Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SOA
Author's Notes:
1. Thank you for being awesome in your reviews. I really appreciate it.
2. Elena gets kinda confrontational in this chapter cause she's putting everything together. It's kind of like how she went against Stefan for a while when she found out he was a vampire. It'll be over quickly, I promise.
3. Elena's outfits are on the same page: tvdcrossovers on tumblr.
4. Enjoy the nice long chapter and please review!
"Elena?"
She tore her eyes away from the computer screen, noticing Half-Sack standing in the doorway of the office. He seemed to sense her mood, looking hesitant.
"What?" she said, not even pretending like she was in the mood to talk to anyone.
Ever since Jax left her standing alone in that parking lot the previous night, Elena had been fuming over the secrecy surrounding her.
"Clay called. He wanted me to tell you that the garage is gonna be short staffed today so we're not doin' any tune-ups or oil changes or anything like that."
She lifted one eyebrow, causing him to falter.
"Clay couldn't call and tell me that himself?"
Half-Sack shrugged and stammered out several nonsense syllables before sensibly backing out of the door. Elena watched him go with narrowed eyes before turning to the computer. Despite the stack of paperwork she had to file, she opened a browser with a stubborn determination. A short search led her to an article about the explosion in the Charming Herald. It didn't give her any new information. Elena briefly wondered why they bothered to write it at all. Anyone who stood outside their house around two in the morning could have been more informed than they would after reading the article. Regardless, Elena got the information she needed. Walking out of the office, she saw Half-Sack and Juice talking as they worked on a car.
"I'll be back in a few minutes!" she called out to them.
Apparently it wasn't enough. Juice quickly crossed the lot, falling into step with her.
"Where are you going?"
"For a walk," Elena said simply.
He closed a hand around her arm, stopping her in place.
"Clay told us to look after you," he said.
Elena sighed, turning to face him while pulling her arm away.
"I'm not going far," she said, stepping closer to him and lowering her voice. "I need to get things, Juice."
He stared at her, looking more confused than anything else. She bit her lip, glancing around sheepishly to make her act more believable.
"Lady things," she whispered.
His eyes widened and he took a significant step back.
"Oh, okay," Juice said, looking anywhere but at her. "Just… come back soon."
She nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
"I'll be back as quickly as I can," Elena assured him, turning away.
She smiled triumphantly, making her way towards the street. It didn't take long to find where she wanted to go. In Mystic Falls, this would never work. Everyone knew everyone, especially the daughter of one of the founding families. But she was new to Charming and no one knew her face yet. Walking into the open space, she veered around one of the large red trucks in time to come face to face with a man.
"Can I help you?" he asked, looking her up and down with confusion.
Elena stuck her hand out with a confident smile.
"My name is Elena Flemming. I'm an intern for the Charming Herald. You must be the fire captain," she said.
He sighed, shaking her hand reluctantly.
"I already told your people that we can't comment on anything to do with the explosion."
She sighed, doing her best to look pathetic.
"If I don't go back with something new, they'll put me back with the bullshit grunt jobs and there's no chance of a good reference at the end of the summer. Please, it doesn't have to be much. Just something," she said pleadingly.
Elena smiled at him as charmingly as she could, inwardly hoping that she managed to convince him. He looked at her for several moments but then before he even said a word, she saw the slight relaxation in his shoulders and knew that she was in.
"Come with me," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.
"Thank you so much," she said, beaming at him.
He simply grumbled out a reply, leading her to his office.
"What the hell happened?" Clay demanded as they walked towards the remains of the burnt up building that used to be their gun factory.
Vic Trammel, one of the county sheriffs who was on their payroll, walked towards them with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face.
"Propane tanks caught fire. Ammo was in there. The place just blew," he shrugged, walking with them.
"Shit," Clay sighed.
"Yeah. The fire dick says it was arson," Vic nodded in agreement. "Saw a lot of boot prints."
"Cowboy boots?" Bobby piped up.
"Yeah, I think so."
Tig let out a growl, kicking at a piece of rubble.
"Shit-eating Mayans, man," he snapped angrily.
"Where the hell was Rodrigo?" Jax wondered, glancing around.
"No sign of your watchman," Vic informed them.
Jax exchanged a look with Bobby. That didn't sound very good for Rodrigo.
"What's the exposure?" Clay asked.
"Officially? Me and the fire department. The fire captain can be convinced to rethink his report," Vic said, turning to face them.
"Unofficially?" Jax questioned.
"Unofficially, this blast was seen in two counties. This location is dead," the sheriff sighed.
They all let out a collective groan, knowing how much trouble it would be to find a new location and the money to put into it without the guns.
"The M4s?" Clay demanded, thinking along the same lines.
"Gone. As are most of the Glocks," Vic informed them.
The president of Samcro let out a curse, slamming his foot into a pile of burnt crates.
"Get the firemen on board. Don't want this shit hitting ATF's radar," Jax said, handing Vic a few hundreds. "Let's get out of here."
"No, you gotta see something else," Vic said, stopping them as they turned away.
Clay huffed, glancing over his shoulder.
"Do we really?"
The police officer nodded, leading them over to a metal door in the ground. When he opened it, they all recoiled at the sight of the two burned bodies.
"Goddamn. Fried and refried," Clay said, shaking his head.
"They're illegals," Tig informed them, looking slightly pale. "Part of our assembly crew."
"We found them before the F.D. went through," Vic assured them.
"After the smoke clears, get rid of the bodies," Clay instructed the sheriff.
"What am I supposed to tell our boys up in Oaktown? I'm supposed to deliver five cases of M4s to Laroy before tomorrow morning."
Clay sighed, closing his eyes.
"Call the gangster hotline, set a meeting," he decided, nodding at Vic before turning to leave.
"All right, here," Jax said, handing even more money over.
As they walked back towards their bikes, Clay took his gun out and held it out to Jax.
