*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
I know this update's way overdue, but I've just been busy with Transcending Time. That story seems to take up all my muses.
Meeting Donna Winston
Austi POV:
Feeling the sun beating down on my back and the having the wind blow my long blonde hair around me was amazing. Seeing the landscape pass by in a beautiful blur should've made me nervous, but it didn't. Being on the back of Jax's bike made me feel alive, made me feel a sense of freedom that I've never felt before. It felt natural to be on the back of his bike.
I don't know how long we've been riding for, but eventually we pulled up into the driveway of a nice house that was in a little development on the other side of town. This housing development screamed suburbs with all perfect looking lawns.
Jax parked behind Donna's car and turned off his bike's engine. "How'd you like the ride?" Jax asked, kicking out his kickstand while I was taking off my helmet.
"I enjoyed it; it was really fun." I handed him his helmet back by practically shoving it over his shoulder and into his face.
"Good cause I don't like riding in cages." Jax took his helmet and placed it on his handlebar.
"Cages?" I asked, a bit confused, as I got off of Jax's bike.
"Cars." Jax answered, getting off of his bike as I stood by it.
"Oh, okay, so guess I won't be driving you around in my cage then." I told Jax as we started to walk up the driveway.
"Hell no, we go anywhere you're riding bitch on my bike." He told me as we walked by Donna's car, getting closer to the front of the house.
"Good to know." I remarked as we reached the front door of the house.
"I think you'll like Donna. She's really nice." Jax said right before knocking on the front door.
I just nodded my head. I mean if Jax says she's nice then she must be. She's married to his best friend after all. I mean I don't think he'd drag me to meet somebody who he didn't think I'd get along with. I've only known Jax for like a week, but he seemed like a nice guy. A nice guy with some issues, but a nice guy anyways.
The door opened and a petite brunette stood in the doorway. She smiled while telling Jax, "Jax, I didn't know you were stopping by." She moved out of the doorway as she said, "Come on in."
"Yea, wanted to stop by and check up on you and the kids." Jax told Donna as he walked into the house.
"Who's this with you?" Donna asked, her eyes on me, as I followed Jax into the house.
"I'm Austi, Clay's niece from Ohio." I told Donna, not giving Jax much of a chance to introduce me, as she closed her front door.
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Donna Winston, but I'm sure Jax here has already told you that." Donna smiled warmly at me while Jax just stood by and watched us interact. Donna led us out of the front entryway while saying, "Kenny and Ellie are in the backyard playing, but I'm sure they'd like to see their Uncle Jax. They'll be excited to meet you too, Austi."
I was sitting at a small kiddies table with Donna, watching Jax play with Kenny and Ellie. It was cute watching the blonde biker in Uncle Jax mode playing with these little pre-k aged kids. They were currently playing tag and Jax was it, so he was running around like a headless chicken trying to catch the fast little Winstons.
"How long have you been in Charming for?" Donna asked me. I figured she would since I was new in town and all.
"Like a week maybe, it's nice though." I answered with a smile as I watched Ellie run circles around Jax as he tried to catch her.
"Really, how're you adjusting?" She asked, sounding genuinely concerned about my adjustment to life in California.
"I'm adjusting pretty good, or at least I think I am." I told Donna. "So, Jax says you're married to his best friend."
"Yea, I married Opie about 4 years ago."
She can't be older than 21, that's how old I found out Opie and Jax are.
"Oh, so you married right after high school?" Oh, good lord I couldn't imagine being married right now.
"Yea, well, I was about 7 or 8 months knocked up too so that kind of helped with getting married." Donna told me with a small giggle. "Opie just patched in when we got married."
"So, then you got married while Jax was getting dumped?" I blurted out, not thinking. Shit, there it is my word vomit.
Donna's eyes went wide and she took a quick breath. "Oh, you heard about Tara?"
I nodded while telling her, "Just what Gemma told me which was that she got Jax's crow and took off to Chicago for school, breaking his heart."
"His heart's not broken; he just thinks it's broken." Donna told me as she watched Jax try to tag Kenny, who ran off before getting tagged it. "Jax was 16 when his dad John died. Being upset and sad he latched onto the smart girl in all the AP and early graduation programs that was assigned as his math tutor before he dropped out."
Aha, so he needed somebody and she just happened to be there. Hell, he should've known she was gonna get the hell out of Dodge ASAP with all those fancy classes and programs she was in. Everyone I knew that ever did those AP and early grad programs always went into college only having to do 2 years instead of 4. Shit, Gemma said Tara wanted to be a doctor so if I do my mental math that girl's already in a doctor med program by now.
Okay, time to ask what's up with Hale when it comes to Tara and Jax. "Did Tara only date Jax or did she date that cop guy Hale too? I'm just asking cause Hale was a bit of an asshole about me being on Jax's bike when he pulled up next to us at a red light on the way here..."
