Hello my lovely readers. First of all, thank you to everyone who's reading, following, and reviewing. I'm glad you're finding the story enjoyable. I love hearing what you think so please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts on events, characters etc. Sorry for the wait. I started a new job after Christmas so I hope this long chapter helps to make up for it.
Away chapter 16
"Do you want to go to the Club House?" Jules asked as she and Jax stood outside the police station, basking in the summer heat and bright sun.
"Honestly, I just want to go to bed." Jax replied, exhaustion wearing him down.
He was grateful when Jules agreed and he took her hands in his; a grin spreading across his face at the sight of the slim, gold ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. It was not how he would have imagined becoming engaged but the circumstances did not matter. Only the ending.
Spying the smile on the face of the man she loved, she gave him one in return and linked her fingers with his and started the walk home. They slept most of the day away and when they eventually awoke, clinging to each other in spite of the temperature, they revelled in the private moment. For Jules, where there had been anxiety, doubt, and restlessness since her return, there was now only a steadfast resolution to protect Jax and herself.
"What are you thinking about?"
The woman sighed and turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling. " We could run away."
Jax pulled her back to him and forced her to meet his gaze. A gentle shake of his head was his first response.
"No running. That's not the life I want for us."
"Jax, they're never going to stop. Stahl won't let them. I don't want to spend my life watching you rot in prison."
He wanted to tell her that wouldn't happen; that they would get to live out their lives in wedded bliss. He wanted to reassure her and absolve her of all her worries… but he couldn't. Life with SAMCRO had always come with risks. Love had always come with risks. For Jax, he was willing to pay any price for love.
"That ain't happening, darlin'." Jax punctuated his point with a conversation stopping kiss.
An incessant banging at the front door put a stop to any potential love-making and with a frustrated grunt, Jax pulled himself from the comfort of his bed and yanked open the door. Gemma ripped off her sunglasses and barged past her son.
"You finally get out of that damn place and you don't even think to call your mother?" She said with a raised voice, slamming her handbag down on the coffee table.
"Mom…" Jax started, shrugging his shoulders and trying to placate her with a smile.
"And where the hell is that damn daughter of mine too?" The older of the two demanded, referring to her step-daughter. "I've been going out of my mind and neither of you thought to tell me you were okay? I had to hear it from Unser-"
"Mom!" Jax shouted, stopping Gemma mid rant.
"What?" The older woman snapped; one eyebrow raised and her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
"Me and Jules are getting married."
Gemma paused. "You're shitting me."
"God's honest truth, Mom. Ask her yourself." He answered as Jules appeared standing in the doorway at the end of the hall.
The young woman held up her left hand to show her step-mother the ring.
"Well then, this calls for a party."
The cheers of 'congratulations' had been almost deafening. The Club House was heaving and the impromptu, last minute engagement party was quickly turning into a wild den of drinking, dancing, and lust. So many people had hugged her that Jules felt dizzy from all the contact. Some people she knew. Some she didn't. Chibs had ruffled her hair, earning him a grunt of annoyance, and laughed out his genuine approval of the engagement. Tigs had made a crude joke about sex to Jax that made Jules' eyes rolls, and she had received a crushing bear hug from Opie along with the advice not to self-sabotage this time.
Those were all she remembered before the stream of tequila shots she had been consuming in the last hour completely clouded her mind. From across the room she could see her father tucked away in a corner with Jax. The tension between them was palpable and she stumbled over to them; intent on reprimanding Clay for his actions regarding his dealings of Richie's dead body. Yet, she never made it. A pair of strong, broad hands clutched at her arm and spun her round. The grinning face of Bobby finally came into focus when the room stopped spinning. His cheeks were pink with merriment and his breath smelled of beer and whiskey. His eyes were wide and his voice boomed.
"Excuse me, Mrs Teller. But you know the rules. You drink until you can't stand."
Jules laughed and shook her hair from her eyes. "I'm not Mrs Teller yet, Bobby."
