It was the following morning, and Lena let out a small yawn. Ever since Gemma called her earlier that morning to tell her that Jax, Clay, and the rest of SAMCRO had all been arrested and taken to the San Joaquin County Corrections facility, she had trouble falling back to sleep.
It was like the shit just kept piling.
Now she was sitting in the clubhouse, with a squirming Abel on her lap, while she and Gemma were talking with SAMCRO's lawyer, Rosen. The three of them were trying to figure out their next step into trying to get the guys out of jail.
"They're completely jamming us." Gemma spat bitterly, her entire demeanor was shaky. "Seven figure bail, no court date. It's all fucking bullshit."
Rosen sighed heavily. "Apparently, there's evidence. Security tapes —women and children running for their lives."
Gemma was getting frustrated, and Lena was starting to feel sick to her stomach. It was like they couldn't catch a break.
"Jesus Christ," Gemma muttered, "you saw what happened to Otto. They got no protection in there."
"I know." Rosen nodded in a agreement.
"So, what about a bondsman?" Lena questioned, trying to re-situate Abel in her arms. To add to an already crappy morning, the infant was being a little too cranky. It was like he almost knew that something had gone wrong with his father.
This time Rosen let out a deep breath, calculating the figures of what would need to be paid. "Uh, we're looking at 500 thousand a head, at 10 percent. So, you would need 300 thousand to get the six of them out."
"I can post the house." Gemma offered immediately.
"I can post my grandfather's house as well." Lena threw in right after.
"That's enough to get Clay out," Rosen explained, "maybe Jax. That's it."
Gemma shook her head. "Clay won't leave any of 'em behind."
Rosen knew this as well. "I'm sorry, Gemma." He quickly reached in his pocket and pulled out a small, yellow scrap of folded paper. "Clay needs you to call Laroy to deliver this message ASAP." He then handed the scrap over to Gemma, who immediately collected it. "I never saw it —never gave it to you." He told both women, before gathering his things and making a hasty exit.
Now it was Gemma's turn to sigh, as she looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. "Shit." She spat.
"What the hell are we gonna do now?" Lena questioned in agitation. They were not about to let these boys rot.
"We'll figure it out, sweetheart." Gemma said, turning to look at Lena, who was still struggling with a squirming Abel. "Neeta not taking Abel today?"
Lena released a shuddered breath, turning the infant in her arms and beginning to pat his back soothingly. "No, she's not feeling too good. Told her I'd take care of Abel myself."
Lena was relieved as Abel was starting to calm.
"He doing okay?"
Lena nodded, rocking Jax's mini-me gently. "He's fine. He's just being a little cranky today." She patted his bottom and it felt a bit squishy underneath her touch. "And now I know why." She giggled softly, standing to her feet. "I'm gonna go change him."
"Okay," Gemma said, "I got a phone call to make."
Lena quickly grabbed the diaper bag and headed toward Jax's dorm.
Lena, with Abel settled on her right hip, while she carried his car seat in her left hand, made her way out of the clubhouse. She walked outside just in time to see Mary, Opie's mother, dropping off Opie's kids, Ellie and Kenny. Mary gave her a small wave as she drove by and off the lot.
"Hey," Lena spoke, as she approached her Old Man's best friend and his kids.
"Hey, Aunt Lena," both Kenny and Ellie said at the same time.
"What's going on?" Lena looked back and forth between the three individuals, trying to assess the situation.
"Grading day at school." Opie stated monotonously, folding his arms across his chest. "Mary just dropped them off."
Lena immediately noticed that Opie could barely look at his kids. Sighing heavily, Lena turned back to the kids. "Could you guys give us a minute? I need to talk to your dad really quick."
The two kids nodded, and Lena told them to wait in Gemma's office. Once the kids were completely out of sight and ear shot, Lena turned her attention back to Opie.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." The tall biker snipped, making his way back into the garage. "What did Rosen say?"
Lena followed right behind Opie, adjusting Abel in her arms. "Well, we have to somehow come up with 300gs to get all six of them out. Gemma and I are posting the houses, but it's only enough for Clay and maybe Jax."
Opie nodded, picking up a wrench to adjust a lug nut on the tire of an old Camry. "I'll check to see what I can add to it."