"I'm pretty sure Tara was with him once or twice one of the times her and Jax were broken up, even though she always denied it. She would say that they were just friends, but I never bought it." Donna told me while Jax was still running around playing tag with Kenny and Ellie.
I just nodded my head at Donna while I watched as Jax finally tagged Kenny.
Donna smiled at the sight of Jax playing with her kids before looking at me and saying, "You know the reason why she got his crow was that she accused him of being with some other girl. Of course, he told her that he wasn't with any other girl, just her cause he loved her. She told him that if he loved her then he would give her his crow and make her his old lady."
"I heard her crow's a tramp stamp." I told her as I watched Kenny laughing as he tagged Jax, making him it again.
"Yup, she picked where it went, but he didn't want it on her as a tramp stamp." Donna told me before going on to say, "He tried to compromise with her and suggest that she get it on her hip, but she said no and got it as a tramp stamp."
"And then she shagged ass and left." I told Donna, pretty much getting the picture.
"Tara just leaving isn't what hurt Jax, it's what she said to him that hurt him."
"And what did she say?" I asked, curious to know what could've been said to send Jax into a downward spiral of becoming blackout drunk and fucking any croweater that he could woo while being slobbering drunk.
Donna took a breath before going on to tell me exactly how bad the Jax and Tara breakup was. "She told him that she wasn't going to get stuck in some small town being some old lady house wife to an outlaw mechanic with a GED when she wanted to go to the big city and become a doctor. She told him he had to go to Chicago with her while she went to Northwestern and he told her no. When he said no she was upset and said that he was choosing some stupid criminal biker gang over her and he blew up and told her that he wasn't going to leave his family and legacy behind for her. That if she was going to Chicago, she was going without the loser outlaw biker cause he wasn't going to follow her to Chicago to become Mr. Knowles while she became Dr. Knowles."
"Damn." Was all I could say. I mean what else could I say? Jax and Tara seemed to be more jacked up then me and my ex ever were. I decided to change the subject off of Tara and Jax so I asked Donna, "Where's your crow?"
"On my hip."
"Nice." I told Donna before going on to say, "I got a shooting star tattoo on my hip. It's a thing with my best friend back in Ohio."
"Tell me about growing up in Ohio." Donna smiled at me as we both watched Jax try to tag Ellie, but nearly trip over his feet instead as she ran by him faster than lightning.
"My hometown, Northon's about 50 miles away from Columbus and it's small. I mean it's smaller then Charming."
"Oh, is it a farm town?" Donnas asked, seeming sincere in her curiousity about Northon.
"Yea, it is." I nodded. "I was raised in a farmhouse even tho we never farmed anything. My ex was raised down the road his family had some horses." Sometimes when shit got to heavy and my parents were in a drunken fight, I'd take off to Markel's to hang out with him or just hang around the stables. Too bad he was a raging man whore tho. "But my best friend was raised in one of the neighborhoods closer to downtown." I added in as an afterthought. I missed Hope, even tho I saw her last week and we talked and texted. Not having your best friend by your side was a bit lonely.
"Okay, so what did you do for fun?"
"Nothing much. Just the usual shit kids get into." I deflected since I wasn't really in the mood to go down memory lane about my childhood in Northon right now. Truth be told, it still stung that my dad picked my bitter drunk stepmom over me; kicked me out.
I don't know how long I was talking with Donna for whenever Jax, looking exhausted, walked over to the kiddies table and sat down at it. "Donna, you need to stop giving your twins so much sugar. Those kids are hyper as fuck." Jax exclaimed, pulling his pack of cigarettes from his cut.
I took a drag off of the cig I was currently smoking as Donna told Jax, "I don't give them too much sugar. They're 4 Jax, they're always hyper. You just wait til you have kids."
"I'm not having kids." Jax mumbled as he lit his cigarette up.
"You say that now, but then you'll knock up a girl and have kids." Donna told Jax as he took a drag of his cigarette and placed his pack back into his cut.
"Wrap it before you tap it." I told Jax with a teasing smirk as I flicked some ashes onto the ground.
Jax just laughed and told me, "I can't believe you just said that.
"What? Wrap your shit and no kids." I teased him while Donna just giggled.
"I already know that." Jax shook his head and held back a laugh. "Talk about kids, Donna, you should bring Kenny and Ellie over to the SAMCRO 4th of July party tomorrow at the clubhouse."
Donna's smile dropped from her face. "No, Jax, I don't want my kids around the club."
"It's a holiday party, not club business." Jax told Donna as he smoked.
Shit, Jax really wanted her to bring the kids. At least that's how it seemed to me. I had to help him out with trying to convince her. Here goes nothing. "Yea, there's going to be a slip and slide there for kids and lots of food. I should know about the food, I had to help shop for it." I quickly told Donna, a smile plastered on my face.