"Two in the back of the head. Quick and painless," he said, only half joking.
"It ain't easy being king," Jax shrugged.
"Yeah, you remember that," Clay warned.
Elena walked up to the garage with a vague feeling of triumph. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by what she discovered at the fire station. It wasn't until she reached the office that she realized there were far more bikes in the parking lot than when she left.
"Some days, you're the Beamer. Some days, you're the goddamn deer," Jax's voice carried across the lot.
She flinched slightly, turning around to see him circling a wrecked BMW with Half-Sack. Chibs was getting out of the tow truck, nodding his head. When she spotted the dead deer that was lodged halfway into the windshield of the nice car, she couldn't help but grimace, feeling more sorry for the animal than whoever had been in the car at the time.
"Some yuppie creamed her up at the streams," Chibs said, tossing the keys from one hand to another.
Elena knew that she should go inside before she was noticed but she couldn't help but watch the three men interact, turning her new information over in her head.
"He run into it or hit a tree while it was giving him head?" Jax joked.
Chibs laughed along with him.
"How the hell you want me to get it out of there?" Half-Sack cut in, looking at the deer with uncertainty.
Jax considered it for a moment before grinning and holding up his finger. Elena and Half-Sack both watched as he opened a compartment on the side of the two-truck and pulled out a chainsaw. Her eyes widened but it was nothing compared to Half-Sack who turned a little green at the sight of the powered tool.
"Jesus, man," he said, shaking his head as he took a step back.
"Just pretend it's carve-your-own-steak night at Sizzler," Jax said, shoving it in his hands.
Half-Sack shuddered visibly.
"I don't eat meat, man."
Elena fought back a laugh, knowing that Half-Sack was only digging himself deeper.
"Figure it out, grunt," Jax said without sympathy.
Turning around, he faced her directly and their eyes met. Even from the distance, Elena could see his hesitation and took an immediate step back. Jax mirrored her by taking a step forward, looking like he was considering walking right over. Thankfully, he was intercepted by Chibs before he could.
"What the hell happened?" the Scotsman asked.
Elena turned away, grateful for the reprieve as she stepped into the office. She tossed her purse on a chair and sat down in another, rubbing her temples with both hands. She would be lying if part of her didn't want to call Elijah and demand that he explain himself. The other part of her wondered if the truth of everything didn't bother her nearly as much as she thought it should. Before she could think about it too long, there was a light rap on the doorway of the office. Looking up, she saw Jax hovering in the entrance.
"What?" she said, straightening up.
"I kinda need a favor."
Elena was tempted to respond bitingly but was semi-curious to hear what he wanted her to do. She didn't say anything, just tilting her head to the side questioningly.
"Gemma is going to the store to pick up food for dinner tomorrow night and I gotta go to our old storage room to see if there's baby stuff in there," Jax explained.
"I'm not hearing a favor here," Elena pushed, not even bothering to hide how annoyed she still was with him.
He sighed, moving further into the room.
"Wendy is still ignoring my calls. Would you mind running by my house and checking to see if everything's all right?"
Elena stared at him with incredulity.
"You've got to be kidding."
"I know but…"
She stood up, stopping him from speaking with a glare.
"You want me to go to your house to see if your pregnant wife is okay when we've never even met?" Elena demanded.
"Ex-wife," Jax corrected her, clearly not wanting to talk about the rest of her sentence. "She's more likely to answer the door for you than me or my mom. I just wanna know that she and the baby are alright."
Elena saw the honesty in his eyes and knew that he wasn't bullshitting her. But part of her still rebelled against the idea of doing this, or anything else, for him. Yet she knew that saying no would make her the bitch in this situation. She couldn't deny him knowing that both Wendy and his kid were okay.
"Fine," she said, the fight draining out of her. "I need an address."
Jax scribbled it down for her, handing over the piece of paper as well as a set of keys.
"You can take the work truck. It's too far to walk," he said, looking into her eyes. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Elena said shortly, brushing past him to walk out.
As it turned out, it was way easier to keep being pissed than to let him talk his way out of her being mad at him.
Elena hesitated outside of the house that Jax sent her to, both hands on the steering wheel of the truck. She couldn't even really explain why she was here. Even though she was monumentally pissed at Jax for the way he treated her, part of her couldn't deny him the help he asked for. But she dreaded walking up the sidewalk and knocking on the door. She didn't even know what she would say. Before she could cut the engine and step out of the cab, her phone rang in her purse. She sighed with relief when she saw who it was once she pulled it out, answering immediately.
"Hey Jer," she said in greeting.
"Hey," he replied, sounding relieved. "How are you doing?"
She shrugged even though she knew he couldn't see her.
"All right. You?" Elena asked.
"You know. Pretty much the same," Jeremy said.
They both remained silent for several moments, neither really wanting to talk about what they both knew he called about.
"The funeral was a couple of days ago," he finally told her.
"How is Damon?" Elena asked, not wanting to focus on her own feelings when it came to Andie's death.
"Grieving," Jeremy answered simply. "He's pretty pissed. Everyone thinks it would be better if you were here. You might be able to calm him down."
She swallowed her guilt, knowing that she couldn't focus on that for too long.
"And you?" Elena asked, almost afraid of his answer.
If Jeremy told her to come home right then and there, she would have a hard time saying no.
"You should stay away," he said without missing a beat. "It's getting more dangerous. You're better off where you are."
Elena briefly thought about what she learned that day.
"I'm not so sure," she muttered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing, Jer," Elena said, brushing the thought away. "Tell everyone I love them, okay?"
"Will do," he answered. "I miss you."
She took a deep, shaky breath.
"I miss you too."
They didn't say another word. Neither of them had to, nor did they feel like the other should. After staying on the line for a few more seconds, they both hang up at the same time. With a deep breath, Elena gathered her courage and turned the truck off, climbing out before walking up to the door and knocking.