"Okay," Lena nodded, but something was still seeming off with Opie, "you're sure you're alright?"
Opie stopped what he was doing to look down at her. "I said I'm fine."
Lena released a shuddering breath. She knew that Opie was still having a hard time with Donna's death. "Look, I'm not working today and since I have Abel, you want me to take Kenny and Ellie with me? You can just come pick them up from Jax's house later."
"You'd do that?" Opie questioned unsure.
Lena nodded. "Of course. They can hang out with me today so they won't have to be here."
Opie took a few seconds, before nodding as well. "Thank you, Lee."
"No problem." Lena gave Opie a warm, endearing smile. "I'm here whenever you need me." She went to walk away, but stopped shortly and turned back to Jax's best friend. "They're your kids, Ope. You're gonna have to be their father. If not for yourself," a beat, "then for Donna."
This day just kind of went by in a blur. Lena spent the day with a still cranky six month old and Opie's kids. Charming was a very small town, so there wasn't much to do. Lena tried to keep the kids entertained while making sure that Abel had his needs. She finally came to the realization that parenting was hard.
But the one thing about hanging out with the kids, it kept her mind a little distracted from what was happening. Until the house became quiet.
It had been hours and Lena had still not heard anything yet about what was going on with Jax and the guys. Gemma told her that she was going to visit an old friend to try to see if he could help with SAMCRO's bail. Lena knew that this old friend happened to be Elliot Oswald. She'd known that SAMCRO had used Charming's prosperous business tycoon to foot the bill for their misadventures in the past.
Gemma had yet to return with any news, and Lena was beginning to worry. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that this day would come. She knew that Jax's reckless life would finally catch up with him. But she just didn't expect that it'd be today. Before Jax started giving her full disclosure of the club business, she knew that what SAMCRO did for a living wasn't exactly on the legal side of the law.
Growing up around the club for half of her life, Lena had watched as club member after club member had been taken away in handcuffs. Some of them returned and some of them didn't.
Including Jax.
God, she was so worried for Jax. It was starting to make her sick to her stomach.
Gemma was right, with all the shit they had been dealing with, SAMCRO had no protection on the inside. Jax had told Lena some time ago, after his first stint in County, that being in there was like survival of the fittest. Kill or be killed.
This did not quell the nerves in her stomach.
The sound of the front door to Jax's home being opened caught Lena off guard. She looked up just in time to see Gemma now making her way into the kitchen.
"Well?" Lena was the first to speak, feeling her patience running thin. "What did Elliott Oswald say?"
Gemma released a heavy sigh, setting her purse down on the kitchen counter. She just shook her head, feeling disappointed by it all.
"Shit." Lena seethed in frustration, the feeling of dread, along with the nausea, now settling in the pit of her stomach. "Now what? We can't just leave them in there, Gemma."
"I know, sweetheart." Gemma stated calmly, even though she was panicking on the inside. Her husband, son, and their brothers were not safe. "We'll figure it out. Where's Abel?"
Lena swallowed thickly, trying to calm her own jittery nerves. She had no idea how Gemma was handling all of this. "I put him down for the night a little while ago."
"I'm gonna go check on him, okay?" Gemma said, making her way over toward Lena. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, while giving the girl's upper arms a small squeeze. "Our boys will be coming home. I promise you that." She then turned heel and made her way out of the kitchen to her grandson's nursery.
Lena believed Gemma, but something in her gut was telling her otherwise. She barely had time to continue her silent panicking when there was a sudden knock on the front door. She quickly tried to collect herself, as much as she could, before heading toward the front door. Upon answering it, she was very surprised to find a petite blonde now standing in front of her.
Lena knew she had seen this girl before, when it hit her that she was one of Luann's girls. She had no idea what the girl was doing here, and whatever she wanted, Lena surely didn't have the time or the patience for it.
"Hey, I'm Lyla." The blonde gave a nervous wave, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "I'm here to pick up Opie's kids."
Lena's brows furrowed in confusion. This was news to her. Opie was supposed to be picking up his own kids. "Where's Opie?"
