Everything was soft.

The feel of Jax's lips trailing her skin. The way his hands were trailing her body. The feeling of hair in her hands as she tugged when he hit a deep spot within her. They both were dripping with sweat at this point.

They both had woken up early on their own with no interruptions from Abel. Jax was leaving for his run to Arizona in a few hours and decided to take advantage. Since his coming home, they hadn't had much time for themselves between work and Abel. She could tell Jax was seeing that having a mobile toddler was just as interruptive as him crying for milk as a baby.

Delilah smiled against Jax's lips with the tips of her fingers on his jawline as he moved her leg up higher on his waist, which elicited a strangle moan from him.

"You can let go, Jax," she whispered as he sucked in a breath. She had cum twice already. She didn't know if she had a third one in her. Her thighs were soaked and she knew very soon would be aching from the position she was currently in alone.

Jax hadn't let go once.

She wasn't sure what was the motivation for this small marathon. She wasn't complaining about being with Jax this way. She found Jax said way more with sex than his words could ever say or what he wasn't saying.

It was purposeful she wasn't asking about the club. It wasn't as if she was disregarding such a blatant aspect of their life. She couldn't. She just didn't have it in her to ask about it and she really didn't want to know. She didn't want to know the reasons that the club had to take out the Russian mafia on her brother's wedding day.

Besides, she trusted Jax enough that he would tell her if anything serious was at risk.

"You gonna give me one more?"

"Jax, baby, I think I would pass out. Just let go."

"Only if you come with me."

"Jax…." she whined as he lowered himself. They were chest to chest. She held him tighter and wrapped her legs around him. She tightened herself purposely earning a deep moan from him.

He nipped at her lips as he pressed her lower belly with a free hand. Delilah closed her eyes as the pressure against her lower abdomen triggered another release. Jax rolled his hips a couple of times before she felt his release. He groaned in her neck as he rode out his release.

"You alright?" He mumbled in her neck.

"I think I'm lucky you are going away for a couple of days."

Jax placed another kiss on her lips, "You going to miss me?"

"Maybe," Delilah teased.

"After all that I get a maybe?"

"You might get a different answer if you take me to the bathroom. I don't think my legs will cooperate."

Jax huffed and it was an intricate dance as he gripped her tightly to contain the mess between them. She wrapped her legs around him tightly and was led to the bathroom.

Jax turned the knob on in the shower and she squealed loudly as he stepped in spraying them with cold water not giving it a minute to warm up.

He laughed as he placed her down on her feet.

"That's not funny!"

"Sorry," he said without any remorse.

"Not a good way to start the morning," she pouted as she stood under the water.

Jax came up behind her and place a kiss on her shoulder. "You haven't asked."

"Asked what?"

"About the bike show."

"I think we both know you are not going down there for a bike show," she told him. "If you want to tell me more you can, but I don't feel the need to hound you about it. Just don't have me looking stupid."

"It's just...after...after the baby -"

Delilah swallowed the lump in her throat. "You telling me things has nothing to do with what Hector did Jax."

"But it's because of what the club does...I put you in that position."

Delilah bit her lip as she tried to control the tightness she felt in her chest. "And what position is whatever you are doing at the bike show going to put me in?"

Jax sighed as he leaned back against the shower wall. He seemed to be mulling over his thoughts before their conversation is interrupted.

"Mommy, Daddy, I think I had an accident," Abel announced outside the shower door.

Gemma had a busy day for herself. With the boys gone for a couple of days, she was allotted time to figure out her moves in regards to Lily. She thought the best course of action would be to maybe visit Don. Get a feel for what his thoughts were or what he knew about his crazy fucking sister.

The morning at the shop was slow. She was just counting down to when it was time to pick up Abel from daycare.

So she sat at her desk and thought hard as to what could be Lily's endgame. If she told the truth to Jax what would that get her? Jax would kill Clay and she didn't know what Jax would do with the truth regarding her.

What would Jax do to his own mother?

Gemma chain-smoked until it was nearing lunchtime. She left Chucky in charge and made her way to the gym.

She bypassed the secretary and beelined into Don's office. She didn't bother knocking as she walked in and found him at his desk.

"You ever hear of knocking?"

Gemma ignored his quip as she closed his office door. "I need to talk to you."

"I kind of figure," he replied as he placed his pen down and looked at her. "What fire are you trying to start?"

"I don't start fires!" Gemma snapped. She didn't need to hear that stupid line from Clay and she didn't need to hear it from Donovan either.