As soon as Jax pulled up to the lumberyard, Opie caught sight of him and walked over.
"So everybody's saying it was a gun factory that blew up out by the streams," he said as they both leaned up against a truck.
Jax nodded, confirming his suspicions as he pulled out a cigarette.
"Mayans hit us. Stole our M4s," he said, glancing over at his best friend. "We need you."
"For what?" Opie asked warily.
"Bobby's got a gig this weekend. You gotta set up the explosives."
He scoffed, shaking his head as Jax looked on.
"No way man," Opie refused.
"Gotta get in and out fast. You're the only guy who can pull it off," Jax said, trying to convince him.
"You think I wanna be here chipping wood for shit pay? I made a promise to Donna. I'm earning straight," he said insistently.
Jax raised an eyebrow at him.
"Come on, Opie. We all earn straight. I spend forty hours a week with a goddamn power tool in my hand," he reminded him.
Opie stared back, equally unimpressed.
"When you're on Clay's payroll, everything in your hand is a power tool," he said.
Jax sighed, rubbing at his forehead.
"You saying no to the club?"
Opie hesitated before speaking.
"Everything turned to shit since I got out. I'm in debt up to my eyeballs. My kids hardly know me. I even mention Samcro to Donna, she's gonna bust out crying."
Jax felt bad for him, wanting to know if he could help.
"Look, man, if you need money…"
"I don't wanna borrow. I wanna earn," Opie said, shaking his head.
They were both quiet for a few moments.
"Family's just gotta adjust to you being around again. Kids have gotta get used to how ugly their dad is," Jax said with a smirk, trying to make him feel better. "Donna knows what the life is."
"You leave a woman alone for five years, two kids…the only thing that she knows is that she doesn't want it to happen again," Opie sighed.
Before either of them could speak, Opie's boss shouted out to his employees.
"Break's over! Let's go!"
Opie straightened up, walking a few steps before glancing back at Jax.
"Let me know when you need me."
Several minutes of knocking and ringing the doorbell did nothing for her. Elena let out a frustrated huff, glancing around. There was no sign that anyone was there but she felt a strange tug. Like she couldn't leave until she knew for sure. Ignoring the voice in her head that told her not to snoop, she began walking around the side of the house. Peering in a window, her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw a heavily pregnant woman lying on the ground with blood spreading from between her thighs. Running around to the back door, Elena let out a relieved noise when she found it unlocked.
When she reached the kitchen, she noticed several things at one. The woman was unconscious. There was an empty syringe dangling from one of her limp hands. And there was a startling amount of blood covering the tile beneath her. For just a moment, Elena remembered the sight of John Gilbert bleeding out in her kitchen in Mystic Falls. Of Vicki falling lifelessly to the ground. Of Damon snapping Jeremy's neck in front of her. Of the water rushing up to meet her as she pitched over the side of Wickery Bridge in her parents' car.
Shrugging off the panic-inducing fear that the memories brought about, she pulled out her phone, quickly dialing 911 to call an ambulance to the house. Once she was done, she dropped to her knees beside the woman. Reaching out, she touched her shoulder and tried to gently shake her away, praying that she was still alive. When she stirred, Elena felt immense relief.
"Hurts," the woman whimpered, barely cracking her eyes open.
"I know," Elena said, brushing her hair back. "I called an ambulance. They'll be here soon and you'll be okay. Both of you."
She had no way of knowing if that was true but there was no way that Elena was going to let this woman face whatever was happening on her own, despite her mounting suspicion of why she was in the state she was in. Reaching out, she grasped Wendy's hand and held it tightly.
"I won't leave," she promised her.
Wendy simply squeezed her hand weakly before closing her eyes. Elena glanced over her, unwilling to think too hard on the fate of the baby that she was carrying. Statistics weren't on the unborn child's side. Babies born addicted to drugs did not have an easy time surviving, much less living a full life. Elena felt a surge of anger at the woman for letting it get this bad without telling anyone but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She had no right to judge Wendy, having never been in her shoes. When she heard sirens in the distance, Elena hurried to the front door to open it before returning to Wendy's side. The paramedics rushed in, sending her to the other side of the kitchen.
"How do you know her?" one of them asked as the other began working on Wendy.
"I…" Elena said, shock settling as she watched them put an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth.
"Miss?"
She broke out of her trance and looked at him.
"I'm her friend. I came to see how she was doing and I found her like this," Elena said, lying on instinct.
She didn't know why she lied but it somehow seemed important.
"Do you want to ride in the ambulance to the hospital?"
Elena nodded, knowing that it was important to stay with Wendy right now.
"I just have to make a phone call," she said, pulling her phone out with shaking hands.
He nodded, turning away to help his partner. Elena quickly dialed Gemma's number, turning away from them.
"You need to find Jax," she said in a low voice as soon as the other woman picked up. "Now."
Elena sat in the waiting room, staring at the wall blankly. There was activity all around her but she could barely hear a thing. It wasn't until she heard the rumbling sound of bikes that she was torn from her thoughts. Standing up, she hurried towards the door in time to come across Jax leading Gemma, Clay, Chibs, and Bobby with determination in every step
"What's going on?" Gemma demanded.
"She's on level three. I'm not on her contact list so they wouldn't tell me anything else," Elena explained, falling into step with them.
They all crammed onto an elevator without care, Elena's arm pressed against Jax's. He was slightly pale and his jaw was clenched tightly. She knew that he was trying to hide whatever inner turmoil he must have been feeling. Once again, she couldn't imagine being in his place. Turning to look at Clay, she dug in her purse and held out her hand.
"I found these matches on the ground. Thought it might lead you to whoever dealt her the drugs."
He looked surprised, taking them from her hand. Though his surprise quickly turned to anger when he recognized the logo on the matchbooks.
"Hairy Dog," he growled, making it clear that it was a place.
Jax's shoulders tightened at the words.