She let him maneuver her over to the bar. "As good as. I always said no girl had any chance of locking him down except you. Not even Tara." He shouted over the music as he ordered a round of tequila shots and more beer.
Downing the shot in one gulp, she coughed before taking a swig of the beer. "Tara was before my time." She hummed, vaguely remembering how she had joined the Teller-Morrow family a good few months after Tara had departed Charming, leaving Jax completely heartbroken.
"That girl had nothing on you."
"I'll take your word for it."
"You should." Bobby fell quiet, his face displaying a whirling mind full of thoughts before it became blank and he raised his beer bottle and toasted to her. "To the future Mrs Teller. Long may she reign."
With her own smile, Jules clinked bottles with the curly haired man and silently drank half of her beer. A hand fell onto her waist and the scent of Jax's aftershave overwhelmed her as she felt him plant a kiss on her cheek and pull her tight against him. She turned to face him and cradled his bearded cheek in her hand. His eyes seemed troubled and she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Completely ignoring her, Jax ordered his own beer and drank it in just two mouthfuls; thankful for the return of his lost buzz as the cold liquid made its way through his body.
"Mind if I steal the little woman away, Bobby?"
"Just bring her back soon. I'm in the mood for a duet." Bobby replied jovially as he scuffled away, shouting for Tigs and Juice to join him.
Still avoiding Jules' gaze, Jax stole the beer bottle from her hand, placed it on the bar, and grabbed her hand. He pushed through the jam packed bar room, shaking his head when Opie tried to stop and speak to him, and pounded the corridors until he reached the dorm rooms. Pushing open the door to his former abode, he yanked Jules inside and locked the door behind them.
"Jax…"
He attacked her lips with untamed savagery; his fingers twisting into her loose curls and his free hand splayed across the bottom of her back. He pulled her so close to him that he could feel her chest struggling to expand with the effort of breathing but he cared very little. His one purpose - his one carnal intent - was to be inside of her as quickly as possible and to own her completely. He wanted his scent all over her. He wanted to mark her. He wanted, just as she had accused the previous day, to screw her into submission. Only then would the anxiety in his stomach be able to subside.
"Shut up. I need to fuck you."
"Tell me what's wrong."
Again he ignored her question. "Take off your dress." He ordered.
Jules tried to pull away but the sensation of Jax's lips on her neck was too much; all pleasure senses heightened by the deadly mix of tequila and beer. Her feeble attempts to escape were half-hearted and she was no match for his strength anyway.
"Jackson." She badgered him again, unable to shake the feeling that his rigid body was caused by more than just the need to fornicate.
"Just take off the fucking dress, Jules." Jax snapped, snaking his hand up her short black, spaghetti strapped dress and being genuinely surprised when he discovered she was not wearing underwear.
"What's gotten into you? Is this to do with Clay?"
"You're not wearing any underwear… do you have any idea how fucking hot that is?"
He spoke over her, removing his hand from up her dress and shrugging off his Club Kutte, before ripping open his jeans and lifting his t-shirt over his head. He was bare-chested, a range of SAMCRO related tattoos scattered across his left pectoral and upper arm. Thin, white lines marred the skin on both arms and Jules was reminded once again of just how dangerous life with the Club would be. Jax wore the physical scars. She bore the mental scars.
"Please don't ignore me, Jax."
Doing the opposite of what she pleaded from him, Jax pushed her backwards onto the bed and climbed over her. He pushed his jeans down just far enough to free his hardened length and knocked the young woman's legs open with his knee. He tugged impatiently at the offending garment she still wore and settled for scrunching it up past her breasts so that she was helpless and bare before him. Diving in, he filled her with every inch of him and pinned her with his weight. Her breathless gasps sent shocks of electricity running down his veins and they spurred him on as he set a furious pace. He was sure he had heard Jules hiss his name when he had pulled the roots of her hair and bit down on her nipple. His mouth never stayed in one place too long. Whilst Jules was busy alternating between moaning his name and begging him to answer her questions, he was fully caught up in suckling on the tender, white skin of her neck, collar bone, and breasts until they were scattered with small, angry red marks that would take days to disappear. Satisfied with his work, he worked his way up to her ears and nibbled on her earlobe as he curled his fingers even tighter around her thick strands of hair and continued to pound forcefully into her tender body. When he felt her nails dig into the top of his backside, he grabbed her wrists and held them with one hand above her head. Now she truly was at his mercy.
