Nine stages of grief. That's what her therapist had told her. Over and over again. It had been at least six months since David's death and it's not like Anna expected to be over it by now. The therapist had explained to her that she had made it to the anger stage and in that six months, Anna had started to distance herself from the club. She wanted peace of mind. If she had to do this on her own, so fucking be it.
Anna's stomach has grown as she has now reached six months. It's no longer a secret that she's pregnant but she's kept most everyone out of the loop except for Tara. Everyone in Charming had their assumptions about it, but Anna knew the truth and that's all that mattered.
Anna sat in the living room, watching Olivia as she played with one of the neighbor's kids. It felt like some normalcy had come back into her and Olivia's life.
Olivia was coping much better than Anna could have imagined and for that, she was thankful. Olivia had made friends with the neighbor's kids but Anna kept their parents at arm's length.
Anna didn't want to mix with a lot of people, and most everyone knew who her family was. She just wanted a quiet life with her daughter and her unborn child.
There was a knock at the door, pulling Anna out of her thoughts. She looked up to find her brother standing there. At first she just doesn't want to answer but it's not like she can ignore him. She stood up and waddled over to the door, pulling it open.
It had been months since Jax saw his sister and he definitely did not expect her to be pregnant, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Can we talk?" Jax asked.
Anna wanted to slam the door in his face. She wanted to blame him. Blame Clay. Blame the club. She stepped out on the porch with her brother and took a seat on the swing beside him. Her hands fell in her lap as she picked at the rips in her jeans.
"How are you doin'?" He glanced over at his sister.
As much as she had been asked that over the last several months, she got real good at lying to everyone.
"Just trying to make it through." She sighed.
Jax fell silent for a moment. He couldn't have imagined the pain that Anna was feeling and a part of him felt guilty, though he'd never show it.
Anna stared at the floor, her hands sat on her stomach as the baby kicked. She wanted to push him, wanted to fight him but she could barely walk as it is. Silence fell between the siblings.
Jax was unsure of what to say, because he didn't want to apologize. He didn't want to show guilt for Hale's death.
"You're the reason he's dead." Anna spoke to him, the same way her father-in-law had spoken to her at the funeral.
Jax deserved that, but he'd never admit to it.
Anna closed her eyes as she leaned back against the swing. She had come to terms with losing David, no matter how painful it was. The only thing that bothered her was the nightmares she had, that constantly reminded her of that night. They had gotten better but not by much.
She inhaled a deep breath as Olivia came through the front door, climbing into her lap.
Jax ruffled her hair with a bright smile.
Olivia loved her uncle. She didn't know any different.
Anna let out a deep breath as she held onto her daughter.
"You know the club's all here." Jax told her.
She knew the club was there when they needed them, but she didn't want to need them. Any of them.
"Yeah I know." She answered.
Olivia looked up at her mother before she looked back at Jax, reaching for her uncle.
Jax grabbed Olivia. He held onto her.
"How are you? Abel?" Anna asked.
Jax glanced over at his sister.
"Making shit work. He's home with Tara." Jax answered.
Anna nodded her head. She was happy that her nephew was safe and finally home. She watched as Jax held Olivia.
Jax kissed Olivia's head before he sat her back down on her feet. He stood up and he helped his sister out of the swing.
"If you need anything, and I mean anything, call me or Tara." Jax hugged his younger sister, kissing her forehead.
Anna nodded her head and watched as her brother walked down the steps towards his motorcycle. She waved to him before she walked Olivia back into the house.
Olivia went back to playing in the living room.
Anna sat down at the table in the kitchen, staring at the floor for the longest. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to scream at Jax and pick a fight with Clay, but she couldn't. She had to stay calm for the baby.
The afternoon had turned to night and there was another knock at the door. Anna waved them in as she looked up to see her neighbor, Tina. There wasn't much conversation as Anna stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
"She can come over any time." Anna offered with a kind smile.
The other woman nodded her head.
"The same goes for Olivia." She offered.
Anna thanked her. She's sure that Tina knows the whole story, or at least has her assumptions about her.
The pair left and Anna closed the door behind them.
Anna sat down on the couch and Olivia climbed up with her, snuggling into her side. This was their life and it was up to Anna to keep her little family safe. She wasn't going to run from Charming, it was her home. She wasn't going to run from SAMCRO or Clay.
One day, she'd face him for what happened to David and it was coming. It had to wait just a few more months because Anna didn't want to put any stress on her body or her baby. It was her job to protect her family and no one else's.
Anna stood in front of her classroom once again and her students were ecstatic to see her. She was glad to finally be at work again. It was a welcome distraction even though she'd only be there for three months before she went on maternity leave. It had been a crazy year for Anna to say the least.
Once her class had settled in, there was a knock at the door. It was her vice principal and a woman Anna didn't quite recognize.
"This woman needs to speak with you." The vice principal announced quietly.
Anna nodded quickly as she stepped out into the hallway.
The other woman escorted Anna down to an empty conference room, gesturing for her to take a seat.
"I'm June Stahl, with the ATF." She introduced herself.
Anna glanced over at the woman with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not really sure why you need to speak with me."
Stahl slammed down a file on the table, opening it and she ran her finger down the page.
"Let's see, Annaliese Teller. Daughter of the founding father, John, stepdaughter of Clay, sister of Jax."
Anna pursed her lips as she looked back at the woman.
"I'm not sure what this has to do with me."
June paused to look at the woman.
"Surely you've gotta know what I'm after here."
Anna shrugged her shoulders in response. If it had anything to do with the club, she was clueless. She was not involved in anything regarding SAMCRO, never had been, never would be.
"My only tie is the fact I'm related to them, other than that, my hands are clean."
It was apparent that wasn't the answer that the agent was looking for.
"Married to David Hale?" Stahl asked.
The mention of David's name put Anna on alert.
"What about him?" Anna looked over at the woman.
Stahl didn't answer at first, but there's a smirk on her lips.
"Sorry to hear about his death." There was no remorse in her voice.
Anna chewed the inside of her cheek.
"If I'm free to leave, I need to go back to work."
There was a pause from the agent.
"I'll remember David. He was a good guy. Knew what he was doin'."
Anna looked back at the woman. The statement didn't set right with her.
"You can leave me out of this. As far as the club goes, I don't know anything about what they do or who they do it with. Don't you dare mention David's name either."
Anna stood up slowly before she moved towards the door, pulling it open and leaving the agent behind. She went back to her classroom and went about her day like normal, though the words from the agent rang through her mind.