"Shit," Chibs said.
"It's gotta be the Nords dealing out of the Dog again," Clay said.
They all poured out of the elevator as soon as it opened, Elena leading them towards where she last saw Wendy.
"Darby got out of Chino two weeks ago," Bobby said from behind her.
"Yeah, well, call that Nazi prick. Set a meeting," Clay told him.
Before anyone else could say anything, the dark-haired doctor that denied Elena information stepped out of Wendy's room to meet them.
"What the hell happened?" Jax demanded.
"When was the last time you saw her?" Dr. Knowles asked in a low voice.
"Couple of weeks," Jax replied.
Elena stood between him and Gemma and when she looked at the latter, she saw thinly veiled contempt on her face and realized that it was directed at the doctor. She couldn't help but wonder where that came from but didn't have time to dwell on the thought.
"Her hands and feet were full of tracks. Toxicology reports aren't back yet, but it's most likely crank," Dr. Knowles told them, but she was looking at Jax alone.
"The baby?" he asked, a note of desperation in his voice.
"We had to do an emergency C-section," the doctor said, looking hesitant before saying the next part. "He's ten weeks premature."
"Holy shit," Jax said, his eyes wide and his entire body exuding helplessness.
On instinct, Elena reached out and squeezed his hand. She knew that he needed comfort and, despite still being angry at him for what he did, she wasn't about to ignore that. What she didn't expect was that he would keep her from pulling away, holding onto her hand like it was his lifeline. The doctor didn't miss it, glancing down at their now-joined hands before looking back up at them. Now she wasn't just looking at Jax, but Elena too.
"Come on, let's sit down and I'll walk you through it," she said, gesturing to a small family waiting room.
"Just tell me," Jax said with a shake of his head, standing his ground.
Gemma stepped up closer to Jax, putting a hand on his shoulder. They all waited to hear what was going to happen to the baby.
"He's got a congenital heart defect and gastroschisis, a tear in his abdomen," Dr. Knowles told them, a sympathetic look on her face. "The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs. But the CHD is probably…"
"The family flaw," Gemma cut in, a hand fluttering over the visible scar on her chest.
"Yes, it's genetic," she nodded, looking between all their faces at this point. "Either one would be serious, but not life-threatening. However, the two of them together…"
She trailed off and all of them took in a sharp inhale, knowing what that meant. Elena didn't know why she couldn't control the pounding of her heart or the persistent tremble of her hands. Something about this made her care more deeply than she expected.
"Dr Namid gives him a twenty percent chance, and I'm afraid that's being optimistic."
Jax looked devastated, glancing in the hospital room where Wendy lay sedated.
"She never wanted to talk to me. I didn't know," he said quietly.
"Her OB said she missed her last three appointments. No one knew," Dr Knowles told him reassuringly. "Dr Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then if he stabilizes, he'll go in and try to repair the heart."
Elena looked over at Jax to see him still staring at his ex-wife.
"I can take you to see him now," Dr. Knowles offered.
He didn't move from his place, acting like he hadn't even heard her.
"Jax?" Elena said gently. "Come on."
She tugged at his hand and finally regained his attention.
"You don't have to do this," he said, looking into her eyes. "I know you're pissed at me."
"That's not important right now. Let's go see your son," she said, putting aside her personal feelings to help him.
His eyes softened and he looked as torn up as he probably felt for just a moment.
"His name's Abel," Jax told her.
She smiled as best she could.
"That's a good name," Elena said.
Then his hand disappeared from hers and he was turning to walk back towards the elevator.
"Jax!" she called after him.
"Jackson!" Gemma tried too.
"Go with Tara," he called over his shoulder without even hesitating in his steps. "I got something to do."
Clay looked at Bobby and Chibs, nodding at them.
"Watch his back."
The other two followed instantly, catching up with Jax.
"Where is he going?" Elena asked.
"Hairy Dog," Gemma said, putting an arm around her shoulder to turn her back toward the doctor, Tara apparently. "Someone dealt meth to a pregnant woman. Someone's gotta pay."
Clay followed them at a distance as Dr. Knowles reluctantly led them back towards a special part of the nursery. When they caught sight of the baby in the incubator, Elena's hands flew up to cover her mouth and even Gemma let out a gasp of shock. Neither of them had ever seen a baby so small.
"How long will he be in there?" Gemma asked.
"If he survives, he'll probably be there for a few weeks or even months. It depends on how quickly we can get him healthy," Tara answered, taking several steps back. "I'll leave you alone."
No one argued, letting her leave. Elena glanced after her, already curious about the backstory there. But she didn't have long to dwell on the thought, turning her attention back to the tiny baby who was already fighting for his life.
"What can I do to help?" she asked, looking over at Gemma.
The other woman sighed, pressing her forehead against the glass. For just a moment, Elena saw that Gemma looked as lost as she felt. In truth, they both knew that there was nothing they really could do.
"Come on," Gemma finally said, straightening her back and reaching out to grab Elena's hand. "I have an idea."
They both took one last look at Abel, only hours old and already hooked to so many machines that were helping him stay alive. When Gemma tugged her away, Elena wondered if she would see the little boy again and sent a quick prayer out that he would survive.
The guys sat around the redwood table, all looking at Clay as he spoke.
"What's the Nords' roster looking like these days?" the president asked, flicking the ashes of his cigar into a tray.
"Fifteen or sixteen guys. A few new kids breaking in. Same extreme hate shit," Bobby answered.
"Still got meth labs outside of Lodi. Selling mostly to truckers, some of the Mexi gangs," Juice piped up.
Jax glanced over at Clay.
"You think they're stepping up?" he questioned
"Only two things feel good in the joint: jerking off and thinking about the shit you're gonna do when you get out," he replied, a small frown on his face. "Darby's been in there for three years. I just wanna make sure all his big-shot dreams ended up in his cum rag and not on his to-do list."