"If I fuck up, please don't run."
"What? I don't-" Jules groaned wantonly as Jax hit a spot deep inside her that almost sent her over the edge.
He was so desperate now. So close to his own orgasm and crazy in his need to make Jules understand him. His words came tumbling out and left his fiance confused.
"I'm going to fuck up. I won't mean to…" he let out his own groan of pleasure. " But I will. I know what I'm like. If I do something stupid…"
"You're not making any sense." Jules managed to say in between taking deep breaths to slow her on coming orgasm.
"It isn't your fault. Just remember that."
Neither said another word as Jax reached his orgasm first; pushing himself impossibly deeper into his fiance as he spilled his seed and triggering her orgasm along with it. Eventually, when he had begun to soften, he pulled himself out of her reluctantly and hitched his jeans up. He paid no attention to Jules calling for him as he cleaned himself and redressed in the bathroom. He stepped back into the room to see Jules, her dress now back in place, standing and looking completely furious with him. Her arms were folded and she moved away when he tried to approach her.
"I'm sorry." Jax preemptively striked.
"You want to tell me what the hell that was about?"
"I told you. I'm going to mess up and when I do-"
"I'm not talking about your cryptic messages!" She shouted. "I'm talking about you screwing me like a whore."
"Darlin'..." Started Jax, stepping forward with a sigh.
"No! You screwed me like I was nothing more than a crow eater."
"You don't understand-"
"No, you don't understand. I don't know what is going on with you tonight but you ever do that to me again and it will be the last time you touch me, Jax."
Standing defiantly, Jax held his head high and nodded once. Then he defended himself.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Clay is sending a group of us to Chicago. I never meant to treat you like a whore. You're not a whore. I was trying to make myself feel better and I used you to do it."
Rage flowing, Jules threw her hands up in the air and ranted on. "Exactly my point! Why do all the men in my life think they can use me? Wait - you're going to Chicago? Why?"
It had finally registered in her hazy, angry, drunk brain that Jax was leaving and it stopped her dead in her tracks. Panic began to bubble away in her stomach and her face fell as she processed what he was saying.
"It's just a few of us. We'll be back before you know it."
"How long?" She managed to get out, knowing that every minute he would be away on a run she would be sick with worry.
"Three, four days. Tops."
He had now closed the distance between them and was rubbing her shoulders and arms in a bid to pacify her.
"Why?"
Jax gulped. Jules would not like the answer. "I can't tell you. It's Club business."
"Bull shit, Jax. We're engaged!"
"Believe me, it's for the best." He said, truthfully, knowing that if she knew what they planned to do then she would be in even more danger with the FBI.
Jules remained rooted to the spot and stayed quiet; waiting hopelessly for Jax to tell her the truth. The sense of déjà vu was grating on her and it was almost as if the last nine months had taught her lover absolutely nothing. When he still was not forthcoming with any answers, she left him alone in the room. She heard him sigh behind her as she stalked down the corridor and back into the party, so she knew that he had chosen to follow her despite not approaching her. Leaning over the wooden countertop of the bar, she grabbed at the first bottle of hard liquor she could find and flung it back in her mouth. She gagged when the taste hit her tongue. She had never liked rum but it would have to do. Jules was pissed as hell and wanted to drink away her feelings.
"Baby, maybe you should stop drinking." Jules heard Gemma address her.
Opening her eyes and coming to an abrupt stop, the intoxicated woman pouted. How much time had passed whilst she had lost herself dancing was undetermined. The rhythm of the music had brought her body to life and she had closed her eyes, welcomed the darkness, and let the beat wash over her in the crowded, sweaty room. To now be forced to stop and face reality was unsettling. Rolling her eyes at her step-mother, Jules drank the last dregs of the bottle in silent defiance before turning on her heel and diving further into the crowd. Worried for the well being of her future daughter in law, Gemma marched over to the bar.
