Hey! Quick word: I hope everyone out there is doing all right and keeping safe, especially given everything going on. Sending lots of love to anyone who hurting.

As far as my little story… Thanks so much for being so patient! Honestly didn't expect it to take this long to get this chapter out. Hopefully you guys enjoy this one! Please excuse the editing and any clunky writing.

Chapter Thirty-One – Not Today

"…Every dog's gonna have his day

Then there's gonna be hell to pay

Too many times, the bad guy gets away

Oh... Not today…"

– Preacher Stone


Jax knew he just had to hold it together for another couple of minutes.

Nero had called his guy to try to 'settle' this.

He seemed a cool, calm type. Something like what Jax typically was.

It was clear that the middle-aged owner of Deosa did not wanna rustle any feathers or upset the status quo. He knew the place of his club and was smart enough to know how to keep that sweet spot he'd carved out for himself.

"Look, he's a good guy. But he's just a little twisted with his old lady right now." Nero spoke from the next to driver's side of the SUV they were standing beside. He and Ope had followed Nero to the gravel pit just outside the city limits, where his man had agreed to meet. Their bikes were hidden from view by Nero's car. "I mean they had a rough shot in the last little while…" He offered as though it would make a difference to Jax.

It was almost laughable. As far as Jax was concerned the cunt was dead already.

"Where is he?" Jax asked his lips barely moving, his jaw tense with anxious impatience.

"He'll be here. He's a good gu…" Nero was cut off by the rumble of a car's engine and the sound of gravel crunching under the tread of tires. Nero gestured for Jax and Opie to stay next to his SUV, while he moved towards the headlights of the sedan that had just pulled up.

Jax did what he could to stay out of view. He didn't need this to blow up in his face. What the young father needed was to make sure that the dead man actually got out of the car… and that the piece of shit wouldn't see him coming.

Outlined in the headlights, Jax could make out Nero placing his hands sympathetically on the shoulders of his guy, meanwhile the smaller man was moving his hands wildly and pulling them through his scraggily hair.

'Enough of this crap…'

"Ope." Jax muttered to his best friend.

"Behind you." He heard Opie respond in assurance to follow.

Jax moved fast. Enough that both Nero and his underling were surprised by his intrusion.

"What do you say we move this shit along?" Jax sneered at Nero. Taking advantage of the shocked state of the lackey, Jax grabbed Nero's boy by the throat and slammed him back against the hood of his beat-up Mustang. "That all right with you Nero?" Jax spat over his shoulder as he practically crushed the man squirming and turning pink under him.

"Jax…" Nero's irritatingly mediating voice spoke up. Though Jax wasn't looking at the older man, he knew that Nero had not made a move to pull him off of this guy… not only because Nero knew that Ope had Jax's back, but also because brute force just wasn't his style… not anymore. "I told you. I understand your pain, son. But you ain't gonna get nowhere if you kill him."

The blond biker was seeing red, and Nero's voice felt fuzzy coming through his ears. His teeth clenched together he leaned forward to growl at the man in his grasp, "What'd you think? You better off alive or dead?"

The man's fingernails had been ripping at Jax's hand, trying to pry it off. Jax hadn't noticed the sting of the scratches. In fact, he didn't really notice them now. All he saw was the fear in the man's eyes. Eyes that said he knew. He knew now that Jax was not fucking around.

"You do the smart thing," Jax breathed, quiet, only for him to hear. "And I'll make the rest painless for you. You go back to your Pres… your club. You don't and…" He applied more pressure.

There was a slight nod as the man's eyes began to bugle even more, his skin turned pink, and his movements grew increasing frantic.

Jax finally released him. The guy collapsed into the dirt, coughing, clutching his throat as he did. He limply leaned back against his car, gasping for air next to his driver side headlight. Jax crouched down to meet his crazed eyes.

The incensed VP had taken his piece out, casually flashing, to the gulping man who now had eyes glued to the dark metal.