The other guys in the room all laughed at the thought of the leader of the Nords.
"How's his guy doing?" Clay asked.
"Fractured cheek, broken nose, left nut swinging solo," Juice said with a smirk.
"Yes, it was beautiful!" Chibs announced, nodding at Jax. "That's my boy."
The VP shook his head as everyone cheered.
"Yeah, he's lucky to be breathing," Jax said darkly.
Clay waited until the room sobered up to speak again.
"Any luck up north?" he asked, nodding at Happy.
"Tacoma can help with the Glocks, but there's no M4s anywhere. Washington State, Oregon, Nevada, nobody's got stock, man," he replied.
"We'll have all the Mayan intel by the morning. We'll get our guns back," Jax said confidently.
Juice nodded in agreement.
"Oh, yeah, we will," Clay confirmed, clearly expecting nothing less. "Treasury?"
Bobby took a deep breath.
"All the bills are paid. Bar is stocked. Run fund is covered for the next two months. Tig's the only man who owes me dues," he informed them all.
The sergeant-at-arms nodded his head with a smirk.
"I'm a little short. Catch you next week."
"All right. Anything else?" Clay asked.
No one spoke up until the oldest member of the club lifted his hand.
"Yeah, I just wanna say to Jackson on a club level… the Sons of Anarchy, the Redwood Original, is here for you," he said, nodding at Jax. "Your father would be proud of the man you've become, you know. Every time I see you sitting at this table, well, I do a double take at you."
"It's probably just the weed, Pop," Opie spoke up, making everyone else laugh.
Piney nodded in agreement, letting out a short chuckle.
"Probably. Anyway, whatever you need, son, it's yours."
Jax gave him a grateful look.
"Thank you, Piney. Thanks boys," he said quietly.
When no one else spoke, Clay pounded the gavel on the wood.
"Meeting closed," he announced.
When they got to the house, Elena managed to see what she missed the first time around. It was filthy.
"Jesus Christ," Gemma said, looking disgusted as she glanced around.
There was trash littering the floor, from empty beer bottles to burnt down cigarettes and dirty plates.
"How do you want to do this?" Elena asked, looking at the older woman.
Gemma looked like she would almost rather burn the whole thing down rather than clean it, if it weren't her son's house.
"Room by room, I guess," she finally said.
"I'll take the kitchen," Elena volunteered, straightening her shoulders. "I've cleaned up plenty of blood in the past year. I know the trick."
"Well aren't you full of surprises," Gemma said.
Turning around before she entered the kitchen, Elena smiled at her.
"I try to be," she shrugged.
Once they got started cleaning, it wasn't so hard to get through it quickly. Elena managed to throw away all the trash and rotten food, basically cleaning out the entire fridge and pantry before setting to work scrubbing the floor down until it was no longer stained with scarlet blood. When she finished, she moved onto the bathroom and began working her way through the scum on the floor of the shower. She was scrubbing grime and toothpaste stains off of the mirror when Gemma walked in.
"Dinner break? I ordered Chinese."
Elena groaned with relief, nodding emphatically. They sat around the table and picked through the different containers, both weary after several hours of work.
"Jax talked to me," Gemma told her, breaking the silence between them.
Elena decided to feign ignorance, even though she knew exactly what she was talking about.
"About?"
"You asking questions," she said simply.
Looking up, Elena saw that she didn't look accusing. In fact, she looked more amused than anything else.
"Something wrong with asking questions?" Elena asked, pausing in her eating. "I think I deserve to know who and what I'm involved with."
"That's one way of looking at it," Gemma agreed, twirling noodles around her fork.
"But?" she prodded, knowing there was something else.
Gemma didn't answer right away, looking like she was thinking through her words.
"Don't you think we deserve to wait and see what kind of person you are before we give you any answers to those questions?"
It was a good point but she didn't know that it made a difference in her argument. After all, she was in the minority when it came to being out of the loop.
"You aren't the one who was dropped in the middle of a town where you don't know anyone," Elena countered, putting her fork down. "I was tricked into believing that this place is safe."
"Hang on. No one tricked you into anything," Gemma broke in.
She stared at the older woman with raised eyebrows before reaching in her pocket to pull out her phone. Slamming it down on the table in front of Gemma, Elena waited for her reaction to the picture on the screen.
"How did you get this?"
She took her phone back, tucking it away once more.
"I talked my way into the fire captain's office. When he was called away to handle something, I found the pictures in his desk drawer," Elena explained.
Gemma looked surprised and impressed all at once.
"That's some good detective work, I gotta admit," she said.
"I figured out that vampires existed all on my own with a stack of vague evidence and coincidences. This was nothing," Elena said, looking her in the eyes. "You see how I was tricked now?"
"You weren't tricked, we just didn't tell you," Gemma said.
"A lie by omission is still a lie," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I found a picture of burned up guns scattered around a destroyed building. A building that just happens to be the same one that exploded last night right before Jax left me standing in the middle of a parking lot with no information."
They stared at each other, neither willing to give up on their point of view.
"They're criminals. Jax and Clay and all the others," Elena said.
"Why? Because they have guns?"
"In a building outside of Charming. My guess is that's on purpose," she said, suddenly feeling less hungry and more angry. "And what exactly are the guns for? I'm guessing they aren't just decoration."
Gemma sighed, pushing the food away before leaning towards her.
"So what?" she said.
Elena gaped at her.
"How can I trust people who hide illegal guns? Guns that are probably used to hurt people." she demanded.
"You trust Elijah. How many people do you think he's killed?"
Elena didn't say anything. Gemma was right. Elijah wasn't the only one she trusted either. Damon had his list of crimes and she still depended on him before. Stefan was the same, both before he was compelled by Klaus and after. Even Caroline had blood on her hands.
"I wish you'd waited for us to tell you. We could have explained and all of your panic would have been for nothing," Gemma sighed.