"Mmm, whatever you say," he drawled. "What's the issue that you are coming to me about?"

Gemma took a seat in the office chair. "It's about your sister."

Donovan raised an eyebrow.

Gemma licked her lips. "I don't trust her. You know that."

"I thought you two were getting along?"

If he considered staying clear of each other then sure, they were getting along.

"I found a cover note that John wrote to her. He gave her some letters."

"You sure it wasn't the manuscript?"

"No, it's not that fucking manuscript," Gemma answered. "Jax and Delilah they have been through too much shit for this to come back up."

Donovan leaned back in his chair. "That I do agree with, but how do you expect to handle this, Gem? I don't think she would say anything."

"You're giving her too much credit, Don. She loved Phillip. Those kids were just a means to keep him."

"Don't say that!" Donovan snapped.

Gemma sighed. It shamed her to no end how Donovan was the most cynical person out of them all. Yet, for some reason, he still viewed his sister with rose-colored glasses after all this time. He didn't seem to reconcile the Lily that they both knew as kids was not the same Lily that married Phillip.

As much as Lily claimed to love Lip and Delilah, Gemma knew it wasn't true. Nothing should have stopped her from being a mother. Lily should have fought for her children. Instead, she saddled them with Donovan and wiped her hands clean of it all. If she were to ever reveal the truth of John's death, it wouldn't be for Jax or the kids' benefit, it would be for Phillip. For her need of revenge. Lily never cared about what happened to others around her.

She wasn't going to let her grandson get caught in this.

Donovan rubbed his forehead. "And you want me to what? Talk to her? Me talking to her is only going to lead to a headache I don't want."

"I don't know. I just...things are finally calm. I just want to protect the kids."

"Protect the kids or Clay?"

Gemma licked her lips. She had made her bed with Clay. She accepted all the lies, secrets, and death. She gave her permission for him to take out JT. It was for the good of the club. He had turned weak. He was a liability. Yet, despite her loyalty to Clay, he knew her loyalty was to her son. Besides, if Clay was voting in working with a Cartel and bringing in drugs, she wouldn't let him destroy this club like John tried to do.

"How can you look at me?" She asked him instead.

"What else am I supposed to do, Gem?" He answered sadly. "I trust what you thought you had to do was for the best of your family. I look at Jax...and think maybe it worked out for the best John wasn't here. I can't dwell on that Gem because it breaks my damn heart."

Lily smiled as she walked back to her office. She thought about maybe purchasing some sculpty baked oven clay to use with Abel and maybe even seeing if Isla would like to have an art day. So far, only Abel showed interest in drawing and ceramics.

She entered her office and was startled to see Piney dozing on the lounge chair she had. She frowned as she knew that it was not a coincidence that she had received a visit from Gemma and now Piney was in her office. Although, she didn't know what Piney could possibly want from her.

Lily approached cautiously and shook his shoulder. "Piney. You okay?"

Piney snorted awake. "Yeah, I just- sorry, I, I just let myself in."

Lily sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. "It's okay. What's, uh, what's going on?"

Piney cleared his throat. "Uh, I was thinking about the old times."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Hmm," Piney mumbled. "The club is headed into troubled waters."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Lily pressed.

"I'm not a fool. I know John had contingencies. Maureen, she is across the pond. Ain't much damage she can do. You knew things like Phillip knew things."

Lily snorted. "Whatever is going on with the club that is not my business."

"You and I both know you didn't come back here just for the kids -"

"Don't you -"

"Junkie or not, nothing would have stopped you from seeing those kids. I'm only confused as to why they let you live."

Lily took a shaky breath. "Whatever you believe that's on you. I am here trying to get to know my family again. The club -"

"The club is their family. What happens within the club -"

"Delilah and Lip both made their choices, Piney. I have to respect that." Lily didn't care about the club. Her kids were happy. She wanted to preserve that happiness.

"Why my best friend was afraid when he died, Lily?"

"You know the same thing as me Piney. He was trying to get the club out of the gun business. He knew it was a risk. Clay and the others were invested."

"And I'm taking Phillip's loose family connections with the IRA -"

Lily nodded her head. "Helped John set up a meeting in Belfast and that priest. Phillip and John were both killed before that could happen."

"John told you all this?"

"He wrote it down."

Piney perked up. He stood up from the chair "I want to read whatever it is. John was my friend. I have a right.

"Bullshit. What do you need it for? Start another war with Clay?" Lily did not need to get in between that man and the club again. She went to walk away when Piney grabbed her wrist.

