"No, no, no!" Nero cried out as he ran passed Jax and gathered Gemma into his arms. "What did you do?" He cried out, rocking back and forth as his hands scrabbled at Gemma's clothes, fruitlessly trying to stop the bleeding.
Gemma gurgled, blood spilling out of the side of her mouth as she clawed at her chest. Her wide eyes moved around the men, finally settling on the stoic countenance of her son.
"Jax." She whispered.
Jax watched without emotion as Gemma tried to speak to Nero as she fought for breath.
"Jax!" Bobby cried out as he and Chibs ran up to the younger man and grabbed him by the arms backing him away from the scene. Tears were in their eyes, even though they understood Jax's reasoning, gone along with his plan, they hated seeing this.
Tig ran to Gemma's side, tears streaming down his cheeks as he grabbed on to her hand.
"No Gemma!" Nero cried out a few minutes later, clutching her body to his chest as he rocked with her in his arms. Jax broke away from Chibs and Bobby, setting himself in front of Nero.
"Why?" Nero asked from his place on the ground as he looked up at Jax. "She was already in prison, you had your justice!"
Jax flinched at the venom in his once close friend's words.
"Justice?" Jax spat out lurching at Nero. "She was still breathing! She still walked this Earth, could see her loved ones! How is that justice for Tara? She was taken away from two babies, never able to see her sons grow up!"
"It would have hurt Gemma more to be alive and behind bars, but unable to see her grandsons than to kill her." Tig said softly.
"This was my justice for Tara." Jax said in a low tone. "She knew something like this would happen, she joked about it, but deep down she knew it would come down to her and Gemma. And I didn't believe her." He continued sadly. "I brushed off her fears, her warnings, until it was too late."
"This isn't justice." Nero yelled as he gently set Gemma down and came to his feet. "This is revenge, and eye for an eye. This is for you, not for Tara!"
Nero stepped closer to Jax. "She was tired of the violence, tired of fearing for her and those boys' safety! You want justice for Tara Jax? You want to do right in her memory? Then you get yourself and your boys away from this life. That's what she wanted for you, not more blood on your hands in her name."
"There is no other life for me. No other way to take care of my boys." Jax leaned down and pulled a second gun from his ankle holster.
"No!" The club yelled as they ran forward, stopping as Jax turned the gun on them.
"Step back." He said calmly. "Stay out of this."
"Jackie." Chibs said quietly, his hands raised as he held his ground. "What are you thinking?"
"Go back to the vans and wait for me." Jax ordered. "This is between us." He gestured the gun between himself and Nero.
Bobby shook his head, taking a step forward, and then stopping as Jax turned the gun on him.
"This isn't right." At Jax's unwavering expression he tried a different tact. "They're going to know the transport was hit, this place is going to be swarming with cops, we need to get out of here while we can."
"Wait in the van."
Bobby shook his head as he backed away, grabbing Tig by the arm and guiding the other man away. Chibs delayed a moment longer, his gaze moving from Jax and Nero and back. He paled as he took in the look in Jax's eyes.
"We love you brother." He said with feeling, unable to shake the chill that moved across him, as if this was the last time he'd see the MC's prince.
"I know." Jax responded softly, before turning his attention back to Nero.
"What are you going to do now?" Nero asked, holding up his hands. "Kill me in cold blood, like you killed your mother?" He shot out, his temper returning as he gestured towards Gemma's body.
"No." Jax said quietly, as he turned the gun and reached out to Nero, handing him the gun, butt first.
Nero accepted the weapon, holding it uneasily in his hand as Jax took a step back.
"I don't understand mano."
"I can't give my boys the life they deserve, I can't provide for them in any way other than the one I know and that's not what Tara wanted for them.
"You learn other ways." Nero answered. "I did."
Jax shook his head. "It's better this way." He said holding his arms out to his side.
"No." Nero shot back, shaking his head. "I'm not doing this."
Jax sighed; frustrated at Nero's unwillingness to provide him the oblivion he sought. The reprieve from the endless pain he found himself drowning in.
