Fighting Destiny 7

Chapter 9 Bringing Back the Past

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Gemma was furious with Jax, Tara and Clay. Her son and his new wife bitch Tara were betraying her in the worst possible way—they were going to move not just to another city but to another state. And there was her darling husband who was just sitting on his ass not lifting a finger to do anything about it.

She had always known that Clay was jealous of Jax. Jax was better looking and much smarter, but there had to be more to it than that. Jax had enjoyed being president of SAMCRO while Clay was in prison. She wondered if Clay was afraid if Jax stayed around after he'd had a taste of running the club, Jax might challenge him for leadership. That had to be why Clay was letting Jax leave. Jax might have even threatened Clay that if Clay didn't go along with his leaving the MC, he would challenge him for the presidency.

Clay might not be of any help in getting Jax to stay in Charming if she had that figured right, but she intended to find out from Clay. She decided to wait until morning when the likelihood the conversation would escalate into a big fight were lower.

As Clay ate his oatmeal, Gemma waited for the right moment and that was when he began to drink his orange juice.

"I'm still surprised you are OK with Jax leaving," Gemma said.

"How can we make him stay in the club when he feels he needs to be out for his sons? Brotherhood is about doing what's best for our brothers. I respect Jax for making a decision that he believes is in the best interest of his sons," Clay said.

"That sounds noble," Gemma scoffed, "but you don't believe it anymore than I do. Jax's father started SAMCRO. He is destined to be its president. Abel is destined to take the gavel from Jax."

Clay didn't understand Gemma's view of the MC as some kind of dynasty that is passed from son to son. It was a motorcycle club. That was all. She just couldn't get it through her head that she wasn't the queen of Charming and Jax wasn't the prince.

"You can believe what you want, but the club won't stand in Jax's way. I've told him that and I'm not going back on my word."

"You want to know what I think? I think you're afraid that Jax will challenge your leadership of the MC if he stays. You want him to leave."

"It's time Jax grew up and made his own choices without your constant interference," Clay said. He drained his glass of orange juice and got to his feet. "Maybe if you hadn't been such an overbearing bitch constantly meddling in his life and trying to break up his relationship with Tara, he wouldn't have come to this decision. You've brought this on yourself."

Gemma held her tongue. She didn't want to get bounced off the walls and hit. There might come a time when she would provoke Clay to the point of violence to use that to manipulate Jax, but this wasn't that time.

Clay kissed her good-bye.

"I'm going to be a little late," Gemma said.

"What else is new?" Clay said as he shut the door.

"Bastard," Gemma said.

If women could be in SAMCRO, she wouldn't need Clay. He was supposed to hold SAMCRO together until Jax was ready to lead. If she could get Clay to step down, maybe Jax would stay. Until Clay's hands were so crippled he couldn't ride, he wouldn't step down. He liked being president and the money and power that came from being head of the table. It made him a force to b reckoned with in this town. She would never be able to persuade Clay to step down.

There was no other option she could think of short of killing Tara. She picked up her cell phone, went to her contact list and called Wendy. Maybe the passage of time had mellowed Wendy a little. They hadn't parted on the best of terms.

She sort of led Wendy to believe that she and Jax had a chance of being a real family with Abel. She had downplayed the threat Tara posed to the family reunion.

She had hoped that Jax would see a freshly rehabbed Wendy and decide that he should give Wendy another chance and he should be a family with Wendy. The plan would have worked too if Tara hadn't gotten her hooks so deeply into Jax that he couldn't get free.

She didn't understand why he couldn't see that Tara might have been his first love, but that didn't mean she was going to be his last love. Hell, she couldn't even remember the name of her first love. First love is something you experience and move on from to the next. She wished she could get that through Jax's thick stubborn head.

Now, she needed Wendy to stop Jax from leaving town. The downside was having Wendy around but that was a small price to pay to keep her son and her grandsons in town.

"Hey, Wendy, it's Gemma."

There was a long pause. For a moment Gemma thought something was wrong with the connection.

"What do you want?"

"Wanted to check in on you and see how you're doing."

Wendy gave a short bitter bark of laughter.

"Best joke ever. Cut the crap, Gemma. What do you want?"

So much for subtly bringing up the reason for her call. She should have known she couldn't fool the junky whore, Gemma thought. Wendy had the instincts of an alley cat.

"I don't suppose you heard that Jax got married," Gemma said.

"Should I guess the identity of the happy bride?" Wendy asked sarcastically. "Is that what this call is about? Jax married Tara and you thought calling me would fill me with joy."

"No, that's not it exactly. Jax has new plans for the future that should worry the shit out of you. He and Tara plan to take Abel to Louisiana to live."

"Who is Abel going to live with?" Wendy asked confused. She couldn't imagine in a million years that Jax would leave Charming.

"Them. Jax says he's going to leave the MC and move to Louisiana. You'll have no chance of reconnecting with Abel."

Wendy had been in the middle of getting dressed for her job as an addiction counselor. She stopped with just her shirt bra and panties on and sat down on her bed.

"He's really leaving?" Wendy couldn't believe her ears.

"He says he is. It's too bad you haven't gotten to know Abel. He's at a real cute age. He's a smart little guy. Knows his colors and his alphabet. He goes to preschool at the hospital a couple of days a week."

Wendy felt an ache in her heart for the baby she had nurtured inside her body and then walked away from.

"What do you want from me?" Wendy demanded.

"Just thought you might have something to say about your son leaving the state. You know he calls Tara mommy. He doesn't even know you exist."

"When are they leaving?" Wendy's voice was unsteady.

"In a couple of weeks. This could be your last chance to see Abel."

"So are you calling for Jax letting me know I can see Abel before they take him away?"

"Not exactly. I'm calling hoping that you will decide to be a mother and prevent Jax from taking Abel out of state."

"Now I get it," Wendy said angrily. "You want me to do your dirty work for you. Nothing ever changes with you."

"How can you live with yourself never knowing your son?"

"Good-bye, Gemma," Wendy said ending the call. Her eyes filled with tears. Gemma's words hit her hard.

Gemma's instincts told her that Wendy was rattled and upset. Now all she needed was for Wendy to return to Charming.

Wendy could stop Jax from taking Abel out of California. Did Wendy have enough of the junkie whore in her to fight for Abel, Gemma wondered.