"Hey. I need some goddamn leverage. And that pointed history you read may be…" Piney's eyes widened and she watched as he collapsed onto the ground.

Gemma knew that Delilah was probably going to chew her head off, but after visiting the Garden Center, owned by Rita Roosevelt, she knew this needed to be done.

The wife of the Sheriff had shocked her to the core when she revealed she was the one to start the committee to save the Central Charming Gardens. She didn't expect that coming from the uptight Sheriff's wife. So with Abel in tow, she bought a small green plant that her grandson insisted his mommy needed for her office, then they made their way to Cara Cara.

Gemma had only been here a few times since the remodel. She hated to say it, but it was way more professional-looking than Luann ever had it. Unlike previously, when you immediately walked into the studio, you weren't walking in on a scene being filmed. The lot was filled with three buildings. There was the office department, which was not connected to the other two buildings used for filming and storage, makeup, and costume. So even with Abel with her, he wouldn't be exposed to the scantily clad actors.

With Abel's hand held tightly with hers, she entered the lobby. They came across Delilah already at the front desk speaking with one of her receptionists, Stacy.

"Mommy!" Abel shouted.

Delilah smiled brightly and kneeled down as he ran into her arms. It pained Gemma that she would have two grandbabies if it wasn't for that bastard Hector.

"Hey, baby, what are you doing here?"

"Grandma and I gots you a plant."

"Oh, did you?" Delilah said and looked at her inquisitively.

Gemma held up the snake plant. "I need to talk to you." She watched a look of concern fly across her face. "The boys are fine," she assured. "It's about business."

"Okay," Delilah said. She placed a kiss on Abel's cheek and had Stacy watch him. Gemma followed Delilah to her office.

Delilah took the plant and placed it on her desk. "What's up?"

Gemma handed her the flyer from the flower shop. "I wanna sign you up for a committee- Charming Central Gardens. Need to raise money to save it."

"Minimum donation is $5,000. Expensive club. Is this a personal donation or business?"

"I was hoping personal."

"What's your angle on this?" Delilah asked.

"Nate taught me how to plant seed in that park. I am not gonna let 'em gut it and put up a goddamn Starbucks."

"You know Lyla and I are backing Charming Heights," Delilah informed her as she gave her back the paper.

Gemma had heard Clay's long rant on how he was pissed both Lip and Jax allowed that to pass. "You think that is best for Charming?"

"Progress needs to happen one way or another, or there won't be a Charming."

Both jumped startled as the office door slammed open revealing Lyla. "Something happened to Piney. He is at the hospital."

Gemma could have laughed. She should have expected Piney and Lily to be conspiring together. It was laughable that Piney would have a health scare and expose that little secret. She should have known. She can't believe she would let a small observation like that escape her notice. She eyed Don, who had Abel in his lap, Delilah was going to check on Piney first before taking Abel home. She gave him a pointed look. This was not good for the family.

She did not like where any of this was going.

Piney sighed as he lay in the hospital bed at St. Thomas. He didn't bother to listen to the doctor's words about his health. He knew he was dying and they were wasting time trying to fix the inevitable.

He knew his time was numbered and before he was to leave this godforsaken earth, he wanted to fix his club. He didn't know what the hell was going on for these boys to think working with the cartel was a smart idea. He didn't understand how Clay even had that much influence.

He didn't understand the picture he was seeing or how the club fell so hard.

His musings were interrupted by a knock at the door before it opened revealing Delilah.

She was too good for the bullshit that this club would get her mixed up in.

"You know the alcohol isn't helping."

"Yeah, I know," he replied gruffly.

She gave him a sad smile as she approached his bedside. "We need you, Piney. Opie can't lose you, ya know."

Piney snorted. He and Opie were distant from each other. Piney was seeing his grandchildren more. Mary had moved into his place and she split her time helping out. Yet, he and Opie couldn't connect. He didn't know what had happened in the past two years for that change to happen. They handled Stahl, but it didn't seem to help his son at all.

Instead, he got that cushy gig at Cara Cara and he heard Delilah and Lyla whispering about the various porn stars his son was keeping company.

"Opie will be fine. He has Jax and Lip."

"And you think that they don't need you either."

"How are you doing sweetheart?"

"I'm good, Piney. Happy Jax is home. Abel is happy and healthy."

Piney smiled at the thought of Abel. Abel was the spitting image of his father. He knew Don was proud of having a grandson.

