The Return

I Know Part 2

As soon as Rachel closes the front door behind her she fell against it crumbling to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She was hurt, hurt that her once best friend has been lying to her, hurt because the man she loves with all of her heart has betrayed her, but most of all she was annoyed with herself.

She was annoyed because she had seen this coming. She saw how they stared at one another when they thought no one was looking, saw the way that he smiled at her, a soft heart warming smile a smile he'd never shown her. She'd also seen the way Elena reacted when he would get close to her or when he touched her, she saw the blushes, the deep breaths she took as if to calm herself.

And that's why she was annoyed with herself, she had seen all the warning signs but instead of facing up to the problem she buried it. She was ready lose him, she still isn't ready.

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As Clay walks into Jax's room his eyes fall onto the broken state that was his stepson, his VP. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head hung low as he tries to stop the bleeding with a white towel that was quickly turning red. His other hand was resting on his ribs. Hearing his door creak open Jax raises his head, only to see Clay staring back at him with an unreadable expression.

"Did you get hold of Elena?"

"No." Clay shakes he head as he walks further into the room. "Jake said she had gone home, so my guess is she's with Hap. So I think it's best that we leave the two of them to sort it out."

"Yeah."

"We need to talk about this..."

"Clay I don't need to hear that me and Elena are wrong..." Clay raises his hand cutting him off.

"Hey I wasn't going to say that. I actually don't think the idea of you and Elena is a bad one, she knows the club, know the life she's old lady material. But..."

"But."

"But you should have talked Hap, told him straight. Sneaking behind his back with sister not a smart move."

"It just happened."

"Doesn't it always."

Their conversation was cut short when Gemma walks into the room carrying a first aid box.

"Chirst sake." She's shocked at the state of her son and quickly moves to his side.

"I'll leave you two alone." Clay knew Gemma was going to kick off, and he already had enough shit to deal with, he didn't need hers as well.

"Chirst he's really done a number on you. I knew this would happen."

She takes out another piece of cloth and starts cleaning the cuts on his face, but stops when Jax pushes her hand away, and gets up from the bed putting some distance between them.

"I don't need the 'I told you so' speech right now."

"Tough." Gemma was now on her feet. "I tried to warn you both that this would happen but you just wouldn't listen. Once again you let your dick rule rather than your head."

"I get it Mom you hate Elena and that's why you don't want us to get together, but you can't keep trying to control me."

"Look at you Jax, look at the state your in, that's what I was trying to prevent, trying to protect you from, trying to protect Elena from. I didn't try and push her away from you because I hate her it was the opposite. I love that girl"

She shouts back in the same harsh tone Jax had used with her. But as she sees the confusion take over his face, Gemma felt sorry for him, he really didn't understand. She takes a seat back on the bed resting her head in her hands. She only looks up when she feels the mattress dip next to her. She looks at her beaten son.

"Mom. You don't need to protect me."

"Your my son I love you, my job is to protect you, do understand that."

"Yeah."

"Well for Happy his job is to protect Elena. Everything he does is for her, his life is Elena, and it's the same for her. And especially after everything she has been through with her attack, she needs him."

"I know."

"No you don't. You think when she finds out about what Happy has done to you still will stand for it. She loves you always has since she was a kid, she finds out he's hurt you and she'll pick you. I wasn't trying prevent you and Elena just because I knew Happy would flip, I tried to stop it because it would tear the two of them apart and they need each other."

"So what are you saying?" Jax was confused by his Mom's reasoning.

"You and Rachel, that's what's right."

"But I..."

"You love Elena." Jax nods his head "Then do the right thing, let her go."

"I Can't."

The two of them fall into silence, Gemma was unable to answer him because she knew that her son was stubborn and no matter what she said or how she tried to reason with him, he was never going to understand. He was going to do what he wanted no matter the consequences.

As if on cue, their attention was drawn towards the door as they hear a light knocking on the door. They see Elena standing in the doorway her eyes red and puffy, it was obvious to anyone she had been crying. Gemma stands to her feet and looks back at Jax, giving him an 'I told you so' look. As she walks towards the door she doesn't say anything to Elena instead she hadns her the cloth she had been using to clean up Jax's cuts. Elena sheepishly accepts the cloth, and was thankful that she wasn't getting a Gemma style kick down.

As Elena focuses her full attention back towards Jax, she felt her breath catch in her throat as she takes in the full extent of Happys work, and she was shocked. His eye was swollen and he had cuts scattered all over his face and she could see the bruising starting to form. She chokes back her tears as she throws her bag to the ground and rushes over to him, dropping to her knees and gently cupping his battered face in her hands.