"I'm not panicking. I'm pissed," Elena told her.
"I understand that. But it would have been easier if you heard it from us."
She stared at Gemma, realizing that she was being honest.
"Explain now," Elena said, finding that she was actually willing to hear her out.
"They sell the guns," she said without much hesitation. "That warehouse that blew up was where they assembled them to sell."
"To who?"
Even though she asked the question, Elena already had an idea of who would buy illegal guns.
"The highest bidder," Gemma said simply.
She didn't push it, knowing that she was lucky to be getting any information at all.
"We should get back to cleaning," Elena said, pushing herself to stand.
"Yeah," Gemma agreed.
They lapsed into silence as they continued clearing out the mess.
By the time Jax walked through the front door, Elena was exhausted. She and Gemma were cleaning up the living room together, wanting to get that done before leaving for the night.
"It's almost midnight," he said, frowning between them.
Gemma huffed, shaking her head.
"This place is a goddamn pigsty," she said with frustration.
Jax nodded in agreement, stepping around several trash bags. Elena remained silent, still turning everything that Gemma told her over in her head.
"Cleaning was never her strong suit," he said.
Gemma stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's my house," he reminded her.
"You know what I mean. I don't want you to see it this way," she said, picking up a rag to wipe down the coffee table.
Jax sighed, shaking his head as Elena stopped for a moment and sat down on the ground, wiping at her forehead with a deep breath.
"You don't have to do this," he said.
"Look, I just wanna get it livable. Buy you some decent carpet without cigarette burns everywhere," Gemma muttered.
"Mom!" Jax said loudly, trying to get her attention.
She continued on as if she hadn't heard him but Elena stood up, looking at him with a frown. There was a strange look on his face.
"Get you out of that dorm room, back home with your son."
"Mom, for Christ sakes, stop cleaning!" Jax yelled.
She straightened up, looking at him with wide eyes.
"He's not gonna make it," he said, staring back at her.
Both Elena and Gemma stepped forward with alarmed looks.
"What are you talking about? What happened?" Gemma demanded.
Jax stared at her with a frustrated and broken expression.
"He was born with half a stomach and a hole in his heart. He's gonna die."
Elena winced at the sound of Gemma's slap. Jax inhaled sharply, turning his head back to look at her. His cheek was already turning red.
"Don't you say that. You are the only one this boy's got," Gemma said, pointing in his face. "You don't believe he's gonna live, you might as well go and kill him yourself."
She stomped away, going to the kitchen table. Elena still didn't say a word, observing the conversation with a blank expression.
"I'm sorry," Gemma sighed, glancing over her shoulder at him as she lit a cigarette. "You gotta go see him, Jax."
He shook his head, approaching the table as well.
"I can't."
He sat down, running one hand through his hair. Elena leaned against the wide doorway of the kitchen, sinking her teeth into her lower lip.
"Why? Because he'll break your heart?" Gemma said, handing a cigarette over to him. "It's called being a father."
Jax inhaled the smoke before speaking.
"For how long? A day? A week?"
His mother gave him a sad look.
"You know, you were born with that same heart defect your little brother had."
She reached out, tapping at his chest.
"You seem pretty sturdy to me," Gemma said, coaxing a smile out of him. "I came through hell. Landed on my feet. Your father was hit by a goddamn semi, dragged one hundred and seventy-eight yards and that bastard lived for two more days. Tellers do not die easy."
Jax rolled his eyes.
"No, we just die bloody," he replied.
Gemma shrugged, gesturing for Elena to come sit with them.
"That's the Irish in us," she said.
Jax didn't speak for several moments, glancing at Elena sideways with a look of consideration.
"When you and dad hooked up, did he ever talk to you about his vision? About what he wanted from the club?" he asked, focusing on his mom again.
Gemma looked up at him.
"His vision was, you know, what it is. A brotherhood. Family," she answered.
"And running guns? He want that?"
Elena's eyes widened at his words. Jax had no way of knowing that she suspected that Sam Crow was into guns. He just spoke freely and honestly in front of her for the first time. Gemma glanced at her before answering.
"He never talked about that. Why?" she asked.
Jax leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table.
"I found a box of his old shit in the storage unit. There's, like, pictures and journals and things I never knew about him," he said, looking up at Gemma for her reaction.
"What kind of things?" she asked, clearly trying to be casual about this.
"It seemed like his original idea for the MC was something simpler. You know, social rebellion. He called it a Harley commune. It wasn't outlaw. It was real hippie shit," Jax informed her.
Gemma scoffed, standing up to walk to the sink.
"We had a lot of bright ideas back then. We were kids," she said, washing out the cups that were sitting on the counter. "Your father became a man. Man take care of business."
Jax nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we do," he said, glancing over at Elena before standing up as well. "You should get home, Mom. Finish cleaning tomorrow. I'll lock up."
He walked over, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Okay darling," Gemma said after a moment, nodding at Elena.
They both walked into the living room, gathering their things before heading to the door.
"Good night," Jax called after them.
"Good night baby," Gemma replied.
Elena just waved at him, walking out after the other woman. When she was halfway to the car, she realized belatedly that she left her phone in the kitchen.
"Shit, I left my phone in there."
Gemma glanced over at her.
"Go get it. I'll wait," she said.
Elena nodded, turning to hurry back inside. When she walked into the kitchen, Jax was pulling a gun out of one of the drawers. She stopped short, knowing by the way that he tensed up that it was too late to simply back away. When he looked over at her, she saw that he didn't look bothered by the fact that she saw him.
"Secret compartment," he said, shoving the weapon in the back of his pants.
"Sneaky," Elena said simply, looking at the small bags of white powder in his other hand.
Jax hesitated before turning to walk out of the kitchen. She grabbed her phone off of the counter, turning to leave before they got into an awkward confrontation about what she saw. Elena didn't even make it to the door before Jax grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"I didn't see anything," she sighed as he pressed her against the wall.
