Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.

As a reminder, this story is completely AU.

Gemma was thundering through downtown Charming in her black Cadillac heading towards T-M. She had planned on taking the day off today, but her plans for some quality "girl-time" with Jolene were foiled when she showed up at her son's house and no one was home. Steering with the hand holding her cigarette, Gemma flipped down the visor and checked her lipstick in the mirror, all the while managing to keep one eye on the road. Fortunately, it was still early enough in the afternoon that kids weren't out and walking home from school yet.

With the Kyle situation taken care of, Gemma had been lulled into thinking that the rough patch the Club had been muddling through in recent months had finally smoothed itself out. Gemma kept expecting everything to go back to normal, but with her boneheaded son taking off to Reno and her pigheaded stepdaughter pretending all was right with the world, Gemma knew that the only way anything would smooth itself out was if she took control of the situation.

Gemma was starting to wonder if Unser was work-fatigued as he had failed once again to apprise her of important information concerning her son and the Club until after the fact. Apparently, an agent from the Las Vegas field office of the ATF had set up camp in the station house and had Jax turn himself in for questioning the day before. Of course, she finds this out this morning as Wayne dropped it in passing when she had run into him at the Post Office, almost like she knew what the fuck he was talking about. Now, after stopping by Jax and Jolene's place and finding it empty, with neither one picking up their pre-pays, and in spite of the fact that Unser had assured her that Jax had been released last night, Gemma was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Gemma shook her head slightly as she came to a screeching halt at a red light the block before Nicky's Diner. She hated to do it, but Gemma was going to have to bring it up to Clay or Bobby. Wayne seemed to be losing his grip on his own police department and to his own deputy Captain America, no less, who had taken it upon himself to make the ATF right at home in Charming. With everything the MC had been through, the Feds breathing down their necks was just icing on their shit cake. She especially worried about her son. The last thing Jax needed was the threat of losing his old lady distract him from the very real threat of losing his freedom.

As the light turned green, Gemma saw Jolene's car coming from the opposite direction and turn into the diner's parking lot.

"What the hell?" Gemma exclaimed as she made a quick lane change and turned left into the parking lot right behind Jolene. Parking in a spot near the entrance, Gemma jumped out of her car and trotted over to Jolene, who was doing quite a job of pretending she hadn't seen or heard Gemma peeling tires as she hauled ass into the lot.

Grabbing her by the black slouch leather bag hanging from her shoulder, Gemma pulled Jolene to a stop. "Hey, haven't seen you around. Hiding from me?" Gemma asked, only half-joking.

"No. You know where I live."

"I do, but I was just there and you weren't."

"That's because I'm here."

Gemma put her hand on her hip and gave Jolene her patented "WTF" look. "I can see that, smartass. Have you seen Jackson?"

Yep, here we go.

"Yeah, we spent the night together at the Clubhouse." Jolene replied.

Gemma beamed. "That's wonderful. So, everything's back to normal?" She asked hopefully.

"I really don't want to talk about this now, Gemma." Jolene started and Gemma narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm having lunch with Pat Doyle, my college mentor and I need to stay focused." She made a move for the door.

Blocking her path with her arms crossed over her chest, Gemma nodded. "Yeah, you do need to stay focused. Focused on working shit out with your old man."

Jolene ran her hand through her thick mane of shiny black hair and Gemma could see the internal struggle to contain her shit play out in her eyes. "I respect you, Gemma. You have been like a mother to me most of my life, but if you're here to advocate for your son, I'm gonna have to ask you to back the fuck off."

Taken aback, Gemma was almost speechless. Almost.

"Now wait just a goddamn minute." Gemma started and now it was Jolene's turn to cross her arms over her chest. It took every drop of willpower that Jolene had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "Just so that we're on the same page, let me remind you that Jax has been home for what, going on four days now and I have yet to see him. I heard he's living at the Clubhouse, but the little shit is avoiding me like the plague because he knows he's in for a mouthful of my shoe once I shove it straight up his ass. He fucked up. Majorly. Doesn't mean you should throw away a lifetime of loving my dick-centric numbskull of a son. Bust his balls, make him get tested every 90 days for a year, and tell him no pussy without a rubber until further notice. He'll just love that," She said sarcastically. "But whatever you do, don't let him go."

Gemma was sure that if those piercing green orbs were laser beams, she'd be nothing but dust particles by now. Jolene was prepared to tell Gemma to go to hell and how to get there, but pulled herself back. She felt like a hyper-energized ball of suppressed anger and she was about to lash out at the wrong target.

It was Jax she was pissed at, but she had basically forgiven him last night, gave him a free pass, and had fucked him to boot, and all because she was afraid of ending up like her mother if she lost him. She wasn't her mother's daughter, though. She was Clay Morrow's and her stubborn pride wouldn't allow her self-esteem to take shots from the likes of Gigi and her cohorts. The croweaters had it in for her before. Now, they didn't even bother to pretend like they weren't talking about her, practically daring each other to make a move on her old man because Jolene would have no choice but to take it. They were just waiting for that one slut in their group ballsy enough to be the first to drop to their knees for Jax before the rest descended on him like maggots on a carcass.

Those bitches probably thought the eight weeks Jolene had spent as an invalid had made her soft, with the scars on her chest making her insecure enough to look the other way when her old man strayed. If that was the case, then they didn't know Jolene Morrow. A few days into Jax's Reno adventure, Jolene had roped Chibs into training with her like he had when she was a teenager, before her "growth spurt". Not quite at the level he had been training with Jax, but just enough to put strength back into her arms and power behind her kicks. Jax had been on the verge of saying something last night, but she could tell he couldn't put his finger on what was different about her. She had regained most of the weight she'd lost in the hospital in muscle mass, not fat. Her arms, thighs, and even her tummy had more definition. She wasn't quite the hard body she could become if she intensified her workout, but she wasn't soft either. Although Jax had always loved her lush curves, he had apparently enjoyed the new ride as well because she hadn't heard any complaints. Making herself more appealing had not been the intended purpose of the workouts, though. No. Jolene was preparing for battle and when she finally fought back, those croweating whores wouldn't know what hit 'em.

With her anger refocused, Jolene pulled herself back into the present to deal with the current obstacle impeding her way into the diner. "I know you mean well, Gemma, but whether or not I let him go, that's a decision only I can make. And it has to be a choice I can live with. You of all people should understand where I'm coming from."

"Why are you meeting with Pat Doyle?" Gemma asked as if she hadn't heard a word Jolene said.

Jolene shook her head in mild disbelief. After all, Gemma was simply being Gemma. "Well, with Jax pushing me to take the San Diego scholarship, which I had turned down, by the way, I just had to find out what that was all about." Jolene started, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest. "Turns out, Jax had convinced Pat to get me an extension until the Spring. The scholarship is still available to me if I want it. I have to go now, Gem. I don't want to keep my mentor waiting any longer."

"Baby girl, I know you're hurting, but just promise me you won't make any decisions without talking to me first."

Exasperated, Jolene shook her head. "Has everyone forgotten that I am a grown woman? I don't need to call a meeting at the 'table' to make decisions that will ultimately affect only me."

Gemma was shaking her head. "That's where you're wrong, sweetheart. Any decision you make out of anger and hurt is going to end up affecting my son and anything that hurts Jax is definitely up for discussion with me."

Jolene couldn't even begin to comprehend what she was hearing. Her mind was refusing to let it register. "You do realize what Jax was up to in Reno, right? I'm entitled to feel anger and hurt. I'll fucking wallow in it if I want. The fact remains that if Jax ends up getting hurt, it's by his own hand. Unfortunately, I did not have a choice in the matter." Jolene turned to walk away, but Gemma grabbed her arm.

"We're all entitled to feel anger and hurt when our men fuck around on runs, Jolene. You just learn to keep that shit to yourself. As long as what happened on that run, stays on that run and he's come back home to you, you should let that shit go. He's never strayed on you before."

"Maybe—" Jolene started, but Gemma cut her off.

"There's no maybe about it, sweetheart. Jax has been faithful to you since day one. He can't say that about anyone else."

Jolene smirked bitterly. "He should have remembered that before deciding to get his dick wet somewhere else because now he can't say that about us either." She pulled her arm from Gemma's grasp and headed to the entrance of the diner.

"Shit!" Gemma cursed out loud. The same qualities that made Jolene the perfect old lady for her son—smarts, independence, loyalty, backbone—were the same qualities that were going to end up fucking him over. "Jax! You asshole!"

Instead of hanging around the Clubhouse, Jax came home early, not really knowing what to expect from his old lady. She had sought him out the night before, making passionate, if not borderline aggressive love to him. As always, it had been amazing, especially after two weeks of longing for her lush mouth, her shapely hips and ass, and her beautiful tits, but he'd be damned if he wasn't starting to sound like a chick. He didn't get what he had been longing for the most, which was to sleep with his arms wrapped around her, their legs intertwined, and waking up that way. Instead, Jolene had practically jumped off him when it was over and into the shower, locking the bathroom door, which she had NEVER done before. Pulling on her underwear and one of his Reaper Crew t-shirts, she had jumped back into bed, flipped onto her side, her back facing him, and went to sleep. Jax had lain in bed, chain-smoking, feeling like he'd been run over by a steamroller, and watched her sleep. He knew it, he felt it with each minute that passed during that long, long night, and even if she wasn't aware of it herself, Jax knew that Jolene was pushing him away.