"None of you are to serve my step-daughter for the rest of the night. You hear me?" Barked Gemma as she glared menacingly at the crow-eaters that had been left to man the bar.
"Mom, lay off." Sighed Jax, sipping slowly on his beer as he and Opie sat next to one another on stools. "Just let her blow off some steam."
"She's making a fool of herself."
Across the room, Jules spied her family talking amongst themselves. She cared very little about the subject of their conversation until she saw Gemma glance her way and shake her head disapprovingly. With hard liquor firing up her senses and lowering her inhibitions, the intoxicated woman surged through the throng of high, drunk, half-naked bodies and stopped just short of the bar, a mere few feet from where Jax and Opie were sat.
"Give me a vodka cranberry. Lots of ice."
The woman in front of her hesitated. An annoying 'um' sound left her lips and her eyes darted straight to Gemma who was leaning with one hand on the bar and the other on her hip. Snapping her fingers in front of the crow eater's face, Jules shouted over the music.
"Hey! Did I stutter?"
"No. I um…"
"You what? Speak up sweetie. You girls never seem to have a problem using your mouths."
"I'm sorry. I- Gemma said not to serve you…" The woman replied, chewing on her candy pink nails and trying hard not to look Jules in the eyes.
"Look at me. I assume that somewhere under that fake blonde hair of yours there is a brain. So use it and tell me how you think this is going to go for you if you don't get me my drink?"
By now, Jules was vibrating with anger. It wasn't the woman's fault, she knew. The scared female in front of her was young - younger even than her- and new. Her childlike face wasn't one she recognised from before her hiatus from Charming.
"I have to do what Gemma said…" the blonde crow-eater stammered.
Jules let out a dry laugh. "Are you actually shitting me? Do you have any idea who I am?"
"I got this."
Jules heard Jax's voice down her ear as he appeared at her side and flashed the star-struck crow eater a megawatt smile. His hand fell to the bottom of her back and his breath tickled her cheek when he turned his full attention to her.
"Go away, Jax."
"Party's over, baby. We're going home."
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm having fun." She argued, facing away from him.
He gripped her by the elbow and whispered darkly down her ear; causing Jules to shiver involuntarily. "We're going home. You want to do this the hard way then we can. I can throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here kicking and screaming, or we can leave quietly and I won't be forced to put you over my knee once we're alone. Your call, Jules."
There was a smirk playing on his lips but steel in his eyes. The sensible thing would be not to provoke him or call his bluff. But Jules had never been one to back down easily, and she was quickly discovering just how easy it was to slip back into old patterns of behaviour.
"Screw you, Teller."
Jax planted a soft kiss on his fiance's lips. "Hard way it is then."
Making it look effortless, Jax swooped Jules up and dumped her over his shoulders. Her fists pummelled his back and she shrieked at him; throwing daggers at everyone as they stared at them and made space for Jax to pass. His broad hand came down hard on her ass and she heard him laugh.
"You're going to pay for that, Jax!"
"Looking forward to it, darlin'."
Be back soon, darlin'
The note had been scrawled on a yellow post it note and stuck to her forehead. She had felt it crinkle and dig into the bridge of her nose when she had awoken; rolling over to bury her face deep into the pillows and block out the sunlight streaming through the crack in the curtains. Jules had ripped it from her head and frowned when she realised that Jax had already left. Snippets of the night before flashed before her eyes like a bad movie and she groaned in embarrassment. Her eye caught the time on the alarm clock. It was already early afternoon but she had nowhere to be. Without Jax to occupy her time, she realised that she had very little to focus on. The house felt too empty and too lonely without him.
Eventually working up enough energy to drag herself from the bed, she learned she was still dressed in her party clothes and the smell of alcohol and smoke made her gag. She changed into one of Jax's SAMCRO t-shirts and ran her fingers through her tangled hair until it was smooth enough to hang up in a ponytail. Her first port of call was to caffeinate herself and a half hour later she was sat cross legged on the living room rummaging through boxes they had yet to unpack.
