jealousy fiasco, I didn't even know anything happened to Wendy until your mom came to see me."
"Did she do it?" He asked.
"Does it matter?" I asked right back.
"You are keeping secrets from me, and I don't like it." He said heatedly.
I turned to frown at him.
"Jax, You should just talk to your mom."
"I'm talking to you." He insisted.
"Would you be mad if I told you she did?" I asked.
"I...I don't know." He sighed. "I wouldn't be happy, but I wouldn't be mad at you."
He sat down in one of my kitchen chairs and gestured me forward. I sat on his knee and waited.
"Why would she do that?" He asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"There isn't anything that woman wouldn't do to protect her family." I said simply.
"Do you agree with what she did?" He looked up at me.
"I will tell you the same thing I have told her, Hale when we are talking about the Oswald girl, and Tara, there is a special place of Hell for people who hurt children. I think Wendy belongs in that place. I don't necessarily agree with the way your mom went about it, but I don't disagree that Wendy should go away and never come back."
He leaned his forehead against my shoulder.
"What happened to Able, that's on me to." He said softly. "When Wendy told me she was pregnant, I hated her. I wasn't ready to be a dad, especially not with her. I bailed."
"You are right." I agreed. "It is on you to. You both made choices and now you have to deal with the consequences. You chose to not be there, and she chose to continue poisoning herself and her baby. Now all you can do is move forward."
"I'm trying." He said.
"Have you gone to see her?" I asked. He just shook his head.
"You should. You need to talk to your mom." I suggested.
"I will, tonight at dinner."
"Don't tell her I told you." I said, not wanted to get on Gema's bad side, but on the same hand, feeling like this was definitely something Jax should know.
"I won't. I'll start it the same as I did with you, Tara called me." He promised.
"I wish she would leave me alone and stop trying to make my life harder."
He laughed and I scowled down at him.
"I doubt she will be that generous."
"Why did she even come back to Charming? She hates it here."
"Her dad died, she came back to clean out the house." He said.
"So maybe she will sell it and leave again." I said, sounding a little to hopefully.
"Maybe." He nodded.
"How do you feel having her back and being an active part of your life again?"
"I wouldn't really call her active," he said. "I try to only talk to her about Able, her calling me about Wendy was the first time she has contacted me outside the hospital."
I stood up and went to put my glass in the sink.
"Does she want to get back together?" I asked curiously.
"Doesn't matter, it won't happen." He shrugged.
"Why not?" I crossed my arms and leaned back against the sink, genuinely curious. He had been so in love with her when they were together, absolutely devastated when she left.
"There is no trust there." He said. "When she didn't get what she wanted, she left, without even saying goodbye. She hates the club, always has. She tried to get me go leave it and go with her to Chicago when she went to college. When I said I wanted to get patched in She was mad and just vanished. Tore me apart. I won't let her do that shit again."
"I remember." I nodded. "You were an extra pain in the ass for more than a year after that."
He grinned.
"Yeah I am sure I was. Having you around helped. You've always been there, never judging, just supporting. Even when I was drowning myself in booze and pussy, you were always there when I needed it."
"Of course I was," I said. "That's what family does."
I glanced at the clock, it was almost 4:30.
"Speaking of family, we need to get to your mom's." I said.
"You want to ride with me, or take your cage?"
I hesitated, I didn't usually ride with him, but Gema's words were still bouncing around in my head. Maybe keeping Jax at arms length could shorten just a little to somewhere around elbows length.
"I'll ride with you, as long as you don't mind bringing me home after." I said.
He looked at me, big smile fixed on his face.
"Sure!"
I didn't bother grabbing my purse, just my key ring. Jax handed me his helmet and I climb on behind him. The ride to Gema's only took about 10 minuets but being on the back of a bike was very relaxing. Jax parked his bike among the other couple that were already there and we went inside