That bit of knowledge should brighten up Clay's day, Jax thought bitterly. It may be too late to stop what they had set in motion, but that didn't mean Jax wasn't going to try.

The wonderful aroma of roasting meat was wafting from the kitchen as he entered their house and even though Jax knew he shouldn't be surprised, he was. Jolene was in the kitchen making dinner, her usual weeknight routine. She was wearing a tank top, one of the thin straps having fallen off her shoulder, and a sexy pair of hot pants that cradled her ass and made a man think of all the wonderfully nasty things he could do to her. An outfit like that usually meant that dessert would be served in the bedroom and, more than likely, before dinner, which only served to further confuse him as she turned from the stove and greeted him.

"Hey, baby." Jolene smiled and that was it. She turned her attention back to the stove and the pot of potatoes she was boiling. Jax knew that shoving his KA-BAR through his eye would hurt less than that little snub. She didn't run into his arms and pepper his neck with kisses as she groped his ass until he couldn't stand it anymore. Sometimes they never made it out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. One time, they had made it only as far as the hallway before pulling each other onto the floor, where she rode him without mercy as a pot of rice burned on the stove.

Jax fought the desperate need for a beer as he hadn't had any alcohol since his return to Charming, but almost like she had read his mind, Jolene moved over to the fridge and pulled one out. In actuality, it was part of their routine. He'd down a beer at the kitchen table while he watched her cook and they filled each other in on their activities of the day. He hated to admit it, even if just to himself, but aside from his mother, Jolene was the only woman he ever really listened to when she spoke. With most other women, he'd watch their lips move with no sound registering in his brain as it was usually set on one track: getting into their pants.

"Dinner will be another half hour or so. You can go jump in the shower if you want." She smiled as she popped open the bottle of beer and handed it to him. Jax couldn't help but feel like he was being dismissed.

Taking the now unwanted beer from her hand, if only to feel his fingers grazing her palm, Jax couldn't hold it in any longer. "We're not okay, are we?" He asked, his brow furrowed and his jaw tight.

Looking at him in the eyes, Jolene bit her lip as she contemplated an answer. "I want us to be." She replied softly.

"But we're not?" Jax questioned and Jolene shook her head slightly. Jax ran his hand over his face and down the hair on his chin in frustration.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't turn off the noise in my head." Jolene started. "I love you, I know I do, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around loving someone without trusting that they won't take me for granted again."

"Jo, I swear, I've never done shit like this to you before. I fucked up, I know, and I'm sorry, but darlin', Reno pussy was just pussy." And if he remembered correctly, not very good pussy and so not worth what they were going through.

Jolene chuckled. The fact that he could say something like that with a straight face just drove home the point of the absurdity that her life had become. Jolene chuckled again when she realized that her life had always been this way. This was just the first time she was seeing it from an outsider's perspective.

"Do I get a free pass, Jax?" Jolene asked softly. "Do I get to fuck around on you?" Judging by the look on his face, Jolene guessed the answer was no. Jolene turned to walk away, but Jax dropped the beer bottle on the table, not caring that it had tipped over and spilled, and grabbed her roughly, pulling her into his arms.

Jolene's eyes were wide as Jax held her face in one hand, the other arm wrapped possessively around her waist, as he forced her to look him in the eyes. "You're mine. You understand that?" He nearly growled and, hearing the crazy in his own voice, Jax pulled it back a notch and let go of her face. "If I could take it all back, starting with the incident at the Hairy Dog with Whistler, I would. I would have taken those bullets for you in a heartbeat, darlin'. You have to believe that I would do anything to keep myself from fucking up by going to Reno, but you can't leave me, Jo. I love you too damn much, in that crazy, all-consuming 'I'm gonna eat my fuckin' gun if she leaves me' kind of way that scares the shit out of me. Reno was just a bad idea turned into a living nightmare. Didn't matter what I was doing or who I was doing it with, all I ever saw was you. There wasn't enough alcohol in the State of Nevada to dull the pain of the damage I knew I was causing, but I couldn't stop myself because I was convinced I was doing the right thing. After I sobered up, the thought that I ran the very real chance of losing you hit me like a kick in the nuts and I know that I won't be able to handle that shit, darlin'."

Jolene shook her head. "Reno's only part of it, Jax." She barely managed to pull herself out of his embrace. Jax had always been an intense lover, but this level of intensity was bordering on something dangerous. "I had lunch with Patrick Doyle today." She started against her better judgment. She could already see the realization of where she was going darken his eyes. "You were planning on getting rid of me even before I left the hospital."

Jax was shaking his head, his jaw clenched tight. "Babe, when you put it like that it makes me sound like an asshole, but I just wanted you to be safe."

"So sending me away to a strange city, with no family—that was your big plan on keeping me safe? It wasn't your decision to make, goddamn it, which you proved by fucking it all up!" Jolene was incredulous. "When you brought it up before Vegas, I told you I wasn't going. I told you I was gonna wait for you. Why didn't you listen to me? Why didn't you listen to what your heart was telling you? Why didn't you just come home?"

"I was scared." Jax started. "It was my responsibility to protect you and, because I failed, I almost lost you, Jolene. Three times you almost died and each time I braced myself for the grief I knew would take over my whole fuckin' life. When you finally woke up, I knew that was something I could never go through again without losing my mind. I wasn't thinking straight when I spoke to Pat Doyle. All I could think of was that you didn't deserve someone like me, someone that could get you killed."

Jolene was looking into his eyes and could see the pain he was feeling. "You let my dad get into your head, didn't you?" She asked softly.

Jax looked at her for a long time before speaking. "Even after four years, Clay could barely tolerate us together, Jo. He blamed me for what happened and he said I was being selfish by not letting you go to San Diego. Deep down I knew he was right, but I love you. I needed you and wanted you so bad that I wasn't thinking when I let you stay."

"You didn't let me do shit, Jax. I chose to stay." Jolene corrected. "Baby, you were contemplating joining the Nomad charter just so I could go to school in San Diego. You were willing to do anything to make that happen for me." She reminded him. "I never blamed you for what happened, but instead of talking to me about what you were going through, you listened to my father and let him get you all twisted. I didn't deserve that. What I deserved was an old man that would've fought for me."

"Fight? I would fuckin' kill for you, Jo." Jax insisted, reminding Jolene that he had already killed for her. Twice, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Jax closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Jesus Christ, he thought, the thoughts running through my mind are fucking scaring the shit out of me. He loved Jolene. He had known that from almost the beginning, but the thought of losing her was making him wonder to what extent he would go to keep her from leaving.

Seeing the hurt and self-loathing envelope Jax again stabbed Jolene in the heart. She loved him so much and she hated to see him in pain, but she was hurting too. In order to stay she needed to know that he would never hurt her like that again, but seeing him struggle to keep from breaking down, Jolene's resolve softened. Approaching him, Jolene cradled his face in her hands. He looked at her, his eyes already bloodshot even though he had won the battle to keep himself from shedding a tear.

"I wanna make this work, baby. I really do." Jolene said earnestly as she ran her hand over his hair.

Jax shook his head slightly. "Then give me a second chance and we will. Just don't leave me."

Tig was the first to realize that there was something wrong with this picture. As the rest of his brothers focused their attention on such attributes as the tits and ass attached to a long pair of legs wrapped in skin tight denim, the first thing Tig noticed was the face. While Chibs, Bobby, and Opie debated who the highlighted blonde with the brown suede fringe purse hanging from her shoulder was here to see, Tig knew exactly who the bitch was. He should. He had watched Doll Face beat the will to live out of her over and over on the video he had taken at the Devil's Tribe Clubhouse over three years ago. When Jax had deleted the video from his phone, he had no clue that Tig had already had Juice burn it onto a disk just in case. Tig was willing to bet his bike that the bitch currently paying the cabbie after he unloaded her suitcase was here to see a certain blond biker. Frantically patting his cut, Tig found his phone, not to give anyone a heads up, but to make sure he had enough memory for another video.

"Happy sure picked a fucked up time to go visit his mom in Bakersfield." Tig said out loud.

"Why would you say that?" Opie flicked his cigarette butt across the parking lot, quickly losing interest in their new arrival. She had been swarmed by a gaggle of hang-arounds who greeted her as if she were the second coming. She was obviously just another croweater.

"Happy's a little in awe of Doll Face. Has been ever since she beat down that bitch over there." Tig motioned towards SAMCRO's new arrival. "He's gonna be pissed he missed out on the re-match."

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Bobby pulled his glasses from the shirt pocket underneath his cut in order to get a better look.

"Aw, shyte! Tell me that's not the croweater 'lil luvvie nearly scalped at the Tribe's Clubhouse." Chibs moaned. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! There was no way he wasn't going to be held responsible if Jackie Boy's old lady ended up killing the poor, unsuspecting bitch with her bare hands.

"Yes she is!" Tig laughed. "Hair extensions were flying like fur. It was beautiful!"

