Lip watches as Isla tentatively eats her spaghetti and meatballs. After checking on his sister, who claimed she was okay, which he knew was total bullshit, he had grabbed Isla to go. However, his mom had been there and learning she was staying in a motel, he had offered dinner and the spare room.
So now it was an awkward dinner as he munched on noodles and meatballs, Isla's chewing, and his mother's soft compliments about the food. Lip takes another swing of his beer when Isla breaks the silence.
"I heard mom is back in town."
It's a miracle that he doesn't choke on the liquid as it has trouble going down his throat. "Where did you hear that from?"
"Around." She replies.
Lip eyes his mother, who shrugs her shoulders.
"She is. I talked to her earlier yesterday."
"I don't want to see her."
Lip is taken back by that. "If you don't want to see her. I'm not going to force you too, but –"
"But what?"
Lip furrows his brows at this newfound attitude of his daughter's.
"I think what your dad is trying to say is that him telling your mom might not be enough. You're at least going to have to see her once to let her know."
"This is all just stupid." Isla summarizes. "May I be excused?" She asks despite already sitting up and grabbing her plate and cup.
"Yeah, sure," Lip tells her.
Lip watches her head into the kitchen and he begins to finish he large plate of pasta. He almost forgets his mom is sitting across from him.
"You're doing a good job with her."
Lip looks up at his mother. "Doesn't feel like it, but thanks."
"May I ask what went wrong between you and Nina?"
"Drugs. We were both young and dumb. We shouldn't have gotten married. Even then I shouldn't have prolonged it for 10 years."
"You loved her."
"I love Isla. I thought trying to make it work with Nina would have been good for her."
"Do you think it's best for them not to have a relationship?"
"What is this twenty questions?"
Cheryl places her fork down. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to understand –"
"There's nothing to understand. Nina is a junkie. She makes all these promises only for me or my daughter to find her passed out in her own vomit. She had 12 years to get better for Isla. Not me or anything else, but her daughter. And she couldn't even do that. Everything that has happened between her and Isla is all on her. I'm not going to force Isla to play nice."
Cheryl nods her head as she licks her lips. "I'm just saying I can understand Nina –"
"I'm not an idiot I know the two of you can relate." Lip snaps. "And I'm not in the mood to hear a pity party for Nina or how she is her mother. It takes more than blood to be a mother something I'm sure you can understand."
"Phillip –"
"Don't call me that."
"I'm not trying to start trouble."
"You never do." Lip says as he stands up from the table. "Look, you want to get close to the kids that is fine. I'm trusting Cheyenne's judgement on this, but me and you will never have a relationship. Unlike Chey, my memories aren't hazy of your benders with Dad. You left us. I'm sorry you decided to look back now, but I'm not and I won't."
. . .
Jax thought he had known anger because once the fucking Cartel, who were actually the CIA, had laid bare to all the plotting Clay had done that got Cheyenne hurt in the long run, all he could see was fucking red.
He felt like an idiot for trying to stop Opie from killing the man. And even worse, the Irish won't deal with him and only Clay.
And as he pulls in front of his house where Opie and Lip are waiting outside, he looks up to his house where the lights are on to where his family rests. He knows things won't be the same after tonight. Not now as he knows all the truths that people were trying to keep from him.
He approaches his two best friends, who are eyeing him warily. As he looks at Lip, he already knows that the man knows the truth about Piney and Clay's role in it. However, Jax knows that if Lip gets whiff of the truth about Cheyenne, the man will kill Clay with no hesitation.
"How's the wrist?" He asks Opie.
Opie brings up the injured arm. "It's fine, considering a bullet just went through it."
Jax nods his head as he looks between the two. "Thanks for coming by."
"What's so important that we're having a church session outside of your house?" Lip implores as he crosses his arms.
"Clay killed Piney."
"You should have let me finish it." Opie mutters darkly.
"We can't kill him, Ope." Jax tells him.
"And why in the fuck now? Considering all the shit Clay has put us through we have more than enough reason." Lip adds.
"Galan won't deal with me. We need to keep Clay alive to handle this cartel thing." Jax explains to him.
Opie clenches his jaw. "We don't need Galindo."
"If I kill this Mexican alliance, the whole club suffers."
"Sounds like bullshit Jax. Just spit out the fucking truth."
Jax sighs. "I need you both. Ope, I need you my left. Be my VP. Lip, my Sergeant at Arms."