"You're gonna tell me where my girl is." Jax said softly, his voice even. The fear had taken hold again and had pushed him to that sense of calm that was so familiar to him.

Jax nodded his head so that the stringy man in front of him would get the idea that he didn't have any choice except to comply. He'd given that up when he decided to do something beyond suicidal.

"Sh- Sh…" The dark eyes in the man's face darted from Jax to just over Jax's shoulder where Nero still stood. No help was coming, not now.

Jax raised his free hand to squeeze the guys cheeks, and force back his focus. "Ain't no one back there gonna help you. So, you best remember how to speak." He let go of man's face, with hard shove, causing his dark-haired head to smack against the body of the car.

"Sh- She…" He began again, rasping with his newly strained vocal cords. "I didn't know." He croaked out.

Jax felt rage burn through his fingertips at that pathetic response, the darks circles around Maise's eyes and her sweet tear stained face flooded his head. "Didn't know what?" He found himself cocking his gun. "That she's mother? That she's mine?" Jax snarled out. "Or that she's pregnant, you fucking sack of shit?" He pressed the barrel of the gun right between the sniveling man's eyebrows.

"She's what?" Nero's confused voice asked from somewhere above him, causing Jax to snap back to his priorities and lower his gun slightly. "Arcadio…" Nero voice trailed off.

"I d-didn't know!" The piece of human garbage yelled out as a sad whimper.

Jax pulled the gun away from his head, a small sliver of relief came over the man's expression. "I don't care what you knew or didn't know. I don't have time for this. I need to know where she is… now."

"Nero…" the man looked up pleadingly at his president.

"Arcadio… this is way passed the line, brother… you gotta tell them." Nero spoke. Jax kept his eyes on the sweaty, trembling man that held the key to his girl.

Dark eyes fell back to Jax. "A- at the old trailer site for the strip mine."

Jax's heart leapt into his throat. That was maybe 30 minutes away, 20 on his bike. They took her where no one would have even remembered to look.

"Where?" Jax grunted.

"In the shed by the green trailer." The man spoke in a frantic pleading rush, "Please- please don't hurt my girl… she's in pain.. she's…"

"She's in pain?" Jax swiftly stood to his full height, stepping back to eye both the scum and Nero with disbelief. "Brother," the scowling biker returned his focus to the whimpering man. "I wouldn't be concerned about her pain. Or anyone else's for that matter." Jax held up his gun, his finger on the trigger this time. "Not ever again."


"Rose."

Something was tickling her nose.

"Rosalyn."

Rosie blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining things this time. "Pop?"

There he was. Relief overwhelmed her entire being, tears flooded her eyes. "Pop…" she babbled through trembling lips. He moved towards her slowly his arms open. Rosie whimpered, as she fell against his broad, soft chest.

"I missed you so much… so much."

"I know… you're almost there, baby."

"Pop…" She sighed, feeling the safety of his embrace… something she had never known she could miss so bad. Her eyes falling closed as she nestled into the hold she had yearned for so dearly.

BANG!

Rosie jerked violently back into the cold, dank space she had been residing in.

Sounds were floating all around her. She could see a piece of light and ground from the edge of her blindfold, though it didn't offer much in terms of giving her clarity on what was going on around her.

"Where'd he go?" She asked out loud without meaning to, at one point she may have noticed her voice was slurred but not in her current state.

"You stupid fucking cunt." Something ripped at her hair and pulled her to stand up on her shaking legs.

Rosie's head was swimming with the sudden rush of movement.

A muffled voice was speaking now. "Let… go…"

Something sharp pressed against her arm.

"Don't… still…"

A shadow on the stained floor moved slightly nearer, into her dizzied eyeline.

The muffled voice came again. "You can still make it out…" It seemed to be urging.

"I can't…" Rosie mumbled a reply.

The sharp feeling went away. Hair was released. Rosie fell to her knees, her arms curling protectively around her stomach before she collapsed on to her side.

A loud BANG filled the air. Then another. Then another.