"Fuck!" Opie cursed as he whipped out his pre-pay and pressed the speed dial for Jax's number.

If he remembered correctly, the bottle blonde now making her way towards the Clubhouse, trailed by Gigi and a couple of other croweaters, lived in Reno. According to what Zeus had told him about Jax's stay at the Reno Clubhouse, he had spent a significant amount of time with a hang-around who worked at one of the MC's stripclubs named Wendy Case. Road pussy showing up at the SAMCRO Clubhouse in search of a patch with an old lady? Shit, Jax was so beyond screwed.

"Hi." Wendy smiled pleasantly as she stopped in front of the group of bikers congregating at the picnic table. "Is Jax Teller around?"

"Who wants to know?" Bobby asked defensively. If the reason for this trick being here in Charming was Jax, he and his VP were going to have a serious talk.

"I'm a good friend of his, from Reno."

"Jax doesn't have a need for female friends. He's got an old lady, so why don't you just hail another cab and get the fuck off the lot." Opie said, the look on his face not very inviting as he slammed his pre-pay shut. Jax wasn't answering his phone.

Wendy raised a plucked-to-a-perfect-arch eyebrow. "That's not what he told me when he asked me to come for a visit."

"There was obviously a miscommunication, luv. Jax is all about his old lady—" Chibs started, but stopped as Gigi snickered loudly. "What's so funny? You got something you wanna get off your chest?"

Sobering up slightly, Gigi threw her shoulders back. "That may have been the case before, but we all know they've been on the skids ever since she came out of the hospital a stitched-together, scarred-up mess." She mocked, causing the other croweaters hanging on the periphery to cackle. Gigi jumped back several steps, barely making it out of Bobby's reach as he lunged for her. Holding Bobby back, Chibs debated either backhanding the taste out of the croweater's mouth himself or just letting 'lil luvvie's Uncle Elvis tear her to shreds. Either way, the bitch would be getting off easier than if Jolene got a hold of her.

"Listen," Wendy started. "A lot happened between Jax and me these past couple of weeks in Reno which leads me to believe that if he invited me here, it's because he wants me here. I don't know what's going on between Jax and his old lady, but the only way I'm leaving is if Jax tells me to go himself."

"I'm sure I can make that happen for you, sweetheart." Opie said bitterly as he flipped his phone open again and tried calling Jax one more time.

Opie knew how distraught his friend had been while in Reno. Jax may have had enough alcohol and weed in his system to kill a horse, but each time he spoke with him over the phone, Opie knew he was devastated by the fact that his little getaway to Reno could cost him his old lady. Jax had returned to Charming determined to make things work out with Jolene. There was no fucking way he would ever invite road pussy into what was basically the only home Jolene had ever known. Opie had to believe that, or he would end up beating the living shit out of Jax himself.

Waking up with his old lady in his arms should have been a sign that maybe staying in bed all day and keeping Jolene with him and all to himself was the way to go today. After their bumpy ride since his return from Reno, last night had been the first time that Jax could finally see an end to this living nightmare. Their intense conversation in the kitchen had led to his near-breakdown, which in turn led to Jax begging the woman he loved to give him a second chance. He had no shame. He loved her like he has never loved anyone in his life and he couldn't see his life without her in it. Jolene was an amazing woman. Yeah, he was proving to himself what a selfish asshole he really was by feeling this way, but the weight of the reality that she would move on and no doubt find some lucky bastard to take his place was just too much for him bear.

They had enjoyed each other's company during dinner, talking about all he'd missed while he was gone, and Jax had even managed to make her laugh. The sound was music to his ears and when he had reached across the table and grabbed her hand, instead of pulling away, Jolene squeezed his hand back. That's when he had looked into her eyes and noticed a tiny hint of a spark, which gave him hope that all wasn't lost between them. That soon she'd be able to look at him again with the pure, unfiltered adoration that he had taken for granted would always be there until it wasn't.

Unable to make himself leave Jolene's side, Jax had helped clean up after dinner by washing dishes, which inspired some good-natured teasing on her part with Jolene taking a picture on her pre-pay and threatening to text it over to Tig. Winning the wrestling match over the phone, Jax shoved it into the pocket of his jeans. Diving in right after it, what Jolene grabbed wasn't what she had expected. When it came to his old lady, Jax was like a thirteen year old boy, unable to control when, where, and why he would suddenly spring wood. The fact that she had rubbed her ass on his crotch while squirming to keep the camera phone out of his reach only added fuel to his fire that was always burning for her. Recovering quickly from her surprise, Jolene grabbed the phone out of his pocket and made a mad dash toward the bedroom as Jax barreled down the hallway hot on her trail.

What had followed could only be classified as incredibly loving make up sex, with Jax finally getting what he wanted from his old lady, which was the promise of forgiveness and to wake up with her burrowed into his chest and their arms wrapped around each other. Now, as he pulled into the T-M lot, Jax felt the bottom fall out of his world as he realized he may never get to hold his old lady like that ever again.

Not even bothering to park, Jax pulled up in front of the Clubhouse and jumped off his bike. Before he could take a breath to calm himself, Wendy ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. Puckering her glossy lips, Jax roughly pushed her from him before she could pull him in for a kiss. Nearly toppling over on her 4-inch platforms, Wendy looked at a fuming Jax with wide eyes.

"Hey, baby," She started, her voice trembling with the threat of tears. "I thought you would be happy to see me." Wendy tried smiling as she approached him again. Even though he was embarrassing her in front of her friends, Wendy had grown accustomed to Jax's surliness during the two weeks they had spent together. In spite of his mood swings, he had never hit her and had treated her with a certain amount of respect that she had never experienced with any other biker.

That gentlemanly biker, however, was nowhere to be seen at this moment as he ripped the helmet off his head and threw it on the ground. Jax raised a gloved hand and pointed a finger at Wendy. "Don't call me 'baby'." He nearly growled, prompting Wendy to take a step back. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I got your message." Wendy stated simply.

Jax's nostrils flared. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I was working when you called the Clubhouse last night," Wendy explained, recalling that the Jax she knew was prone to alcoholic blackouts and probably didn't remember calling for her. "So you left a message with one of the girls that you wanted me to come see you since you didn't know when you'd be able to make it back to Reno."

Jax chuckled to himself bitterly. Last night he had been buried so deep in his old lady that, for the first time since his return, the last thing on his mind was the slag croweater standing before him and how he nearly fucked up the life he had with Jolene. Looking past Wendy, Jax was taken aback by the withering, pissed off looks on his brothers' faces.

Can I blame 'em? Jax asked himself as his eyes fell on a red suitcase on wheels with a handle.

"You need to grab your shit and get the fuck out of Charming like five minutes ago, you understand what I'm saying?" Jax said, leaving no room for argument. Wendy just stared back at him blankly. "Grab your shit and GO!"

Squaring her shoulders and preparing herself for the physical repercussions that came from disobeying an angry biker, Wendy shook her head. "I don't want to." She cringed as Jax took a step forward and got into her face.

"I wasn't asking." He snarled. "How did you get here?"

Wendy swallowed hard. "I took a Greyhound into Stockton and then a cab into Charming."

"You're gonna do it again, only in reverse and as a one-way trip because if I see you in Charming again—" Jax stopped himself as he clenched his fist at his side. He had never laid a hand on a woman in anger, but if this croweater's sudden presence in Charming caused his girl any further hurt, he wasn't sure what he was capable of.

Opie approached his friend. "Shit, bro, it might be too late." He nodded his head towards the entrance into the parking lot as Gemma, with Jolene in the passenger seat, pulled in.

"Holy fuck!" Bobby jumped forward, grabbing the suitcase and shoving it into Gigi's arms. There was no way in hell he was going to let Kit be blindsided by this bullshit. Pulling a surprised Wendy by the arm, he practically dragged her and Gigi into the Clubhouse.

Jax pulled off his gloves, stuffing them into the pocket of his cut. Taking a deep breath to recover his composure, he threw on his Reaper Crew cap as he watched his old lady step out of his mother's car and saunter up to him, hips swaying.

"Hey, baby." She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed a kiss against his lips. Jax closed his eyes and ardently kissed her back. He snaked his arms around her slim waist and pulled her against him, hugging her within an inch of her life. "Miss me?" Jolene smiled as she pulled back a bit.

"Always." Jax searched her face. God, he loved this woman and with that reaffirmation of his feelings for Jolene, Jax knew exactly what he was capable of if finding that Reno croweater in Charming caused her any pain.

I will fucking kill the bitch.

"Hurry up, Jolene!" Gemma admonished from the driver's seat. "We still have to pick up Luann. Just get what you came for from your old man and let's go!"

Jolene threw Jax an impish smile. "We're doing retail therapy and I need dough, baby." She batted impossibly long eyelashes at him. "I'm running low on sexy underwear."

Jax nodded with a half-grin as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "You're better off buying the edible kind, darlin'."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jolene smiled as Jax handed her what amounted to about half of the cash in his hand. Quickly counting the bills, Jolene raised an eyebrow. "Baby, this is a whole lotta money. You sure—" She stopped abruptly at the sight of a half-crazed, wild-eyed woman running out of the Clubhouse with Bobby in hot pursuit.

