Fighting Destiny 10

Chapter 8 New Future Plans

"

Jax was nervous. He had thought through this moment so many times and he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Gemma wasn't going to take the news well, but in the end what she wanted didn't matter.

"Tara and I have been talking about the future of our family. While Clay was in prison, a man and his wife came through in a big RV. They had a couple of bikes that needed repair.

"Turns out the guy had a bar and restaurant in this little town in Louisiana called Bon Temps. It seemed like such a great place and he wanted to sell his business. Tara and I visited when we took that two week vacation. We decided it would be a great place to raise our boys."

The color drained from Gemma's face. She thought she might either be having a heart attack or an out of body experience, possibly both. This couldn't be happening.

"It's a great little town," Tara added

"I can't stand Cali anymore," Jax continued. "We're being taxed to death between sales tax, state income tax, gasoline taxes, property tax and federal income tax. The state government is a joke and the governor is a clown. The quality of life has declined. Even riding my bike is dangerous because the streets are in such poor repair. Tig went down because he hit a huge pothole. I don't want the boys to grow up here," Jax said.

"Is this because you want to be president of SAMCRO now?" Gemma asked.

Gemma couldn't understand what was happening. The shock was too great. It couldn't be just because Jax was tired of living in California. There were a lot of taxes that kept getting higher and things had changed and not for the better, but Jax had lived in Charming all his life. He loved Charming. There had to be something else behind this decision.

Jax was going to be president of SAMCRO and then Abel was going to be president. That was Jax and Abel's destiny. If Jax wanted to be president and that's what this whole thing was about, Clay would just have to step down early.

Clay knew from Gemma's tone of voice that she would have tossed him aside if it meant keeping Jax in Charming. Stupid bitch didn't realize that if he stepped down as president, her standard of living would take a plunge.

Did she expect him to step down and stay in SAMCRO? Clay wondered. That would be humiliating having to sit at the table and watch Jax run the club he helped create.

"The MC has nothing to do with this. This is about finding a better way of living for my sons," Jax replied.

Gemma jumped to her feet startling Baby Nate. He stopped sucking his bottle. His little pink face puckered with fear and he began to cry.

"It's OK, sweetie," Tara crooned softly. "I'm going inside to finish feeding him and then I'll be back unless you need me sooner."

"I've got this," Jax said.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Jax?" Gemma yelled once Tara and the baby were inside.

"I'm doing what my father would want me to do. I found this manuscript that he wrote about the club. He realized that he'd been a shit father because he'd spent so much time with the club. He intended to leave the club, divorce you, take me and get a fresh start somewhere else. He was conveniently killed in an accident."

Clay and Gemma exchanged covert looks. JT's accident was deliberate. JT's death freed Gemma to marry him and saved her from a financially devastating divorce. It was that simple.

"Your father was having a mid-life crisis," Gemma shouted. "He was searching for a direction. I would never have let him take you. You are my only son. I love you and I love my grandsons. You can't take them away from me."

Jax stood up and faced his mother.

"I am their father. I decide what is best for them and it's best for them that we leave California. I've already signed the papers to buy the bar and restaurant, Tara's going into family practice. She's sold her house and we're going to rent out mine."

Gemma felt her knees weaken. Maybe if she passed out Jax would see how upset she was but she remained conscious. She could fake a heart attack, but Dr. Knowles would figure that out pretty fast. Pasty faced bitch.

Instead, she took a breath trying to calm herself and slow the beating of her heart. It was beating so fast and hard, it felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She sat back down at the table still unable to fully accept what was happening.

"If you don't care about me, if you don't care about your sons getting to know their grandmother, you should at least care about your MC. That is your birthright. That is your father's legacy to you and to your sons."

"It's a fucking motorcycle club. It's not some kingdom that gets passed down from son to son. Clay's a great president," Jax said trying hard to pretend he believed his words. "The club will do just as well without me. My real flesh and blood sons are more important to me than some guys in a motorcycle club. That's what my father came to realize too late. Well, it's not too late for me, for my wife and for my sons."

Gemma had never seen Jax like this. He was unreasonable, refusing to listen to her. He had no right to take her grandsons away from her. He had no right to leave her alone in Charming. He had no right to throw away his birthright. Jax was supposed to be SAMCRO president. Clay was only keeping the chair warm until Jax was ready to lead.