"Pop…" Rosie would have given anything to go back to Tony again. "Maise… Abel…" Something warm again.

Something… someone shuffled closer to her. Her eyes rolled downward to see white… white sneakers covered in red.

Suddenly, the fabric was ripped off of her eyes.

Finally, someone lifted her into the warmth she had been craving.

"This isn't real." She reminded herself, knowing she had tricked herself so many times already.

"Baby..." calloused hands were roaming her face. "Rosalyn. This is real." Lips replaced the hands that had been skimming her features.

"No…" She spoke groggily.

"Ope!" Her head lolled against a chest that rumbled as he shouted. "Tell me they're here!"

"They are!" Another voice called.

A gentle hand stroked over the abused skin at her throat, another rubbed feeling back into her arms which were now free to fall limp at her side. "I'm here, darlin'. Not much longer and you'll see Maise and Abel again too." Lips were pressed against hers chapped ones again. "I'm so sorry, baby. Never again. I'll never let this happen again. I'll protect you."

Rosie's mind had been drifting off into space up until that point. 'I'll protect you…' she was trying to squeeze the painful black spots out of her eyes. 'I'll find you.'

"Ezra…" she was able to breathe out, before her vision went completely black.


Jax held Maise in his arms as he sat vigil at Rosie's bedside.

They had been in the hospital for over four hours. He'd given the police his statement about what had happened… the ransom demand that he led him and Ope to the abandoned trailer park.

Nero had allowed Jax's transgression.

Jax knew he should have asked permission before handling Arcadio's disobedience, but Nero had seemed to understand the uniqueness of Jax's situation and had been willing to take credit for the death of the untrustworthy soldier.

Darvany Jennings had been fucking insane enough to think Jax would let her walk out of that situation. She was lucky he didn't rip her strung out fucking body to shreds. The bitch had been about to stick Rosie with something, before he'd talked her down and out of it.

'Ezra...' the name echoed in his head.

Maise shifted her nose against the fabric of his clean white shirt. Gemma had dropped off fresh clothes when she'd brought the kids to the hospital.

His baby girl let out a soft sigh and a slight snore, causing a small smile to form on his lips. It had been late when Maise and Abel had gotten to the hospital. Rosie hadn't been conscious but Maise wouldn't leave with Gemma to return home even after seeing her resting mother.

Since it had been fruitless, Jax had decided to keep Abel and Maise with him in Rosie's dimly lit room, at least until Maise was asleep enough to be moved without waking up… which in all honesty had been about an hour ago.

Jax pressed his scruffy cheek against the top of her head. He gave her a squeeze, more for himself than anything else with his blue eyes trained on Rosie's unmoving form.

The doctor who had examined Rosie said that despite the malnutrition and dehydration over the past three days, both she and the baby were stable for the time being. But they needed to be closely monitored. They had rushed labs, after spotting a puncture site on her left arm, only to find trace amounts of opiates in her system.

Considering the timeline of her abduction not enough to be overly worried about.

At least that's what the 12 year old they had called a doctor had told Jax at first. Before he had demand the Head of the department confirm the assessment.

'Not enough to be overly worried about…' The greying man had agreed with the resident.

She was being pumped full of vitamins and fluids.

She was a fucking fighter. Tough as hell.

Jax gave Maise another squeeze to keep his fury at bay.

He should have ripped that bitch to goddamn pieces.

Three shots had been too kind.

There was a knock at the hospital room door. Jax didn't lift his head to acknowledge it.

The person on the other side clearly did not get the message.

"Jax…"

His blue eyes fell closed, at once water fell against his cheeks. In the dim glow of the bedside lamp he watched as a few drops caught in Maise's light hair.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Jax held his stare on Rosie and gave soft sniff in greeting. "Tara."

The brown-haired doctor slowly moved closer to be in his eyeline. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her assessing gaze skimmed over the sight of Jax and paused on Maise cradled against him.