"NO! Get the fuck off me!" The woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, making Jolene wonder what the hell Uncle Elvis was up to in the Clubhouse. "I wanna talk to his old lady! Let her know what the real deal is!"

Jolene looked from the crazy woman to Jax. The murderous glint in his eyes was all the confirmation she needed. Feeling her heart jump up and into her throat, Jolene's chest was heaving as she tried to suck air into her lungs.

"You son of a bitch." Jolene ground out through clenched teeth.

"Jo," Jax started, reaching for her, but she pulled out of his grasp, throwing the cash he had given her at his face.

"Don't touch me." Jolene glared at him. Turning back to the Clubhouse in time to see Bobby try and drag the woman back inside, it hit Jolene like a bolt of lightning. She remembered the slut from Indian Hills. "Bobby, let her go!" She stomped toward the Clubhouse, only to be stopped by Jax grabbing onto her arm. Twirling around, her hand a balled-up fist, Jolene threw a punch that landed on the left side of Jax's face. Stunned by the pain radiating from his cheek up to his temple, Jax let her go as he fell back a couple of steps. Shit! He certainly wasn't expecting to be hit with such force by such a tiny fist.

"What the fuck is going on?" Gemma ran up to Opie and Jax, shocked. "Jolene, have you lost your mind?"

"Not yet." Jolene practically snarled as she turned and headed towards Wendy. Breaking free from Bobby's hold, Wendy stood up straight as Jolene practically got into her face. "You have something you wanna tell me?"

"Kit, you should really bring this inside." Bobby chastised as a crowd of mechanics, hang-arounds, and Club members started gathering. Thank God Clay's meeting with Unser, Bobby thought.

"With all due respect, Bobby, this doesn't concern you. This is old lady business." Jolene stated, still up in Wendy's face. "I'm waiting."

Wendy crossed her arms over her chest. "You want the CliffsNotes version or do you want every little dirty detail?"

"I want to know what your skank ass is doing here in Charming." Jolene stated with her hands on her waist.

Wendy smirked. "Let's just say that what happened on this run was invited back home, sweetheart. Jax and I had a really good time in Reno. We barely managed to make it out of bed everyday. I guess he finally realized what he was missing out on by hooking up with a little girl instead of a real woman. Besides," She smiled smugly as she indicated the scar barely visible through the V-neck of Jolene's shirt. "It seems that scarred-up up pussy doesn't cut it as old lady material anymore."

Gemma was incredulous. "Jax, do something! She's humiliating your old lady, asshole!"

Before Jax could step in, Wendy made a move to touch Jolene's scar. "May I?" She asked mockingly. With barely a raised eyebrow, Jolene watched as Wendy reached for her and, before Wendy knew what was happening, Jolene grabbed her arm and painfully twisted it behind her back. As Jax, Opie, and Chibs jumped in to separate the two women, Wendy gasped and whimpered, her arm dangerously close to snapping.

"Let go, Jo." Jax said up against Jolene's ear as he tried to pry her off. Delicate and girly she may be, and even though he was unaware of her recent training sessions with Chibs, Jax could attest to the kind of damage Jolene was capable of, with or without a steel bat.

Jolene let go of Wendy's arm just long enough to push Jax off of her and was caught off guard as Wendy swung her elbow, barely catching her on the nose. Bringing her hands up to her face and seeing them covered in her own blood, Jolene lost it. Chibs saw it coming even before she raised a hand. The predatory gleam in her bright eyes was quickly followed by a one-two combination that caught Wendy right in the mouth, causing her to tumble off her platforms and onto her ass.

Jolene relished the shocked, wounded look on Wendy's face as, struggling to get back onto her feet, she spit up blood and a tooth. Seeing Chibs about to swoop in to stop her, Jolene went to throw one more punch at Wendy, but felt herself being pulled back as someone yanked her hair from behind. With Tig filming the whole thing from atop the picnic table, suddenly, Gemma, Jax, Opie, Chibs, and Bobby were caught up in the mini-melee of croweaters as they descended on Jolene, who continued throwing and connecting punches. Grabbing Jolene by the waist, Chibs pulled her off a screaming Gigi as Jolene held her by a fistful of red hair with one hand and repeatedly punched her in the face with the other.

"Holy shyte, luvvie!" He exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of Jolene's face, bloody and matted with raven hair stuck to her cheeks. She looked like a bloodthirsty Highland warrior. "Where the fuck did that come from?"

Jolene was struggling against Chibs' hold, kicking her legs and coming dangerously close to catching him in the nuts. "The student has surpassed the teacher." She said cheekily and slightly out of breath as she tried to push away the arm wrapped around her waist in a vise-like grip. "I'm fine, really. You can let me go."

"Oh my 'lil battle cat, you're gonna have to forgive me if I don't believe ya for a bleedin' moment." Chibs said as he practically carried Jolene inside the Clubhouse and away from the spectacle that had formed in the parking lot.

"Jesus Christ!" Piney exclaimed from his perch at the bar, as Bobby motioned to Juice for some hand towels. "What happened?"

Jax stormed into the Clubhouse, his hands flying to his head as he caught sight of Jolene's face. "Holy shit!" He reached for her, but she angrily swatted his hand away.

"Don't touch me." She ground out as Chibs finally set her down on her feet. Jax took a step back, the look of utter contempt in her beautiful eyes tearing a hole through his heart.

Taking a towel from Bobby, Chibs started to wipe the blood away so that he could assess the damage. "I'll tell ya wha' happened, Piney." He started angrily, looking directly at Jax. "One of Jackie Boy's Reno indiscretions thought it would be a good idea to come all the way to Charming and talk shyte."

Jolene was shaking her head, pleading with her eyes for him to stop talking. "I'm fine, Chibs." She went to grab the towel from him, but he pulled his hand back.

"Put your stubborn Morrow pride aside, luvvie and let me take care of you." He glared at Jax as he continued wiping her bloody nose. "Somebody has to."

"Is it broken?" Bobby asked, peering over Chibs' shoulder.

"No, those bitches fight like girls, all flailing arms and shit." Jolene insisted.

"There was more than one?" Piney was incredulous.

"It was an ambush, that's what it was." Chibs replied viciously as he continued wiping down her face.

"Chibs, really, I'm fine. The Reno Whore barely touched my nose with her elbow. It's the blood thinners I'm on. They make paper cuts bleed like stab wounds."

Bobby winced as he grabbed her bloody right hand and dabbed her knuckles with a towel. "Holy shit! Is that a tooth?"

"Ouch!" Jolene pulled her hand back as Bobby yanked the eyetooth imbedded in her skin. "It's not mine, that's for sure. The other one's somewhere on the pavement outside. Should make for sucking dick a lot easier now." She spit out, glaring at Jax.

Shaking his head sadly, Jax started, "I'm so sorry, darlin'."

"Don't call me that! And stop apologizing, for fuck's sake!" Jolene could barely bring herself to look at him. "Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this what you went to Reno for? To humiliate me in front of everybody enough to make me want to leave?"

"Kit, you need to calm down, sweetheart." Bobby soothed, his heart breaking for her and for Jax.

Jolene was shaking her head. "I only came down here 'cause Gemma wanted to go to a fuckin' designer sample sale. The vultures have been circling me for weeks now. I should have known better, but those bitches caught me off guard. I was unprepared."

"Luvvie, if this is you unprepared, I'd hate to see what you would have done to those tramps otherwise." Chibs tried to smile.

"Had I known what to expect, I probably would have killed the Reno Whore." Jolene replied and Jax knew she meant it. "It's still a possibility."

"Your dad's due back any minute, Kit. It's a bad idea letting him see you like this." Bobby advised.

"I'll take you home before Clay gets back." Jax offered.

"The hell you say! I'm not going anywhere, with or without you." Jolene declared. "I'm not running. Let 'em keep coming at me 'cause I'm sure she's probably not the only one you've fucked, Jax. I can handle my shit."

"She stop bleeding?" Jax asked impatiently.

"Yep. She's a fighter, this one." Chibs replied.

Jax grabbed her hand and pulled her into the Chapel, closing the door behind them.

Gemma, Opie, and Tig entered the Clubhouse just in time to hear Jolene ripping into Jax in the Chapel. Gemma stood in the center of the Main Room and glared at each and every man surrounding her.

"I recognize that look on your face, Gemma." Bobby started. "This wasn't our fault."

"No, of course not." Gemma replied sarcastically, her chest heaving and her hands on her hips. "It never is. All these whores hanging around the Clubhouse, all of them just waiting for their turn with a patch, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"That's not exactly true, Gem." Tig started. "That dumb bitch out there followed Jax back here from Reno."

Gemma's eyes were about to pop out of her head. "Even worse! Whatever happened to 'what happens on a run, stays on a run' or 'you don't shit where you eat', huh? You all saw what happened out there. Each and every one of those whores took a swing at Jolene, like she was one of them. That's what happens when a patch treats his old lady with no respect, all the cum-guzzling croweaters follow his lead. I hope she's ripping his dick off and shoving it down his goddamned throat!" She nearly screamed while jabbing her finger towards the Chapel.