"How can you turn your back on your MC?" Gemma demanded.

"I'm turning towards my sons. Look at the guys in the MC. None of them have good relationships with their kids. Most of them don't even have old ladies. The live a hard partying lifestyle that isn't compatible with being a father with two young sons."

"They won't let you out," Gemma said confident that Clay would back her up. Jax wouldn't leave if he left on bad terms with the club. That would mean no one in any of the charters could even speak to Jax.

"If Jax feels he needs to leave for the sake of his sons, SAMCRO won't stand in his way," Clay said. "The guys will understand that."

Gemma stared at Clay unable to understand how he could just calmly accept that Jax was leaving the club. It hit her then; Clay knew of Jax's intention to leave the club. He had already given Jax the OK. Traitorous bastard.

Tara returned holding Baby Nate who smiled at everyone. She sat down at the table, the baby cradled in her arms. Baby Nate sucked on his pacifier looking at all the faces at the table with interest.

"How can you be OK giving up your career as a surgeon?" Gemma demanded.

"I haven't been happy at my job for quite awhile. It's a very high stress job. Many of the infants are high risk surgeries and they don't make it or live with a poor quality of life. It's depressing. I can't do it anymore. I'm board certified in family practice and the town we're moving to needs a doctor. It's what I want to do now. It's best for the boys."

Gemma couldn't crack the wall Jax and Tara had put up against her. There was no way she was going to let her son leave Charming and take her grandsons. She was perfectly fine if Tara wanted to leave. In fact, that was the best solution. Tara should move and leave the boys with her and Jax.

"Is there anything we can do to change your mind?" Clay asked.

Clay had no interest in changing Jax's mind. He was putting on an act for Gemma's benefit. His wife would have a lot more time on her hands to take care of him when she wasn't busy constantly interfering in Jax's life and taking care of her grandsons.

"No," Jax said firmly. "We will be leaving in a couple of weeks."

"SAMCRO won't be the same without you," Clay said.

"My boys need a full-time father. The MC can do with one less full-time brother."

"What about TM?" Gemma demanded. "Did you forget about that?"

"I won't be on TM's payroll anymore, but I'm still entitled to my monthly share of the profits from the business or Clay can buy me out."

"How could you have done all this behind my back?" Gemma's anger was back.

"This isn't your decision to make," Jax said quietly. "It's time for me to be a man and make a man's decisions."

He wasn't going to feed into Gemma's anger. He was learning to control his temper and his impulsiveness. It was all part of wanting to be a good father to his boys by setting a good example.

Gemma wasn't about to give up until Jax changed his mind and decided to stay in Charming and SAMCRO. She could see that further talk wasn't going to do any good at that time. It was better to just leave and come up with a plan to keep Jax, his new wife and her grandsons in Charming.

"Let's go," Gemma said turning to Clay. "There's no point in us staying any longer."

Neither Jax nor Tara tried to convince Gemma that she and Clay should stay. It was getting cold. It was time to go inside. Everyone stood up and went inside.

While Gemma said good-night to Abel, Tara took Baby Nate back to the bedroom for a diaper change. It never ceased to amaze her how many diapers she went through in a day.

Gemma came into the room, her big tote bag over her shoulder. She dug in her bag and handed Tara the large crucifix that used to belong to Luann Delaney. It was the special one that Otto had given to her on their wedding day.

It wasn't just a simple crucifix. It pulled apart. The bottom of the ornately carved crucifix became a handle for the knife that was concealed inside the cross.

Tara hadn't said why Otto wanted it. Gemma didn't really care other than after the events of the day, she hoped it was for something bad involving Tara. That's why she didn't warn her that the crucifix was not only a cross but a knife.

"Thanks Gemma," Tara said. "Louisiana isn't that far. A couple of hours by plane. We'll be back to visit and you can visit us."

Gemma knew that Tara was just trying to smooth things over. She didn't buy a word the bitch said.

Well, whatever Otto planned to do with the crucifix, it couldn't be good. If something fatal happened to Tara, Jax wouldn't leave. He would need his mother.

Gemma hoped that Otto was so angry with SAMCRO that he would kill Tara. That would solve her problems.

It suddenly hit Gemma that if Otto didn't kill Tara, she had a back-up plan. Tomorrow, she would put that in motion.