"You saw me flushing my ex's drugs down the toilet so that she wouldn't get sent to jail. I would've been on the hook too since it's my house," Jax said bluntly.
Elena stared up at him as he put a hand on the wall by her head, leaning in towards her.
"That's none of my business," she said, fearlessly maintaining eye contact with him.
Jax stared at her as if trying to figure something out.
"You weren't surprised when I brought up guns."
"I already figured it out," Elena told him.
He huffed, shaking his head.
"I should've known you'd do it on your own."
She didn't say anything, staring up at him. Part of her wanted to yell and curse and rage at him for lying to her. For keeping her in the dark when the truth was dangerous. Elena felt just how she had when Stefan withheld the fact that he was a vampire with a vengeful, murderous brother from her when it put her in direct danger.
"What are you thinking?" Jax asked.
Elena swallowed hard, lowering her head. Even though she was so angry, she couldn't put it on him right now. Not with everything that he was going through.
"I have no idea," Elena told him.
"I get that," Jax said.
She looked up at him again and, seeing the anguish in his eyes, she knew that she made the right decision not to direct her anger at him. Leaning up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. She inhaled as his hand curved around her hip and his head tilted towards her lips. When Elena pulled away, she looked up into his eyes and saw surprise and raw emotion in his eyes.
"Good night Jax," she whispered, trying to hide the heat building up in her chest at their closeness.
He murmured out a response that she barely heard as she slipped away from him and rushed out of the door. If Gemma noticed her flushed cheeks as she climbed into the passenger seat of the car, the other woman didn't mention anything.
Jax and Clay sat in a booth at a diner across from Darby and his number two the next morning. Bobby was behind them at another table and Tig was behind the Nords, both listening in on the conversation.
"A little get-well present for your guy," Clay said, sliding a wooden box across the table.
Darby opened it to see that there was a handgun there.
"That's some serious iron. Izzy'll like that, thank you," he said, nodding at them as he closed the box.
Jax smirked at him.
"Figured we would give him something that had some balls," he said, proud of his handiwork.
Before the Nords could get pissed at his words, Clay spoke up.
"I know what it's like running a crew. Sometimes your guys do shit without thinking things through," he said.
"My guys are thinking just fine," Darby said, shaking his head.
Jax's smirk fell as he glowered at him.
"They thinking fine when they sell crank to my pregnant ex?" he demanded.
It was Darby's turn to smirk.
"That was unfortunate. How's your little family doing, anyway?"
Before anyone could stop him, Jax launched across the table to wrap his hands around Darby's throat. Bobby reached up to pull him back as Tig held the other Nord back from getting a hold of Jax.
"All right, all right, everybody contain your shit," Clay said, trying to settle the table down. "You done?"
Jax nodded stiffly, brushing Bobby's hands away.
"Yeah," he snapped angrily.
Clay huffed out a sigh, glancing around the diner.
"Sorry folks. Go back to your corndogs. Won't happen again."
Once they were settled, Darby spoke up again.
"I made sure the brotherhood had Opie's back every minute that he was in Chino," he reminded them.
"Oh, I know how it works inside, Darby. Question is, do you remember how it works outside?" Clay questioned.
"A lot changes in three years," the Nord second-in-command said.
Clay glared over at him.
"And a lot stays the same. Nothing happens in Charming we don't control or get a piece of."
"If we wanted a meth trade, we'd have one," Bobby spoke up.
"We don't," Jax added.
Darby and the other guy looked pissed but didn't speak up yet.
"You know the drill. I mean, you can cook all the crank you want along the border. But you do not deal in Charming," Clay said in a low voice.
"We ain't the only cook shop in town. Devil wants in, he'll get in," Darby said.
Clay smirked at him.
"Well, then you got your work cut out for you. Because the next time the devil crosses the border, I'm coming after you. And next time, I'm not gonna use a 357 as a get-well present," he warned the other man.
Darby held his hands up in surrender.
"There's no need to be making threats. Me and my boys have always managed to make things work with Sam Crow."
"Good," Clay nodded, standing up.
Jax followed, tossing a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
"Milk and cookies are on us."
Elena and Gemma both stood up as Tara approached. Abel's surgery had been going on for a while now without word on his condition. They were both desperate for an update.
"Abel's stomach surgery went well, but it's putting a strain on his system. Dr. Namid doesn't want to wait. We should do the heart surgery now," the doctor informed them.
"That's good, right? That they're not waiting?" Elena asked.
"It's the best choice, yes," she nodded.
They both sighed with relief and Gemma squeezed Elena's arm gently.
"Thanks," the older woman said, nodding at the doctor.
Tara hesitated before speaking again.
"Can we talk?" she asked, focused on Gemma.
She looked Tara up and down before nodding once.
"What is it?"
"Wendy's in really bad shape. She's still detoxing. Can't stop crying," she said, looking concerned.
"And?" Gemma said, clearly wondering where she was going with this.
"I was hoping maybe you could talk to her. Just let her know she's not all alone," Tara encouraged her.
She let out a short laugh, shaking her head.
"Trust me. Nothing I say to that crank whore is gonna make her feel loved," Gemma said simply.
"I forgot just how forthright you can be," Tara scoffed.
"You forgot a lot of things, sweetheart."
The doctor lifted her chin defiantly and Elena couldn't help but feel impressed. Not a lot of people could look at Gemma like that.
"If you have a problem with me assisting on Abel's case, just say so," Tara said.
"Are you a good doctor?" Gemma questioned.
"Yes," she nodded.
"Then I don't have a problem."
Tara narrowed her eyes.
"Look, people change. I'm not the same girl I was ten years ago," she said.
"I am," Gemma said with a smirk.
Tara shook her head, turning to walk away. Gemma reached out, tugging her top up to reveal a tattoo on her lower back. Elena only got a glimpse at a crow before Tara yanked it down and turned around with a glare.