"What would you have us do, Gemma?" Piney asked. "Croweaters have been a part of this Club since the beginning."

Gemma shook her head. "I'm not asking you to do anything, but I can guarantee you'll be saying good-bye to each and every whore that attacked Jolene out there today once her father finds out what happened."

"Most of them took off, including the road pussy." Opie advised. "But something tells me she's not gonna stay away."

"Oh, she will if she knows what's good for her," Gemma crossed her arms over her chest. "Because when our men let us down, we old ladies stick together."

Jolene had gone from yelling and screaming to punching and slapping, finally collapsing into Jax's arms, and all he could do was hold her while she wept. He was afraid to open his mouth because he knew the moment he did, it would be all over. She would push him away and he'd never get the chance to hold her again.

As she gripped the front of his cut with one hand, Jolene closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his fresh, clean scent from the recently washed flannel he wore mixed with leather. She loved Jackson Teller. She always had and, deep down, she knew she always would. But Jolene wasn't about to let history repeat itself. She wasn't her mother. She couldn't let her world revolve around a man that had taken her for granted in such a humiliating way, only to be cast aside when she least expected it. Jolene needed to think about her future and she had to accept that her future did not include the man she loved.

Jax barely let her go as she pushed herself away from him. He was looking at her with a pinched, hurt look on his face, his jaw clenched as he braced himself for what he knew was coming. He had lost her and no amount of begging or promises to never hurt her again were going to change that fact. Jax closed his eyes and shook his head when he saw her pull her engagement ring off her finger.

"Here," She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jax opened his eyes and instantly felt the tears that had been threatening to fall since last night run down his cheeks. "No." He shook his head, but Jolene grabbed his hand and slammed the ring into it.

"Take it. I don't need it." She said, her beautiful face set in stone as her eyes leaked tears effortlessly. "I'm taking the San Diego scholarship. You were right. It's the only way we'll be able to move on with our lives."

Jax looked down at the ring in his hand and felt his heart shatter in his chest. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but he knew there was nothing he could say to change her mind, so he said the only thing he could.

"I love you."

Jolene angrily wiped away her tears, leaving blood-stained streaks on her face from the blood still on her hands. Swallowing her pride for the last time, Jolene looked up at Jax and said, "I love you more" before stepping around him, walking out of the Chapel and out of his life.

Epilogue

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when Clay rode into the T-M lot with Tig trailing right behind him. His meeting with LaRoy in Oakland had gone pretty much as he had expected—shitty—and he was in a foul mood, with the chances of it improving slim to none. In the month since Jolene had left Charming, foul seemed to be the only mood Clay was ever in and it didn't surprise Tig one bit that his meeting with the Niners had gone down hill fast until it crashed and burned.

The MC's recent dance with the ATF still had McKeavey a little apprehensive about shipping directly into Oakland. Without consulting Clay, the Real IRA had once again diverted the Niners' current order to Vancouver, thereby tagging on an additional week to the expected delivery date. Clay had tried explaining to the Niners' leader that the situation was out of his control, but LaRoy considered such things as the ATF camped out in Charming a SAMCRO housekeeping issue that was none of his concern. He had placed the order with the expectation that he would get his merch by a specified date and he didn't give a shit what Clay had to do to make sure that happened. The Mayans had eased off the Sons since the shooting that had pulled the pin on the bomb that was Jolene leaving Charming, but were now causing trouble for the Niners' H business in Oak-Town. Clay had retorted that tension between the Niners and the Mayans sounded like a black and brown housekeeping issue that was none of his concern, but that as soon as his troubles with the ATF were resolved, he would gladly do business with the last color standing.

Needless to say, LaRoy did not take too kindly to Clay's laisser-faire attitude considering SAMCRO's long-standing agreement with the Niners not to do business with the wetbacks. The threat to make the Niners' presence known in Charming, although indirect, was real and Tig was starting to wonder if an all-out war wasn't what Clay had been hoping for. At the very least, it would take his mind off his daughter leaving.

Tig would normally bring such concerns directly to Clay, but Clay had cut him down at the knees, refusing to discuss his train of thought when dealing with the Niners. Tig's next choice would have been his VP, but there was no way in hell he was going any where near Jax unless it was absolutely necessary. The guy had been one miserable prick since his old lady had skipped town and Tig wasn't about to put himself in the line of fire between Clay and Jax. The shit had really hit the fan between father and stepson when, less than a week after the Reno Whore had made her presence known in her life, Jolene had packed up her Mustang and headed off to school in San Diego. Jax had been under the impression that Jolene had until the Spring to make her move and was further gutted when he discovered that Patrick Doyle had been able to fast track Jolene's entrance into the Master's Degree program. Jolene needed to be in San Diego and settled in time for student orientation the following week, with classes to start the day after Labor Day. She was gone practically before most of the croweaters that had attacked her were run out of town on a rail by her father. Although Tig lamented the dearth of good pussy at the Clubhouse, even he was glad to see those bitches gone. Ten of them whores stitched together ass to mouth would never amount to the class act that was Doll Face. Jax was a fucking idiot for letting her go.

As Clay backed into his usual spot in the long line of Harleys parked outside the Clubhouse, he watched Gemma shadowing Jax as he prepped his bike for the second of his planned bi-weekly "surveillance" runs to San Diego. Clay had been beyond pissed when Jax had taken off on his first road trip to San Diego without consulting him. He had been convinced that Jax's intentions had been purely selfish and that he was going to try to get Jolene to come back to Charming. Jax admitted as much when Clay had confronted him, but swore that he had changed his mind after spending nearly an entire day trailing her. He had come to the painful conclusion that San Diego was where Jolene belonged. She seemed happy and in her element at the University, more so, Jax hated to admit, than she ever did in Charming. Although he loved her and missed her terribly, his trips to San Diego were only to see for himself that she was safe and doing well without her SAMCRO family. Eventually, Jax promised Clay, as well as himself, that he'd stop going. Even though Clay went out of his way to make his displeasure known, deep down he was glad that Jax was still looking out for his little girl, especially since Jolene hadn't bothered to call anyone since settling down in SoCal.

"I should be back tomorrow night, early Wednesday at the latest." Jax was saying to his mother as Clay walked past them and into the Clubhouse without acknowledging Jax.

"You be careful out there, Jax." Gemma admonished as she smoothed down the front of Jax's cut, one eye on Clay's retreating back. She wondered how long these two could keep ignoring each other until somebody blew up. "I'd feel better if Opie were riding with you."

"I'll be fine, Ma." Jax assured her, even though he knew his recently acquired habit of waking up drunk and staying that way all day was starting to take a toll on him. Jax couldn't understand how Piney had managed to survive this long under the same regimen for the past 40 years. Jax was sober now and planned on staying that way during his trip to San Diego, but he couldn't make that promise once he set foot back inside Charming. The past 34 days had been hell on his liver and Jax was convinced that if the road didn't do him in, cirrhosis would, and, if he continued at this level, probably before his 27th birthday.

Gemma ran her hands over her son's hair, tucking it behind his ears before he threw on his helmet. Although she still had the desire itching in her fingers to box his ears, he was breaking her heart into smaller and smaller pieces with each day that went by. Aside from today, the only time Gemma had seen him cognizant and truly functioning this past month had been right before his first trip to check up on his old lady. She could see it in his eyes, the hollow emptiness of a man that had lost much. She had seen it before in his own father's eyes right after Thomas had died, chased away only by the peace he had found in his own death.

Before she could stop herself, Gemma clasped her hands together. "I need you to come back to me, Jackson. I need you back safe and whole. I couldn't take losing another one of my boys."

Jax looked his mother straight in the eyes, his jaw clenched tight, before nodding.

"Promise?"

"Promise." He almost managed a smile before his mother pulled him into her arms. Closing his eyes for a moment, Jax hugged her back. "I'll be fine, Mom, I promise." He nearly whispered as he pulled away and Gemma smiled, slightly comforted by the sincerity she saw in his bloodshot baby blue eyes.

Bobby was watching silently from the Clubhouse door as Jax climbed onto his bike and ripped out of the parking lot. Bobby slowly approached Gemma and, with a sad smile, she wrapped one arm over his shoulder as they watched the early Fall sky darken into hues of gold and blue.

"Those two kids don't belong in this world if not together, Gemma." He said, shaking his head sadly.

Gemma swallowed hard as she nodded. "I know."

"It's not gonna end well." Bobby said, prophetically.

"I know that, too."

College Area was an aptly named neighborhood in the mid-city region of San Diego dominated by San Diego State University. Far from a sleepy college town, College Area was a bustling Mecca, a mix of the old and the new with its Spanish Colonial Revival homes and trendy stores and restaurants. The weather was usually mild in this part of Southern California, but even for early October, it was unseasonably cool. Without his cut, Jax was dressed in a plain dark navy V-neck tee layered over a white long-sleeved shirt and dark wash jeans.

It was 7:30 on a Tuesday morning and College Area was already bustling with life. Pretty soon, he'd have to move the cargo van he'd rented from The Home Depot in order to make way for the street sweepers that were poised to make their way up the block. Not wanting to call attention to himself by being the only vehicle parked on the street about to be cleaned, Jax put the van in drive and quickly parked it on a side street.