Jax smiled wide, "Yea, Donna, bring the kids for the slip and slide and all the free food."
"Fine, I'll think about it." Donna sighed sternly as she watched her kids play on their little playground nearby.
"Okay." Jax nodded his head, accepting her answer as he tossed his cigarette bud onto the ground. He then pulled some money out of his cut. "This is for you and the kids." Jax said, offering Donna the money.
Donna shook her head and her jaw jutted out as she said in a cold tone, "Jax, I can't take the club's money. Not with how Opie's in jail cause of the club."
"It's not club money, it's mine and I want you to have it." Jax quickly lied. I think he told Donna the white lie cause he wanted her to take the money for the kids. It was clear that he cared about those kids.
"Jax…" Donna sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, as she shook her head. "Thanks, but I can't take your money.
Damn, just take the fucking money before I open up my mouth and say something. Like why won't she take the money? She's got kids, she could use that money. Shit, I'd take the money.
"Yes, you can take it." Jax nicely told Donna. How the fuck he was keeping his cool with Donna as she turned down money that could be used to feed her kids was beyond me. Especially since I've seen how he can get pissy real quick. "Donna, I want to help cause Opie's my best friend. Please take the money."
"Okay, okay, I'll take the money only because it's from you." Donna told Jax as she took the money from him.
Damn, if she only knew who the money was really from…
After leaving Donna's house Jax pulled into Sonic so that we could get something to eat. Since he was on a motorcycle we had to park and walk up to the window to order. We ordered chili dogs and chocolate cookie dough concrete custards. He insisted on paying for mine. I tried to protest, but he paid anyways.
We were sitting at one of tables, we were the only people sitting at the tables actually. A few cars were parked in the drive-in part and some cars were lined up at the drive-thru.
"You think you could become friends with Donna?" Jax asked me as he took a large bite of his loaded chili dog.
"Yea." I answered before taking a bite out of my own chili dog. "We exchanged numbers while you were chasing the kids, so I think we'll be hanging out soon or something."
"That's good, both of you could use a friend."
"It's really nice of you to look out for her and the kids while Opie's up in Chino."
"He's been my best friend since we were little. He's my brother and we both patched in together, so I owe it to him to check up on Donna and the kids."
"You're a really good friend."
"Thanks. I try to be, but it's hard with Opie on the inside and Donna pulling away." Jax sighed, frustration clear in his voice.
"She's just upset that Opie's in jail." I told Jax as we ate our food.
"He's been locked up for a few years now. He didn't just get put in. She's had enough time to blame the club. She needs the club's help with the kids and money."
"She told me she's been pulling doubles at Lumpy's." I told Jax, pointing out that Donna was working.
"Tips and shit pay ain't enough to make the bank she needs to pay for her house and feed the kids." Jax said as he finished up his chili dog. "When Opie bought the house, he had the money from our runs to make the payments. Now Donna's struggling to make a house payment, pay her bills, and feed the kids all cause she's been listening to Mary and pushing SAMCRO out of her life." Jax ranted as he started to eat his large chocolate cookie dough frozen concrete custard.
"Huh, who's Mary?" I asked since I haven't heard about any Mary or met her yet.
"Opie's mom, she hates the club and divorced Piney when Opie was little. She comes and goes, but since Opie got locked up, she's been filling Donna's head with anti-club shit." Jax told me
"Oh…" I sighed, now knowing who May was. Shit, what was it with people either loving the club or hating it? Can't there be a middle ground of club toleration? Anywho… "So, what exactly is Opie in for?"
"Donna didn't tell you?"
"No, she said she didn't want to talk about it and that it was the club's fault." I told Jax as we ate our frozen custards.
"He's in for arson." Jax simply said. He said it like he was talking about the weather, like it wasn't a big deal.
Arson, shit Opie's a little pyro? He burnt something down and Donna blames the club. Why would the club need him to on a pyromaniac tirade?
"What did he burn down and how did he get caught?" I curiously asked while eating a spoonful of my cookie dough concrete custard.
"That you don't need to know."
My brow rose up to my hairline. I don't need to know. Um I'm going to be Donna's friend; I think I need to know. "And why not?"
"You're still new to the life and you don't need full disclosure from me since you're not my old lady." Jax told me right before he shoved a spoonful of his cookie dough frozen custard in his mouth
Oh, so since I'm not his old lady I only get half-assed answers. Bet if his precious smarty-pants Tutor-Tara asked he'd tell. Jackhole…
Jax looked at me, his blue eyes on mine, and told me, "I'll tell you shit on a need to know basis."
"Okay…" I sing-songed, scooping out some of my frozen custard with my plastic red spoon. Need to know basis is as good as it gets, I guess. I got a lot to learn about club life, hopefully I can catch on quick.
AN:
I hope you guys liked this chapter. The next one should be the 4th of July chapter.