Lyla immediately knew that this wasn't going to be an easy task. She was already being judged. None of this was exactly new to her. When other women knew what she did for a living, she was usually met with cold shoulders and jealous glares. It wasn't her fault that other women's husbands and boyfriends decided to get their jollies off to her movies. That was a them problem. She was just trying to take care of her kid. "He's doing something for the club. I gotta pick up my kid at my mom's —told Opie I'd take them all for some food."
"They've already been fed." Lena told the blonde in a snippy tone.
Lyla released a defeated sigh. "Look, I'm just tryna help Opie."
"Lyla right? You're one of Luann's girls?" Lena questioned, folding her arms across her chest. Lyla nodded in response. "I understand you're trying to help Opie, and I'm sure you're a nice girl and all—"
"Aside from the fact that I'm some hottie your boyfriend jerks off to?" Lyla quickly cut Lena off.
Lena scoffed in mostly irritation, but slight annoyance. "No offense, honey, but my man isn't into the whole underdeveloped tween thing." She bit back. "It's not really my place to judge you or what you do for a living, Lyla. It's the fact that we don't know you, and I'm not exactly comfortable with handing my godchildren off to a total stranger. You should understand that, right?" She didn't wait for an answer, before continuing, "I'll just tell Opie, there's been a change of plans." She finished by casually closing the door on the blonde pornstar.
Making her way through the living room to find both Kenny and Ellie still asleep on the couch, Lena quickly made her detour back into the kitchen. The only place she felt she could have a meltdown in private.
"Who was at the door?" Gemma made her reappearance back in the kitchen.
"He's got to be out of his goddamn mind." Lena exasperated, and Gemma just looked at her in confusion. "Opie. He sent one of Luann's girls here to pick up the kids."
"You're kidding me?"
"Nope." Lena replied with a heavy pop of her p. "I know he's still going through a hard time with Donna, but what the hell was he thinking?"
"He's not thinking." Gemma answered, grabbing her purse. "Look, I'm gonna head back to the garage. Now that we've been shorthanded, I've got a shit ton of paperwork to do. I'll let you know if anything changes."
"Okay." Lena nodded, reciprocating Gemma's hug and then watching as she walked out of the house.
Jax sat quietly and impatiently in the interrogation room. His knuckles and face slightly throbbed from the bruises he received when he and Clay finally came to blows. Literally.
Jax knew it was a bad idea to go after Zobelle. But after Chibs' accident, he knew that the club would vote full retaliation. And that is exactly what happened. Zobelle, like he had been, found a way to outsmart SAMCRO. Now they were all sitting in County because they played right into that racist prick's hands and lost.
Jax tried to sit back and let Clay stew in another failed attempt at taking Zobelle down, but whatever Clay was told, by who Jax assumed was that bitch Stahl, had set his stepfather and club president off. When Clay returned back to their cell, the gloves had come completely off.
If Jax had any indication that he and Clay's relationship was barely standing on its last legs, this would definitely be it.
Jax's assumptions about Stahl being the one who talked to Clay first were proven to be spot on, when that skinny, psycho bitch made her way into the interrogation room.
Jax watched as she made herself comfortable in the seat directly across from him and eyed the bruises on his face with pleasure.
Agent June Stahl continued to size up SAMCRO's vice president, before she finally spoke. "I'm just going to get straight to it. I know you want your MC on a better path —put some distance between the law and the harleys. Your legitimate porn business? It's a real smart move, Jax. So, I'm guessing that you don't even really want to be running guns. And to tell you what, I'm not even after SAMCRO." She casually slid a manila folder across the table and flipped it open. "What I really want is Cameron Hayes and the true IRA contacts."
Jax looked down at the photos of Cameron Hayes and his son now working side by side with Ethan Zobelle himself. He felt the anger starting to boil in his gut, but he had to contain himself. He knew what Stahl was trying to do. He knew that he needed to be smart about this. He wasn't going to let this bitch see he was ready to punch a hole in the wall.
"Just consider this retaliation for the mick assholes jumping ship." Stahl continued on. "Because you and I both know that you'll never win this war against Zobelle."
Jax sat unmoving in his seat. He was going to call her bluff. "I'm not in a war."