As he was about to turn the corner on Jolene's block, Jax saw her standing outside her building. She was dressed casually in low-rise, slim-fit khaki green cargo pants, black leather strap Converse boots, and a fitted tank underneath a short cropped burgundy leather jacket. With a heavy-looking messenger bag slung across her body, she adjusted her ear buds and dropped her iPod into the inside pocket of her jacket. Turning in the opposite direction, her loose, thick hair billowing behind her, she started walking down the block. Waiting until she was about to cross the street, Jax turned the corner and fell into step behind her.

He was currently working with no plan whatsoever. His initial intention when he decided to come to San Diego was to just make sure she was doing okay without making contact. Now, as he discreetly watched her in motion, hips swaying, the no-making-contact rule made absolutely no sense. Shit! He felt like a fucking stalker. He laughed bitterly to himself as he realized, hey, asshole, you are stalking her.

The vibrating in her pocket caused Jolene to stop abruptly. Jax, now realizing he had been following too close, stopped as well, but had no place to duck into. If she turned around, he was fucked. Jolene yanked an ear bud out as she brought her cell phone up to her ear and continued walking.

"Hey, I'm on my way. . . I know I'm late. I had a rough morning . . . Nah, it must have been something I ate. I'm okay, but it's my turn to get the coffee, so I'm gonna be even later . . . I know, but I have to stop at the ATM first . . . No, you paid the last time . . . You're there now? You are such an ass. Why didn't you call me and tell me you were gonna wait for me at Starbuck's? . . . I'm like ten minutes away . . . Okay, I won't stop at the ATM. There's no sense in both of us getting into trouble . . . She is not afraid of me . . . I most definitely could kick her ass, but I wouldn't . . . Don't call me that . . . I don't give a shit about the tattoo, don't call me a biker chick . . . Because I don't like it . . . Keep it up and I'm gonna have to kick your ass instead . . . Yeah, that's what I thought. Apology accepted. Just drop it, okay, and forget I ever told you . . . Yeah, yeah, I love you too, asshole . . . Oh my God, you are such a fuckin' nag! I can't take my car . . . Because it's either gas money or coffee for the faculty meeting and if I walk in there without coffee, I'm gonna walk out in handcuffs, I just know it . . . Because she's a bitter old woman who probably hasn't gotten laid since the year of the flood . . . Well, the sooner you stop nagging, the sooner I will get there . . . Okay, see you soon." Jolene ended the call and stuffed the phone back into her pocket. "Jesus Christ!" She muttered as she popped her ear bud back in.

Jax's heart had immediately started bouncing around his chest at the sound of her voice. God, he missed her. This was the closest he had allowed himself to get since she left the Clubhouse after returning her ring. By the time he could bring himself to go home that day, Jolene had packed a bag and had gone to stay with Opie and Donna. He had expected that. What he hadn't been prepared for was when, three days later, she showed up at the Clubhouse to say good-bye. Everyone had been taken by surprise and no one could think of anything to say to make her change her mind. Jax, on the other hand, had a million things to say, but she never approached him. It was a good thing, too because by then he had already started his steady diet of Jack Daniels and wasn't quite sober and just a tad bit on the belligerent side. It could have gotten real ugly, real fast.

Uncivilized he may be, but Jax couldn't see himself waiting in a line that was almost out the door for the privilege of drinking an overpriced cup of coffee. He was starting to think that Jolene had slipped out the back door when, from across the street, he saw her exit the Starbuck's. And she wasn't alone.

Jax watched through narrowed eyes as Jolene looped her arm through her male companion's as each balanced a carrier of hot coffee. Although not much taller than Jolene, probably about 5'8" or 5'9", her friend appeared to be close to her in age and handsome, with a swimmer's physique. His hair, almost identical in color to Jolene's, was closely cropped with enough length for it to be fashionably spiky and he had a soul patch decorating his chin directly underneath his lower lip. He was wearing a pair of black skinny slacks, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his muscled arms, and a fitted vest. The way he leaned towards Jolene and spoke directly into her ear, eliciting a peal of laughter out of her, guaranteed that whoever he was, Jax didn't like him already. A little over a month and his pussycat had already found herself a new ball of string to play with. The thought infuriated Jax, because whether she cared to admit it or not, she would always belong to him.

Crossing the street, Jax fought the urge to follow too close, but he'd be damned if he wasn't dying to hear what they were talking about. And if he could hear, Jax would be very surprised to discover that he was the topic of conversation.

"Don't look now, but I think you have a blond hottie following you." Danny warned, with a cheeky grin.

"I know. He's been following me since I left my place." Jolene replied, having seen Jax out of the corner of her eye as he stopped abruptly when he had spotted her standing outside her building. In her short time away from Charming, Jolene was still operating with an MC mentality and couldn't shake the instinct to be completely aware of her surroundings at all times. That, coupled with the fact she had Gemma's gift for seeing what was there, what wasn't there, and what was pretending not to be there, Jax didn't stand a chance.

"Are you shitting me?" Danny made a move to turn around, but Jolene stopped him, which did not go unnoticed by Jax.

Shit, Jax cursed to himself. She knows.

In spite of the promises he had made to himself, and to Clay, Jax had to admit that he had been particularly sloppy in tailing her and maybe that was because he wanted her to know he was there. Realizing just how really stupid that was, Jax backtracked and stepped to the side of a newspaper stand.

"Maybe we should call the cops." Danny suggested, already reaching for his cell phone.

"No," Jolene stopped walking and grabbed the phone out of his hand. "I know who it is and he's a long way from home. Maybe something happened."

Danny's eyes widened. "Don't tell me that's the ghost that's been haunting you since you moved here."

"Yeah, that's my—" Jolene caught herself before she said old man. "That's Jax." She and Danny turned around, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Oh well, you fucked up now. He's gone." Danny said, one hand on his waist. "That gorgeous piece of man meat comes all the way from Happyland—"

"Charming." Jolene corrected.

"Whatever. He comes all the way down here from Charming and you don't even stop and talk to him? And now he's gone? There is something wrong with you, honey." Danny admonished her.

Feeling like an idiot for hiding after being made, Jax stepped out from behind the newsstand, causing Jolene to almost drop the coffee carrier she was holding.

"Go." Danny insisted, grabbing the tray with his free hand.

"I can't," Jolene said, unable to force herself to look away from Jax. "We'll be late."

"What's this 'we' business? I'm going to work. You'll be late and, if you're lucky, you'll get laid." Danny nudged her along. "For once, you'll deserve one of Charlotte's verbal reprimands, but oh my glory, something tells me it'll be so worth it. Now, go."

"You're such a snarky bitch, you know that?" Jolene hissed over her shoulder at Danny as she headed towards Jax.

"Better than being a stupid bitch that let's that one slip away!" Danny laughed as he headed in the opposite direction towards the school, precariously balancing two trays of hot coffee.

"Why are you here, Jax?" Jolene stopped a good five feet from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Something wrong at home?"

Jax was drinking her in, a slight smile curling his lips as he shook his head. "You mean aside from the fact that no one's heard from you in over a month? No, nothing's wrong at home." He replied.

"Good." Jolene gave Jax a tight smile. "I've been busy, but as you can see, I'm still breathing. Since you obviously know where I live, you can tell everyone back home that I'm not living on the streets and that I have a job, which I'm running late for, by the way. I'm working as a teacher's aide while going to school and that's all there is. That's me in a nutshell. Anything else?"

"How about this?" He asked, his hand on his chest. Is he serious? Jolene almost yelled, thinking he meant her broken heart, but thankfully, she quickly realized, he meant her wound.

"Completely healed." Jolene replied. That would have been her response too if he had meant her broken heart instead, even though that was a lie. That wound would never heal.

There was just no possible way for him to ask his next question without sounding like a complete asshole, so fuck it. "Who's your friend?" Jax asked, doing a piss poor job of masquerading his jealousy as he indicated Danny's retreating figure. The same "friend" she had said "I love you" to over the phone earlier.

Thus far, Jolene had managed to contain her shit, even after she realized that he was following her. She could bring herself to overlook the stalking because God only knew how much she had wanted to see him, needed to see him, again, but now he was pushing it.

"That's none of your business." Jolene replied, her eyes challenging him to say otherwise.

Jax laughed to himself. He was always up for a challenge. "You still wearing my crow?"

Jolene barely stopped herself from bringing her hands protectively over her navel. "No." She lied, cursing herself for the slight hesitation she was sure Jax noticed.

"That's what I thought." Jax gave her a cocky grin.

"No. No, and stop looking at me like that!" Jolene demanded, coming real close to stomping her foot. "And so what if I am? Do you realize how expensive it is to get rid of something that big on a teacher's salary? It's meaningless anyway, especially when the man I'm wearing it for was fucking some whore he met on a run!"

Jax shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slightly. "Still, my crow, my pussy."

Shocked, Jolene's eyes widened to twice their normal size. Fuming and completely losing a grip over herself, Jolene threw Danny's phone, which she forgot she was still holding, at Jax. The phone, barely missing his head, whizzed by him and hit the ground in the middle of the street. Shattering into what Jolene estimated were approximately 2,000 tiny pieces, the poor thing suffered the final indignity of being run over by a trolley. So much for containing her shit.