"Abel happy to have his dad home?"

"Very," Delilah revealed.

Piney lifted up his hand and grabbed hers. "Hey, I want you to be careful, sweetheart."

"What's going on, Piney?"

Piney shook his head. "Just my old age. I just you and the kid to be safe. It's what John would have wanted."

"Piney -"

He cleared his throat and looked at the door. "Who else is out there? Don't want to keep all your time. If Abel is anything like his daddy, I know he's missing you."

He could tell Delilah didn't like being dismissed. Still, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and told him that she was sending in her uncle next.

Donovan didn't bother knocking as he walked through the door. He instead made himself comfortable in the chair next to the bed.

"It's funny Gemma came to my office today going on about Lily and the past. Then you pass out in her office."

"It's club business."

"Funny, my sister ain't a patched member." Donovan rubbed a hand down his face. "Is this about John?"

"Don -"

Donovan stood up. "You guys need to let this go. You put John on this pedestal...and he isn't worth it. I'm sorry but he ain't."

"Don't say that about him."

"John got you guys into guns. He went over to Ireland while Thomas was dying and created a whole goddamn family. Instead of fixing his issues here, he wrote about it. He left that manuscript and placed that burden on Jax. JT was a coward."

"You're saying Jax doesn't deserve the truth."

Donovan stood up. "Not in the way you and Gemma want him to have it."

Delilah was holding Abel's hand as they walked down the hallway of St. Thomas. She was going to head home and begin making dinner when she stopped at the sight of Rosie. For the past few months, she felt her friend distancing herself from her and the club.

"Rosie!"

Rosie looked up at her startled. "Oh, hey. Hi Abel."

"Hi, Aunty Rose," Abel said with a wave.

Rosie gave him a smile before looking at her. "Everything okay?"

Delilah nodded her head. "Yeah, I just haven't heard from you in a while."

"Just busy with work, ya know."

Delilah nodded her head. "I just thought maybe we could do lunch or something. I miss you."

"Hmmm..yeah sure if it's what you want," Rosie said as she fidgeted under her gaze.

"Rosie, did I -"

"Del, I'm sorry, I have to get this chart to a doctor, but I will text you okay."

Delilah frowned but nodded. She watched as Rosie dashed down the hall. Delilah picked up Abel and he placed his head on her shoulder. "Is Daddy going to be home?"

"Remember, I told you, Daddy is on a work trip. He'll be home the day after tomorrow. So you'll have two sleeps before he is home."

"He's coming back, right?"

"Of course, baby."

Jax and Lip were sharing a dorm for their trip to Arizona. The trip was already off to a bad start as the Tuscan charter had voted in selling drugs. It was a sticky situation considering there was an unspoken rule that the SONS did not deal in drugs. However, with this Cartel deal what was the difference between selling and muling as Armando pointed out. Jax knew they had no superiority considering the terms and conditions of the deal with the Cartel. They were just as dirty. Jax was starting to slightly regret the terms he made to get the President patch.

He could admit that he had solely been focused on the effects the mother charter was going to be feeling and not the organization as a whole. This was all basically a shit show. He laid back on his bed as he smoked his cigarette. He was unsure himself of how exactly they were going to get out of this cartel deal.

He knew it was going to come down to the guns. He wanted the club out of the guns, but he knew he couldn't just back out and leave both the Cartel and the IRA dry. He didn't know any crew that could realistically handle the high volume that both parties required. There was also the fact whoever got either business would potentially mess up the power balance on the streets. It meant soothing a lot of egos. Jax really didn't want to do with that as he knew whatever popped off would be blamed on him and his club would have to clean it up.

He didn't understand how the club got to this point. He didn't understand how they all let Clay get them to this point.

Jax's thoughts were broken as his cell phone began to buzz in his pocket. He smiled as Delilah's name flashed across the screen.

"Hey, babe," he greeted.

"Hi, Daddy!"

Jax laughed. "Hey, buddy." He looked at the clock and saw it was a little late and way past his son's bedtime. "What are you doing up this late?"

"Well, we were waiting for Daddy to call us to make sure he got there safe," Delilah replied back.

"I'm sorry, it's just been a little crazy."

"Hopefully, not too crazy," Delilah murmured.

"Nothing that we couldn't handle," he tells her.

"I want to talk to Daddy!" Abel piped up.

"Okay, okay," Delilah conceded. "Not too long because you need to go to bed mister."

Jax laughed as Abel came back on the phone and explained his day. His son and his old lady made every day worth it.