"Oh my god, look at you I'm so sorry." Fresh tears escape down her face.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He reassures her as he runs his hand over her hair, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

She starts crying harder and Jax knew that her tears weren't just for him. Ignoring the searing pain in his ribs her places one hand around her waist and pulls her so she was now resting across his lap. She automatically wraps her arms around his neck burying her head into crook of his neck. He held her tight as her body shuddered underneath him, he thinks about what his Mom had just told him, about her reason for trying to stop them. Hearing hers sobs, he thought maybe his Mom was right.

Finally gaining a little bit of self control, Elena finally calms herself and stops crying. She lifts her head, and is met by the worrying look in his eyes.

"You okay?" He asks wiping away some remaining tears. Elena shakes her head.

"Me and Hap got into this huge fight." Her eyes leave him and fall onto her duffle bag. Jax eyes follow hers.

"I grabbed my stuff and walked out, I couldn't stay." As her eyes remain on her bag Jax looks back at her and could tell that she was fighting back more tears.

"It's okay, once you both cool down you will sort this out." She shakes her head as she gets to her feet and starts pacing the room.

"I said some horrible things, he said some horrible things. I don't know if..."

"Hey you and Hap will sort it out." He grabs hold of her hand in his and turns her back to face him. "But right now me and you that's all that matters."

"As much as I'd love to believe that, we both know that isn't true. I mean we still have to tell Rachel."

"Hap didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Rachel was here, he blurted out about me and you in front of her."

"Oh my god." Elena pulls away from his touch, her hand covering her mouth. "This is all my fault."

"Hey come on" Jax pulls her back towards him, Elena doesn't fight him.

"This isn't all on you. We can deal with this as long as were together." He pulls her back and places a gentle kiss onto her lips. But when she pulls away, he couldn't help but be taken back.

"And we are in this together right. Me and you it's real, it's not just..."

"Just what Elena?"

"Your serious about us?"

"Has someone said something to you?" Jax was growing more annoyed by her questioning.

"Hap said...he said...you know what it's nothing." She kisses him but this time it was his turn to pull away.

"What did he say?" He demands, Elena could tell he was getting angry and she regretted opening her mouth.

"He said...It's nothing he probably just said it out of spite...I'm not even..."

"ELENA." Jax snaps, he was starting to lose his cool.

"He said that I wasn't the first girl that you had cheated on Rachel with. But he was just lying." Jax drops his gaze from hers. Elena notices this.

"He was lying right?" When Jax continues to look at the floor instead of her she knew that Happy hadn't been lying.

"Oh my god how could I have been so stupid." She pushes past him and walks over to her bag.

"It's not what you think."

"What you're telling me Happy was lying and you never cheated on Rachel, right here in Charming."

"No, I did but..."

"But nothing Jax. I should have known, this is what you do always have ever since Tara left. You treat every woman like a sweetbutt. I don't know why I thought I'd be any different." She storms towards the door but Jax grabs her arm.

"DON'T...don't touch me." Jax drops his hold of her.

"I thought you would be different...I never thought you'd hurt me." Her voice was shaky but she held her head high as she looked back at him.

"Elena, I l..."

"What was I. Did you just screw me, so you could say that you screwed Happy's sister."

"NO. I would never treat you like that."

Elena couldn't take any more, her head was hurting her heart was aching she just couldn't deal with any more, she just wanted to get away from every one and everything, she needed space to think.

She turns away from him and hurries down the hallway, only stopping when she reaches the bar. Clay and Gemma were standing at the bar. The three of them share an awkward gaze. Elena continues her march through the bar, not giving them a chance to find the nerve to say anything to her.

As she pushes the door open she thought she was home free until she slams into something solid. Stumbling back slightly she looks up to see Kip standing in front of her.

"You okay?" He asks noticing the state she was in. Elena shakes her head.

"I need to get out of here." She sobs.

"Uh...sure where..."

"My car is over there."

She hands him the keys and walks past him. He follows her to her car. She slides into the passenger side as he settles into the drivers seat. He looks at her, he could see her shaking, he didn't know what had happened but she was upset and all he wanted to do was make it better.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere, anywhere but here or home." She states as she rests her head against the window.

"I have a house on the Charming border."

"Fine."

Half Sack starts the engine and pulls out of the lot and heads towards his Mom's old house. As he drove, his eyes kept leaving the road and landing on Elena who's head was resting against the window her eyes glued to the passing scenery. He knew that he should probably turn the car around and take her straight back to Happy but something inside him, told him to keep driving so he did.