Time flew by faster than Jules anticipated and two hours later, ankle deep in photo albums, trinkets, and other memorabilia of her past, she heard a knock at the door. Gently lifting herself to her feet, she grumbled at the ache in her back and heard her joints crack in objection at the sudden movements. She shuffled over to the doorway and yanked it open; greeted by Chibs with a fatherly hug. Stifling a yawn, she invited him in and padded down the hallway towards the kitchen.
"Do you want a drink, Chibs?" She shouted.
"No, Lass. Just came to see how you are." He replied, kneeling down to look at the scattered photos and picking one up that caught his eye.
Returning with a half full glass of orange juice, Jules took a sip and put it down to rest on the coffee table. Chibs tilted the photograph and allowed her to look at it.
"Taking a stroll down memory lane?"
"Something like that." She muttered, taking the photograph from him.
It was a polaroid of her and Jax taken on her sixteenth birthday. She wore a goofy grin and a silver party hat and Jax's arm was flung around her shoulder; looking every inch the doting big brother he had been back then. His hand held a beer bottle in it and she could still remember how he had let sneak her first taste of beer that day.
"I haven't seen this in years. It was the first time I let Clay and Gemma celebrate my birthday."
"That was some party." Chibs mused, a smile on his lips.
"I thought Gemma was going to kill that poor guy who delivered the cake late." She laughed before letting the picture fall back to the ground.
"Can't say I would have blamed her. That party was her whole life that spring. She wanted to spoil you. Clay too."
"I don't think either of them counted on Donna going into labour though."
"Ah yes. That was a surprise."
"Surprise? I thought Opie was going to cry and Jax looked about ready to faint." Sniggered Jules as the chaotic memory replayed.
"Opie never did learn to wrap it before he tapped it. Jesus, I think he and Donna would have ended up with a bunch more babies if he hadn't done time."
Now holding a photograph of her, Donna, Opie, and Jax - her and Donna in the arms of their respective lovers - Jules sighed sadly. It was taken about a month before she had left Charming and she remembered how the smiles they all wore had been hiding the pain of their deteriorating relationships. Suddenly, she realised that, in spite of so much having happened in her life since her return, she hadn't been home for even the whole summer and there were still things she did not know about the people she called family.
"I heard Opie and Donna divorced whilst I was away."
"Yeah. Ope was pretty torn up about it but Donna wanted out. Don't know too much about it to be honest. Everything changed when you left."
A stab of guilt and Jules gulped. "How did she die? I would have asked Opie but he didn't even tell me she had died. Piney let it slip."
"Drunk driver."
"And the kids?"
"Living with Donna's mom." The crinkle on his forehead fell away and was replaced with a forced smile. "Anyway, no point dwelling on the past. We have lots to be thankful for. You're finally going to be a Teller."
Rolling her eyes at Chibs' massive grin, Jules bent down and started gathering all the photographs together and throwing them back in the box.
"It's just a name, Chibs."
"It's a name that means something around here. It's hard to remember a time when you weren't part of our lives. You might be Clay's kid but you're a Teller. You have been since the day Jax set eyes on you."
"Ew. Jax was nineteen when I met him."
"Lass, the moment you became his family Jax made it all about protecting you. It was only a matter of time before you became his Old Lady."
"Oh yes. It was meant to be." Jules mocked with a smirk and another roll of her eyes.
"Woman, this Club doesn't have a lot to be happy about on most days. Let us have this one, yeah?"
Sighing, Jules nodded and bumped the Scottish man's shoulder with her own. She offered him dinner but he refused; mentioning briefly a date he had for later that evening. He was over the threshold and had already placed a chaste kiss on Jules' cheek when he chose to give the young woman one last piece of advice.
"Give Jax a break, yeah? Everything he's done since you came back has been for you. You think he's keeping secrets but he's just trying to do right by you. Trust him."