"I'm not a good person, I won't be a good father to my sons without Tara." Jax began quietly. "I shot Wendy with crank, to keep her from breaking up my family. I beat Ima to keep her away from my family and my club."
"No." Nero said shaking his head, trying to keep his temper in check, unwilling to let Jax goad him into action.
"I knew Juice was vulnerable. Had tried to kill himself to protect his secrets, I used him to further my agenda. I made him kill Davany, so she wouldn't rat on how her kid got a hold of the gun. It was my gun that killed those kids."
Nero raised the gun and pointed it at Jax. "I already knew all this mano, and I haven't killed you yet."
"My only regret is that Gemma faded so quickly, that she didn't suffer, that she didn't live with the knowledge that her son killed her without remorse for longer."
Nero's finger tightened on the trigger as Jax's words swept over him.
"Do it!" Jax yelled, hitting his chest and throwing his arms out. "Do it!"
There was silence in the van as the three longest remaining members of Samcro waited for Jax's return. Chibs sat at the wheel, Bobby at his side, while Tig sat in the back, silent tears still making their way down his cheeks from the loss of Gemma.
A shot rang out causing all three men to jump and look at each other.
"No." Bobby breathed as they scrambled out of the van and ran back to where Jax and Nero had stood.
"No!" Chibs yelled as he spotted Jax on the ground, Nero standing a few feet away from him. "You son of a bitch!" He yelled pulling his gun and pointing it at Nero.
"No." Jax ground out, getting his club's attention. "This is what I want."
"Jackie boy." Chibs cried, as he leaned down and pressed his hands over the wound.
"I've called 911." Nero said quietly from behind them.
"You have to go." Jax said, opening his and looking at the club.
"We're staying with you Jax." Bobby said.
"Put the gun in Gemma's hand." Jax ordered, craning his head enough to catch Nero's eye. "Go be a farmer." Nero nodded his understanding, wiping the gun off with his shirt and kneeling down next to Gemma, placing the weapon in her cold hand as he tried to fight back nausea.
Without another word he got into his car, tires squealing on the asphalt as he sped away.
"Should we go after him?" Tig asked, desperate for something to do.
"No." Jax said, closing his eyes.
The distant wail of the ambulance broke the tense silence among the club members.
"It was Gemma and me. That's it." Jax said without opening his eyes.
"Okay." Bobby agreed, understanding what story Jax wanted told.
The rest of the club came over to say goodbye, before returning to the second van, making sure they were out of sight before the ambulance arrived.
"I love you brother." Tig said, coming up and resting his hand on Jax's shoulder.
Jax nodded, he lips turned down in a grimace as Chibs pressed down harder to try to slow the bleeding.
"Make sure they take me to St. Thomas." Jax whispered, opening his eyes to meet the other men's gazes. "Promise me. Promise that they'll take me to St. Thomas."
"We will Jackie." Chibs said, wiping away tears as he leaned forward to kiss Jax on the forehead. "I love you Jackie boy."
"I promise." Bobby said taking Jax's hand and squeezing it. "We'll take care of everything."
"Want to be with Tara." Jax ground out painfully, coughing as blood bubbled up from his mouth.
"You will be." Bobby promised, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
Author's Note:
Okay, please don't hate me! I had to do it. I just couldn't imagine Jax without Tara. I couldn't see how he would be able to give his boys a good life without his compass at his side, guiding him, encouraging him to move in the right direction. I just think, deep down, after all the shit that Jax has done and been through, he just wouldn't be able to see himself living a long happy life with his boys.
Even with that belief, this chapter is why the story was on hiatus so long. I had the epilogue written weeks before I could actually write the words that brought Jax's end. Even then, I'm not very happy with it. I guess I figure "Sons" is a tragedy, I couldn't even give Jax a happy ending in fanfic.
Only the epilogue is left. Hopefully you guys will see it as a silver lining to this.
Thank you all for sticking with me, we're getting close to season 7!