"Crap! See what you made me do?" Jolene accused, her hand on her hip.

Jax was shaking his head. "I didn't make you do shit. All I did was ask a few simple questions."

"Just go away, please." Jolene begged, exasperated, as she walked by Jax to retrieve what was left of her friend's phone.

Like a predator waiting for its prey to let its guard down, Jax grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Momentarily stunned after slamming into his rock hard torso, Jolene didn't even think to put up a fight. Wrapping her own arm behind her back, their bodies flush against each other, Jax grabbed her face and kissed her. Instantly melting into him, Jolene heard herself release a breathy moan as she ran her free hand over his bearded cheek and into his hair, kissing him back.

"Call in sick." Jax demanded against her mouth, before nipping at her bottom lip. Hating herself for giving in so easy, Jolene nodded. Kissing her one last time, Jax took her by the hand and started walking in the direction of her apartment.

Coming to her senses, Jolene stopped on the corner after crossing the street. "No, dammit, wait." She said. Pulling her hand out of Jax's, Jolene backed away out of his reach. "How dare you? I don't know what's going on with you in Charming, but you are out of your damned mind if you think I'm going from old lady to sweetbutt."

Jax ran his hand through his hair. How could he possibly respond to that? Although that hadn't been his intention while riding to San Diego, the thought had certainly crossed his mind as he had tracked her from her apartment. He wanted her. He wanted her naked and writhing beneath him as he pounded into her. Jax wanted to make love to her so bad he could almost taste her already, and judging from the way she kissed him back, she wanted it, too. Knowing Jolene, it would probably be the angriest, roughest sex they'd ever had, bordering on the painful. He realized how selfish he was being, but Jax knew that if it were up to him, there was no way he was going back to Charming without that happening.

"You'll never be a sweetbutt, Jo. Not mine or anyone else's," Jax started, his conscience not letting him give in to his baser instincts. "But you're not my old lady either. Absolutely nothing can change as a result of us getting together today because this is where you belong, Jolene. Going to school, working, and as far away from me as possible. In spite of how much I want to be with you right now, I can't bring myself to ask you to give into this without putting a label on it because I know that's not what you want."

"How would you know what I want?" Jolene asked bitterly, on the verge of tears. That wasn't what she had wanted to hear. She had been so close to giving in to what they both wanted, but she needed to hear that he still wanted her in his life. "Why would you do this to me, Jax? Why would you come all the way here just to drive home the point that I mean nothing to you?"

"You mean everything to me." Jax stated emphatically.

Jolene shook her head. "No, I don't. All I'm getting from this little scenario right now is that I'm probably pretty awesome in the sack. Or, at the very least, good enough for you to go road tripping hundreds of miles for some pussy, but just not good enough to be your old lady."

"That's not true, darlin'," Jax started, but stopped when he saw her wince at his term of endearment for her.

"Just go, Jax. Go back to Charming and your MC life. Just pretend that I bled out the day I got shot."

"Jolene, don't."

"Why not, Jax? We both know that what we had died that day. You pushed me away and then sealed the deal by humiliation in the form of a stripper from Reno. Call it stubborn Morrow pride, call it whatever you want, but how can I come back from that? Don't make it worse by treating me like road pussy."

Jax closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. She was right. He was embarrassed and ashamed. He was a dick and the only woman he would ever love had just called him out on it. Jax opened his eyes, prepared to apologize. He was prepared to renege on his agreement with Clay and tell her that what he wanted from her was more than just to hit it and quit it. He wanted her back in his life, but Jolene had already turned around and was walking away from him. Again.

Juice pulled into the lot a day earlier than anyone was expecting him. Because of a long run to Indian Hills and Reno, Jax was unable to make his next bi-weekly surveillance run to San Diego and had asked Juice to go for him instead. Jax wanted Juice to take some pictures of Jolene just so that he could see for himself that she was doing alright. Although always happy to do his former sponsor a favor, Juice had been a little tight when he discovered that Jax had been using information he had been able to gather regarding Jolene to spy on her. Like most of his brothers, especially Bobby, Opie, and Chibs, Juice felt it was fucked up the way Jax had dealt with Jolene during the aftermath of her shooting. Sure, she was Jax's old lady going on four years and he had no say in the matter, but Jolene had been one of the few friends Juice had during his time as a Prospect. Aside from using him as a punching bag, which most of the time he deserved anyway because he loved fucking around with her, Jolene had always been genuine and sweet. It wasn't his place to call out a brother for how he treated his old lady, but Juice promised himself that if the situation ever presented itself, he wouldn't hesitate to take it.

Juice had avoided taking Jax's call earlier in the day because he knew Jax would want an update on Jolene, but what he had to report was best done face-to-face. Juice had hoped that getting back a day early would give him the chance to talk to Bobby first, but seeing Jax's bike parked outside the Clubhouse, Juice realized he wasn't the only one that had cut his trip short. Knowing how the messenger always got screwed in situations like this, Juice took his time making his way to the Clubhouse.

Gemma, having heard the roar of Juice's bike, poked her head out of the office. Seeing Juice drag his ass towards the Clubhouse a day early, Gemma bolted out the door and practically ran to catch up with him.

"Hey," Gemma greeted as she stopped him outside the Clubhouse door, the pinched look on his face making her stomach clench. "What? Is everything okay? Is Jolene okay?"

Juice looked at Gemma for a long time, debating whether he should tell her first considering that Jax was already back in town. Realizing that he was duty-bound to report directly to the man himself, Juice said, "With all due respect, Gem," Juice said. "This is something I have to tell my brother first."

Aw shit, she didn't like the sound of the near squeak in his voice or the look in his eyes, even though hearing Juice speak to her with the authority of a patch member addressing an old lady was a bit of a shock as well. She nodded and Juice continued making his way inside, with Gemma following closely behind.

It was a late Saturday afternoon as Juice walked into a lively Clubhouse. With a new crop of camp-following croweaters making their way to Charming, a party always seemed on the verge of breaking out. Aside from the new pussy, the Clubhouse was crowded with several Club members and hang-arounds. With classic rock blaring in the background, Clay was playing pool with Chibs as Jax warmed his usual spot at the bar next to Piney. Juice shook his head slightly. That stool was quickly becoming Jax's home away from home, usually occupying it until he could barely sit up anymore and some croweater or other had to haul his ass back to his dorm. Although you had to feel sorry for the guy, after all, he really had loved his old lady, Juice could barely muster enough sympathy to fill Jax's shot glass. He had brought this all on himself.

Clay had put his pool cue down the moment Juice entered the Clubhouse and watched as he went behind the bar and grabbed a beer. Jax, in the middle of a conversation with Piney that only the two drunks engaging in could understand, did a double-take and looked at Juice with narrowed, bloodshot eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Jax asked, his brow knitted together.

Juice swallowed half his beer in one gulp. "Can we talk in the Chapel?" Without waiting for an answer, Juice headed in that direction, with Clay and Gemma falling into step behind him. Jax swallowed the remnants of his shot glass. He didn't like the look on Juice's face.

Standing behind his chair, Juice felt like he was standing in front of a firing squad with Gemma, Clay, and Jax bearing down on him from the opposite side of the table. Shit, the Teller-Morrows sure make for an intimidating trio, Juice thought to himself.

"Jolene's gone."

At first, Jax thought he had heard Juice wrong, but before he could respond, Clay jumped in.

"What the hell do you mean, she's gone?" Clay bellowed.

Jax was breathing hard. "Bro, you know where she lives and where she goes to school. Fuck, you even know where she works. How could you possibly not be able to track her?"

Bypassing Jax, Juice looked into the steely eyes of his Club President and replied, "I wasn't tracking her. I went to San Diego with the intention of talking some sense into Jolene. I wasn't going to hide in the shadows like some creepy stalker. I assumed she was there because I saw her Mustang parked in the lot adjacent to her apartment building. I went straight to her place, but she wasn't there. I spoke to the Super and he told me she had moved out a couple of weeks ago. He said that I should speak to Mrs. Johnson, Jolene's neighbor from across the hall. She's also the building's go-to for gossip, a real busybody."

As he listened to Juice speak, Jax felt the void in his chest grow until it was nearly suffocating him. "What did she have to say?"

Juice finally looked Jax in the eyes, which had turned slate grey. "She invited me in, said she was expecting me." Actually, Mrs. Johnson had said she was expecting a "a blond biker boy" to show up, but Juice didn't see the need to pass that nugget along. "She gave me these." Juice reached into his cut and pulled out the keys to Jolene's Mustang. "Jolene told her that somebody would come looking for her and that when they did, to give them her keys as they would know what to do with the car. She said she didn't need it where she was going."

"And where the hell is that?" Jax demanded.

"I don't know, bro. She didn't leave a forwarding address and the old lady didn't have a clue, or if she did, she wasn't talking, which I find highly unlikely. So I went over to the Uni and, using Jolene's class schedule, tracked down one of her classmates, Danny." Juice thought of Jolene's friend, who to his consternation, seemed to be quite enamored with the "hot biker boys from Happyland" and gave up the final bit of Intel he had received. "According to Danny, Jolene quit her job as a teacher's aide and dropped out of the program a couple of weeks back. She left no forwarding address, but there is a bright side."