Lip bristles while Opie's face remains impassive. "And how does that work with Clay still around?"
"Clay stepped down. It's our club now."
Opie looks confused. "I... I don't get it. Why are you staying? What the hell happened today?"
"I need you to trust me." Jax requests.
"Give me a reason."
Jax places his hands on his hips. "I'll tell you everything. And the club. I just got to do it at the right time."
Opie sneers. "In my book, that's lying."
"We got church in an hour. I want you there."
Opie doesn't bother with a reply as he walks down the driveway to his truck. Lip stands back, "What the fuck happened?"
"We can't just drop the Cartel without a plan."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Lip responds. "You were getting out. Now you're becoming President. What does that mean for Cheyenne and the boys?"
"It means that they go while I try and fix things. I'm not going to force her to stay here."
Lip laughs as he tugs at his beard. "You sound so fucking stupid. What is there for you to fix? What do you get out of it if you're leaving?"
"Just tell me now if you're going to be at my right or not?" Jax asks.
"Of course. You know I will, but I'm not going to follow you blindly man."
"I don't expect you too."
"Then what does keeping Clay alive mean? What happened at the meet?"
Jax runs a hand down his face. "Tomorrow. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Fine."
"I'll see you at Church." Jax tells him as he heads into the house.
. . .
Cheyenne is sitting in the recliner in the living room already knowing what Gemma did with the letters. She isn't stupid. Gemma just wanted to save herself. The worst thing that could happen to Gemma was not being a part of her family – to be shunned. If Jax knew about his mom's role in his father's death that was exactly what would happen. Cheyenne could say she didn't know if Jax would kill his own mother. A part of her didn't want to think about Jax in that way – to think the man she loved was capable of murdering his own mother, but it was all what Gemma practically groomed him for.
Cheyenne is just trying to understand why Gemma was so possessive – protective – of her place as Queen of Charming and the President patch of the club. Even as she read the letters, she didn't understand what the club had to lose by going legit. Even through John's sorrows and pains as he explained the bloody gun business, she didn't understand how that made John weak. How it was a threat. She didn't understand why he didn't leave as Jax stated when he was released. Maybe she had been underestimating the influence Gemma had over everyone.
Cheyenne is in Thomas' room resting on the day bed as he plays on her lap. She is glad her babies are young enough to not be fully aware of what was happening, but one day they would be. They would know what their father and family was capable of.
Cheyenne is tickling her son's belly when Jax enters the room.
"Did you kill him?" She asks.
Jax doesn't say anything, but grabs Thomas from her lap and places him in his crib. He walks back and sits next to her on the day bed. "You should've told me."
Cheyenne bites her lip as she knows she should've, but she likes to think she knows Jax. He would've made no hesitation in killing Clay and it would've pushed him deeper into the club. But maybe she should've told him sooner because than she wouldn't have a broken wrist and what happened to her wouldn't make his hate for Clay burn worse. She believes maybe if she told him earlier it wouldn't be so messy now.
"Like you should've told me Opie shot Clay?" She counters.
She watches him give her a strained smile. "I just want to protect you from this shit, Chey."
Cheyenne gives him a watery smile. "I was just trying to protect you for once."
Jax leans forward as he brushes her hair out of her face. She knows something is seriously wrong as she can feel him begin to tremble. "Jax, what happened?"
"The CIA is behind this Irish-cartel hookup. They've been playing us. If I kill Clay, the Irish walk away, the deal falls apart, and the Feds take us all down." He tells her with shaky breaths.
"Oh, my God."
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone, Cheyenne, but I can't have any more secrets."
Cheyenne nods her head. She tries to process what he has told her and how they would simply navigate this mess, but then it hits her. It's seems almost worse than him possibly facing 25 years to life. Tears sting her eyes. "You have to stay."
"Walking away from my club is one thing, but letting it die I can't. It's part of me…" Jax lets his tears fall freely. "I'm so sorry. I know you have to go. Take our kids, go to Oregon. I'll send you all the money you need." Jax leans forward and presses a soft kiss to her lips as he rests his forehead against hers, "I love you so much."
Cheyenne wipes the tears from his face with her thumb. He goes to get up, but she grabs his hand. "Jackson…"
Jax already knows what she is going to say. His hand cradles her face as he pleads with her, "Cheyenne, you have to go, please."
"I can't…I'm not leaving here without - "
"Cheyenne – "
"No, Jax," Cheyenne insists. "I am staying right here in Charming with you. I'm not going anywhere."