"Well you look pretty battle-worn to me." Stahl spat, nodding toward his obvious injuries. But Jax stayed quiet. "Look," she huffed in frustration, "I don't really give two shits about this so-called beef between you and president step-daddy —your club, your business." She threw her hands in mock surrender. "But if you give me what I want, I can try to help you repair the damage, or at the very least, keep you all alive." Jax still continued to stay quiet, and the frustration continued to build in Stahl's gut. "How long do you think you're gonna last there in the yard? You know that they will pick you off, one by one. The same exact way they did Juice."
"Then get us a decent bail." Jax told Stahl firmly. If she wanted him to play in her hands, then she needed to sweeten the pot a little more.
Stahl's frustration was loosening a bit, as she felt that maybe she might get her way after all. Maybe getting the prince to give up the IRA should have been her first play. "I'll do you one better, Jackson. You give me the inroads to the Irish, and I'll get you and your club full immunity. And if you're lucky, I might even be able to get Otto's parole back on track." She waited for Jax to speak, and when he didn't she continued on again, "you have to think past your hatred for me. I know you're smarter than that. What I'm offering here is a bigger picture. You have a great, loyal girl, beautiful son. I know exactly how much they mean to you."
Jax nodded in agreement. Stahl was right about one thing. His family meant everything to him. "My son. He's given me a lot of clarity —a new pair of glasses. I now find myself thinking about the things I do —the things I say. The ramifications that follow.
"Of course. You have to." Stahl bandwagoned.
"I can't be as angry or reactive as I used to. Like for instance, you showing me these photos, trying to play on my rage —my need for revenge. Well, guess what? It didn't work."
Jax watched the cocksure look on Stahl's pinched face, immediately fall. Now he was able to take pleasure in wiping that stupid smirk off her face.
"You see," Jax pursued further, pouring the salt, "I was able to take a moment to think, and I realized something. If my club and I did have a relationship with the Irish —which, of course, we don't— what'd stop me from tipping them off? Give 'em some kind of heads up and let 'em know you got 'em under your thumb?"
Jax felt a sense of pride rise in his gut, as Stahl's cocky demeanor continued to falter. "You took a big risk playing that card. Which, to me, means you're desperate. So, you got nothing." He finished with a smile on his face.
Stahl sat there and pursed her lips together in defeat. She truly underestimated the prince of Charming. "You're smarter than you look." She told Jax, gathering her things and standing to her feet. "By the way, your bail's been posted. You're all free to go."
"Hey," Jax called out, stopping the agent in her tracks. "You ever heard from Kohn?" He quickly teased. "Dangerous being a fed these days."
Stahl eyed the blonde biker conspicuously. She knew that he had something to do with the disappearance of her former colleague, but had no concrete proof of it. She just knew that one way or another that she was going to put Jax Teller and his menace club behind bars for good.
"Thank you, Aunt Lena."
Lena smiled softly, as she received matching hugs from both Kenny and Ellie, while their father stood awkwardly by the front door of Jax's house. "Oh, you guys are so welcome. You have to come by and see me again some time."
"Kids go wait in the car, please." Opie told them, and watched as they walked out of the house to his truck.
"You got good kids, Ope." Lena said, the moment she knew the kids were out hearing range.
The tall biker nodded, adjusting the beanie on his head. "Look, Lee, I just want to apologize for the Lyla thing. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't trust her."
Lena looked at her old man's best friend in confusion. "Don't you think it's a little too early to be trusting someone like that with your kids?"
Opie stood taken aback. "Someone like what, Lee?"
"A stranger, Ope." Lena corrected, because she knew that he thought she was talking about the girl's choice of career. "We don't know her."
"Well, I guess I made a judgment call for myself —for my kids." Opie snapped.
"Yeah, you're right. They are your kids" Lena threw back at him. "And it's about time you stop feeling sorry for yourself and actually be the father that they deserve." She let out a shuddering breath, watching Opie's shoulders slump in defeat. "Look, I know that things haven't been easy, and I can't imagine what you must be going through. But your kids already lost one parent, Ope, please don't let them lose another."
Again, Opie just nodded, letting Lena's words sink in. "So, how's Jax dealing with it?"
"He's figuring it out."
Opie was quiet for a moment, before he looked back down at Lena. "I'm glad he's got you to help him, Lee. I know I tell you this a lot, but you're really good for him. And Abel."
Lena reached out to give Opie's arm a gentle squeeze. "You know that you're not alone, Ope. We're all here for you. We'll help you with the kids."