"Really? And what might that be?" Jax asked angrily, already preparing himself for Clay's fury. This was all his fault. Had he not made contact, all because he let his dick override his common sense—again—Jolene would still be where she needed to be.

"From what I was told, it doesn't look like Jolene's a missing person. She deliberately cut ties with the people she's met and moved on. We can file a missing person's report with the police in San Diego, but once they do an initial investigation, I'm sure they're gonna come to the same conclusion I did—she just decided to move on." Juice explained.

During Juice's debriefing, Gemma had been so shocked, she was silent. Finally finding her voice, Gemma needed her men to get proactive and find her stepdaughter. "So what's the plan for finding her? After all, we are going to find her, right?" She demanded, looking from Clay to Jax and back again. "Clay, it's one thing to let her leave Charming for school. It's something else entirely for her to disappear off the grid like this. Without family, now she has no one."

Clay remorsefully ran his hands over his face. This is all my fault, he thought bitterly. I should have left well enough alone. Clay, in his efforts to protect his daughter, had created a situation that was so far from his original plan that he still couldn't grasp just how badly things had turned out. Now his baby girl was out there, fending for herself, and he had no clue as to her whereabouts.

Looking over at Jax, who had turned a sickly green and was sweating pure alcohol, Clay let himself see for the first time the toll losing Jolene had taken on the young man. Realizing, perhaps too late, that he needed to end his battle with Jax over Jolene, Clay reached out and put a meaty hand on his shoulder.

"Son, do whatever it takes to find my baby girl and, when you do, please, bring her home."

Five Months Later

It took Jolene a minute, maybe two, before she was able to flip herself over onto her right side. She had woken up before dawn this morning with a massive headache and even now, hours after Ronnie had contacted her doctor for the okay to give her a pain reliever, Jolene's head was still pounding. Something was wrong, Jolene could feel it. Her feet were swollen and now her hands were too, she realized, as she tried to make a fist and couldn't close her hand. It was almost noon and Ronnie was probably still sleeping before her shift at the tattoo parlor, followed by her bartending gig until four a.m.

Jolene grabbed her throbbing head as the thundering roar of an engine shattered the silence of her darkened bedroom. Her eyes flew open as she realized that, no matter how much time had passed, she would always be able to tell the sound of Jax's bike. Jolene managed to pull herself up and out of bed and, by the time she made it to the window, her heart dropped to her knees as she saw the blond biker swagger his way up the walk leading to the front door.

Hastily grabbing her robe draped over the rocking chair next to the window, Jolene struggled to put it on as she headed out of her bedroom, towards the sound of the ringing bell.

Gingerly making her way down the hallway, Jolene saw Ronnie coming out of her bedroom, a victim of really bad bed head. Dressed in a tank and a pair of ratty shorts, and still half-asleep, Ronnie grimaced as she headed towards the persistent ringing of the doorbell that was now joined by a chorus of heavy knocking.

"I don't know who the hell is laying on my door, but I'm about to put my size nine's straight up their ass!" Ronnie growled.

"Ronnie, wait!" Jolene cried in a hushed tone. "It's Jax."

Ronnie's head snapped back around to face her friend. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

Jolene braced herself against the couch as she made her way to the wall separating the living room from the foyer. "I saw him through the window." She replied.

"Well, fuck me!" Ronnie ran her hands through her short, blonde spiky hair. "Stay here. I'll get rid of him."

Jolene nodded briefly. As Ronnie turned the corner into foyer of the small house, Jolene winced as another shot of pain pierced her skull.

Ronnie Armstrong strode across the small foyer to her front door. Picking up the steel bat that she kept in the umbrella stand for emergencies, Ronnie made sure that the chain on the door was secured before cracking it open.

Peering out into the bright late-morning sunlight, Ronnie got a full load of Jackson Teller.

Damn, God put in a little extra effort when making this one, didn't He? Ronnie thought ruefully.

The sexy blond, but menacing biker was standing on her stoop and, in the distance, Ronnie could see the tell-tale bike parked at the foot of her stingy driveway.

Ronnie decided to take the bull by the horns. Removing the chain from the door, Ronnie opened it and leaned against the doorframe. Looking at Jax in the eye, Ronnie smiled sardonically. "Well, if it isn't SAMCRO's favorite Son, Jax Teller." She crossed her arms under her chest. "You know, while I don't mind the occasional visitor, I don't particularly care for people waking me up out of a dead sleep at the ass-end of morning."

Jax cocked his head at Ronnie and flashed his patented Teller smile, which normally worked on all forms of the female persuasion from ages 6 to 60. Ronnie, on the other hand, was unmoved.

Over the past six months, Jax, with help from Juice and with Clay's full support, had tried every avenue possible to track down his old lady with very little success. The trail had not only gone cold, it had iced over. If it hadn't been for Happy reminding him about Jolene's old girlfriend, the one who had finished her crow tat and lived in Seattle, Jax wouldn't have this slim lead, which he hoped would help him finally track down the love of his life. So, as much as Jax prided himself on being a gentleman where women were concerned, there was no way in hell he was going to allow Ronnie's grumpiness at having her sleep interrupted detour him from finding one Jolene Morrow.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up at the crack of Noon," Jax proved he could be just as grumpy. "But it took me some time to track you down. I was hoping that you might be able to help me."

Jolene pressed a balled up fist to her mouth. For the first time in over six months, Jolene was hearing her old man's voice. With just the wall separating her from Jax, it was taking everything she had to keep herself from running to the door and throwing it open. Jolene, with her arms wrapped around herself, bent closer towards the doorway, straining to hear the conversation.

"Let me guess—you're looking for Jolene." Seeing Jax's raised eyebrow and the hope that was in his eyes, Ronnie nodded. "Yes, I'm know that Jolene's gone MIA. But—"

"But?" Jax's shoulders had already slumped.

"But I don't know where she is." Ronnie lied. Looking at the biker, Ronnie felt a stab of pity. It was written all over Jax Teller's face that she had just delivered a stunning blow to the outlaw, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her loyalty was to Jolene and she had to support her, regardless of how irresponsible Ronnie felt Jolene was being by cutting herself off from her ex and her family.

"When was the last time you had any contact with her?" Jax's voice was barely above a whisper, but Jolene heard him, including the hurt in his voice. Wincing as she felt another shooting pain, Jolene strained to hear Ronnie's answer.

"It was about four or five months ago." Ronnie replied. "She told me about how you had shown up in San Diego and how badly things had ended between the two of you. While she didn't tell me in so many words, I kinda gathered that you showing up like that was just too much for her. She decided to bail, start off fresh someplace new. I haven't heard from her since."

Jax rubbed his face with his gloved hand. Although he heard everything that Ronnie had said, he just couldn't bring himself to process it. She's gone and there's nothing I can do about it.

Jax finally pulled himself together. "Can you do me a favor?"

Ronnie sighed. "I will, if I can."

Pulling out a little notebook, Jax wrote down his pre-pay number. "If you hear from Jo, would you please give me a call?"

Ronnie held out her hand for the slip of paper. "I can't promise anything, but if I hear from her, I'll try to convince her to contact you."

"Good enough. Thanks for your help, Ronnie" Jax abruptly turned away and headed towards his bike as Ronnie closed the door.

As the sound of Jax's bike thundered in the distance, Jolene allowed the tears she had been holding back to run down her face. He was gone and she felt like her world was coming to an end all over again. Suddenly, a ripping pain shot across her back to her stomach and Jolene screamed out in agony as her legs gave out and she sunk to the floor.

Running into the living room in a near panic, Ronnie saw Jolene laying on her side, her hands on her extended belly, in a pool of watery blood.

Jolene was breathing rapidly. "My water broke."

Grabbing the phone from its cradle, Ronnie's hands shook violently as she dialed 9-1-1. That's more than just water, Ronnie thought. As soon as the operator came on, Ronnie practically screamed into the phone. "Please, please we need help! I need an ambulance at 295 Crescent Lane." Ronnie tried to calm herself down as she spoke into the phone in a hush tone so that Jolene wouldn't hear her. "My friend's in labor and I think she's bleeding out"

~To Be Continued~

A/N: Okay, hold on, please. Before everyone starts hating on me, please know that the events leading to the conclusion of this story will set in motion events for the sequel. It gets better, I promise. I have tried my best to pay homage to Kurt Sutter's vision, but at the same time tried put my own spin on the SOA universe. In spite of the angst, I hope that you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

I am grateful for all of you who have taken the time to review because feedback is my only compensation and I want to thank everyone who has added me or my stories to their alerts. I have been astounded by the number of readers who have joined Jaxene (as I now affectionately refer to Jax and Jolene, thanks to msgemgem) on the first story of their wild and crazy ride together. I am truly amazed and flattered to have readers from all over the world following my story, so thank you all so much for your support. Your reviews and PMs are what inspire me to keep going.

P.S. If you think you know where this story is headed, I may just surprise you, so please do sign up for the sequel launching on Tuesday, December 27!