For a moment she was frozen. Then barely perceptible, her lower lip began trembling and Jax swore there was a gloss to her eyes.

She tore her stare away, hustled towards the end of Rosie's bed to grab her chart. Jax watched her, tense and waiting for the fallout here. The weight of their history was heavy in the air.

The pain of their break more real than ever before.

"I came to check on you." She inhaled sharply as she flipped through the chart. "On all of you…"

"I…" Jax began, not knowing fully what he planned on saying. "Tara… you don't ha…"

His former lover shook her head at him. Meeting Jax's eye, she spoke firmly. "She didn't deserve any of this." Her voice cracked, she finally looked at Rosie for first time since entering the room. "She's just a girl, Jax."

'Ezra...'

Jax shook his head. Rocking back to run a thumb over Maise's sleeping cheek. "She's more than that."

He didn't have to lift his eyes to know that Tara was looking at him again.

"Yeah…" Tara's voice quiet, "she's the mother of your kids."

Jax tightened his grip on Maise. He nodded his head, knowing he needed to face Tara properly when he said it, met her gaze. "Yes."

Tara seemed to gasp out her next breath after a moment. An expression Jax would have called close to relief ran over her face. She was blinking quickly when she spoke next.

"Jax… I'm pregnant."

He felt as though cold water had been poured over his head. Out of instinct his focus fell back to Rosie and his hold on Maise tugged the little girl closer to his heart.

Confused he retuned his attention to Tara, who had put back Rosie's chart so she could cross her arms again.

Her jaw was tight, "Don't worry Jax. It's not yours. Nice to know where the fuck you stand though…"

Even more confused and hit with a new wave of concern and relief, Jax asked, "Wha- Who?" He shook his head to try to clear it.

"Yeah…" Tara scoffed humourlessly. "Hard to believe someone would want…"

"Stop it, Tara." Jax bit out in anger. "That's not what I meant and you know it." He saw her snort and look away. "Believe it or not, I meant what I said… Tara, I care about you. I always will…" Her brown eyes went quickly to him then to the corner of the room then back though she was fighting the urge to look at him. "Nothing will ever change that."

Biting her lips, Tara nodded her head, sniffing down at her feet. "I know…" She scoffed, hastily wiping her nose. "Maybe that's why it hurts so bad." She took a steadying breath. "But I'll get over it." Tara looked at him again. "I am getting over it."

Settling back into his seat, loosening his grasp on Maise so it was comfortable again, he tried to offer something of a sincere expression. "I just want you to be happy Tara."

She nodded again. "The crazy thing is… at one time I thought the only person I'd ever feel so safe with was you…" Tara let out a sigh, "…it's been scary and hard Jax… letting that go, but now I have started to let it go it's been easier… actually so easy to find it… with Hale."

That took a moment to sink in. Jax had known Hale and Tara had been getting close but this was still a pill to swallow.

Tara was pregnant with someone else's baby… Hale's baby.

"Does he know yet?"

Tara shook her head. "It's way too early. I want to give it some time to…" She seemed to search for a word. "I just want to give it time."

"Fair enough." He nodded.

With a sigh, Tara seemed to shift her weight. "How about you?"

"You know me…" Jax let out a sigh of his own, attempting to muffle the name Rosie had breathed out when he'd found her. "I'm workin' through it."

"Yeah?" He didn't have to look at his childhood companion to know she was lifting her eyebrow in doubt.

"Yeah."

"Does that mean you'll let this go then?" Tara asked after a pause.

Jax knew exactly what she had been referring to, he looked down at Maise's head and gently brushed her soft hair.

"Sure thing." He mumbled.

Darvany Jennings.

Even with all the goddamn holes he'd put in her, the stupid cunt had fucking survived. And, it was a sure thing that when she came out of her medically induced coma that junkie trash would be wishing the cops had just let her bleed out.


Hey again! Sorry about the delay! It may not come across but I'm constantly working on my stories, it just takes a while until they're anywhere good enough to be posted.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think!