"I know." Opie gave one last nod, before leaning down and pressing his lips to Lena's forehead. "Thank you, Lena." Was the last thing he said, as he turned heel and made his way out of his best friend's house.
A few moments after Lena shut and locked the front door behind Opie, she felt her phone vibrate in her back jean pocket. Reaching for it, she immediately noticed that she'd just received a text message from Gemma. Flipping it open to read what it said, a heavy weight was quickly lifted from her shoulders.
—Oswald posted bail, boys will be home soon—
Since Neeta was currently out of commission for the day and it was way too late at night for Abel to be out, Lena opted to wait for Jax to come home at the house that they were currently sharing. She found herself sitting impatiently in Abel's room, watching the infant sleep. It seemed to keep her nerves mostly at bay. It was just a little over an hour ago when Gemma texted her that Elliott Oswald posted SAMCRO's bail and that they'd finally be leaving County.
Lena knew that something like this would take some time, it was a process, but she wasn't going to be fully calm until Jax was safely home.
Lena's silent prayers were answered when she heard the front door being opened, followed by the sound of keys being casually tossed into the decorative bowl in the foyer. By the time she was out of her chair, Jax was making his way into Abel's room.
"Hi," Lena whispered softly, seeing that Jax was indeed safe and finally home.
Jax slowly approached her and didn't speak a word. He just pulled Lena into his arms, squeezing her tight.
"I'm so glad you're home." Lena mumbled into Jax's hoodie. She then pulled back to get a good look at his face. Her heart quickly fell into the pit of her stomach when she noticed the dark bruise forming around his right eye. She casually reached to inspect it further, but Jax stopped her.
"I'm okay." He told her calmly, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. He then pulled away, taking a quick peek at his son peacefully sleeping, before stalking away.
Lena's fingers clutched tightly onto the reaper etched on Jax's sweaty bare back, as his hips moved unbridled against hers.
When Jax finally came to bed, Lena knew that he still didn't want to talk. She knew that he just needed to feel.
And she let him.
It was almost desperate —their lovemaking. It was as if Jax was trying to hold onto Lena for dear life. Like he was almost afraid to let her go. The kisses were frenzied and sloppy—teeth clashing against one another. The touches were a mixture of fire and ice.
Jax never let up. That push and pull with every undulated snap of his hips. Chasing that gratifying ending. Their bodies melted into one. He never let up, not until he brought them both to completion.
Lena woke up the next morning to an empty bed. When she found Jax, he was sitting at the kitchen table, smoking a cigarette with a cup of coffee. Her stomach turned as she was able to see his battered face and hands much more clearly than she could from last night. She then reached forward to grab his chin to inspect his black eye closely.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Lena questioned, pointing directly to Jax's injuries.
Jax shrugged, still puffing on his cigarette. "It was nothing."
"That's not nothing, Jax." Lena huffed, taking a seat next to him at the table. "Tell me what happened to you in County?"
Jax then released a heavy sigh, blowing out a cloud of smoke, before stubbing the butt of his cigarette into an ashtray. "Clay and I finally got into it. I know it had something to do with Stahl. She must have said something to him that tipped him off."
"Jesus Christ." Lena whispered in frustration. "So, now what? What does this mean?"
Jax swallowed thickly, eyeing Lena closely. "There's something I want you to read."
Lena looked at Jax in confusion as he stood from his seat. He disappeared from her sight, only to return a few moments later. She watched as he placed what looked like a stack of papers bound together on the table in front of her.
Lena read the title.
The Life and Death of Sam Crow:
How the Sons of Anarchy Lost Their Way
Lena then looked back up at Jax confused when she saw that John Teller's name was written beneath the title. "What's this?"
Jax joined her back at the kitchen table. He was quiet for a moment, before finally saying, "JT knew that there was a better way for us —a better way for the club. He wrote it all down in this manuscript." He pointed to the book in front of Lena. "I need you to read it. To fully understand why I'm doing what I'm doing with CaraCara and trying to get out of guns. I'm trying to set SAMCRO on a legitimate path where there's no more violence."
Lena swallowed thickly, keeping her attention on the book for a few moments and then turned back to her Old Man. "Okay."