"Guess there's some things you can't change," Gemma said.
"I leave it there so I remember all that shit's behind me," Tara hissed.
The other woman rolled her eyes.
"Forgot just how clever you can be," she said before turning away.
As she walked back over, Gemma pulled her purse up onto her shoulder. Elena glanced at Tara, giving her an uncertain smile before walking in the opposite direction.
Jax and Clay gathered in the garage with Juice, Tig, and Chibs, looking over some maps of Oakland to get an idea of where they were going.
"Mayans got two shops where they cut and bag the heroin. Twenty minutes outside of Oakland. Here," Jax said, pointing at two different locations.
"Marcus Alvarez, president of the Oakland charter owns both buildings where they run their dope," Juice continued.
Chibs stepped closer, lighting up a cigarette.
"The local cops are on the payroll, so it's a no-hassle gig," he threw in.
"Which makes them lazy. Alvarez don't try too hard to cover his tracks," Jax added.
"He knows that we'd be on to cut shops. He wouldn't take a chance housing the M4s there," Tig reminded them.
Clay nodded in agreement.
"Stores them someplace off the grid."
"Backtracked one of Alvarez' dummy corporations in San Leandro, along the rail line. Here. Marcalva Industrial Storage. Way off the grid," Jax said, circling a building.
Clay grinned at them all, patting Juice on the back.
"Good work, kids."
As Jax walked up to Opie's house, it didn't take him long to notice the current argument happening in their garage. Donna, Opie's wife, seemed to notice that their kids were watching and hurried them out. As Opie started down the driveway, he looked up and noticed that he was standing there.
"Didn't hear you pull up," his friend said, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Parked down the block. Didn't wanna tweak Donna," Jax said.
"You catch all that?" Opie asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Jax shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Enough."
"I think she's already tweaked," he sighed.
"Yeah," Jax nodded in agreement.
After a moment of hesitation, he made a decision.
"Stay here. I'll handle the run."
"Oh no, I don't show up, Clay will chop off both our dicks," Opie refused, shaking his head.
"Take your kid to the ER. Tell them she hit her head or something. Just get on record being there. I'll cover you with Samcro," Jax said, reaching out to take the bag of explosive materials.
"What about the boom?"
He put it over his shoulder, looking up at his best friend.
"I watched you do it before. I'll call you on the prepay if I need help," Jax assured him.
Opie didn't look convinced.
"Are you sure about this?"
Jax nodded, stepping back.
"Go fix your family," he encouraged.
As he turned away, Opie called after him.
"Hey, why didn't you tell me about your kid?" he asked.
"I didn't know what to say," Jax admitted with a helpless shrug. "Still don't."
Elena slipped away from Gemma as she peered in at Abel, making an excuse about going to the bathroom. Instead, she went straight to Wendy's now private room, knocking on the door before entering. When the sickly looking woman looked over at her, Elena saw a spark of recognition in her eyes.
"I know you," Wendy said hoarsely.
"Yeah, I'm the one who found you," she said, hovering by the door.
Wendy looked confused but didn't say anything.
"How are you feeling?" Elena asked even though she knew it was a stupid question.
"Like shit," she answered honestly.
They both lapsed into silence, Elena watching while Wendy messed with the blanket on her lap.
"I remember what you said. It was nice of you," Wendy finally said quietly.
Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she sat back, wiping at her cheeks furiously.
"I'm not getting a lot of nice right now. Everyone hates me."
Elena crossed the room to the bed and reached out, taking her hand.
"It's looking good for Abel and you're going to heal just fine. That's all that matters," she said encouragingly.
Wendy looked at her with wide eyes.
"Why are you doing this? I don't even know you," she said, clearly confused.
Elena shrugged, squeezing her hand gently.
"Like you said, you're not getting a lot of nice right now. I figured you could use some," she replied.
Wendy didn't look any less confused, but she did look a little bit grateful.
"I guess I better go before Gemma figures out I'm in here. That wouldn't be comfortable for either of us," Elena said, stepping back.
"Yeah," the other woman agreed with a nod.
She smiled at her before turning to leave.
"Hey," Wendy called after her just as she opened the door.
Elena glanced back at her questioningly.
"Thank you."
She nodded at her.
"You're welcome," Elena said before leaving the room.
Once they got the guns in the van, it came down to Jax to wire the warehouse up. He was almost done when he came across a problem. He didn't remember exactly how to hook it up to the detonator.
"Shit," he muttered.
"What the hell is the problem?" Clay demanded.
"Nothing," he said, pulling his phone out. "I just gotta check something with Opie."
Tig and Happy came back in with questioning looks.
"Guns are loaded. What's the holdup?" Tig demanded.
Before either of them could answer, they heard a vehicle pulling up.
"We got company. Gotta be the Mayans," Clay said angrily. "Get the van out of sight, lay low."
"Let's go," Tig said, hurrying out again with Happy at his heels.
Clay turned around, glaring at Jax.
"You. With me."
They ran outside in time to see the Mayans driving in through the gate.
"Shit!" Clay cursed. "We should've been long gone by now."
"Well, we got the iron. Let's get the hell out of here," Jax suggested.
Clay shook his head.
"I came to send a message. Those two wetbacks see that busted back door, they'll call for backup."
"Blowing up shit's one thing. We off these guys, could trigger something out of control," Jax warned him.
"Well, that's the cost of your mistake. You got a problem making it right?" Clay snapped.
He started forward, pulling his gun out. Jax reached out and stopped him.
"I'll draw them to the dumpster," he sighed.
Jax hurried out and picked up a blanket, wrapping it around his head and torso so that they couldn't see his face or the black beanie that he wore. He staggered towards the dumpster, singing in a slurred voice. When the Mayans spotted him, they came over.
"Hey," one of them said, turning Jax around. "Tell your dirtbag buddies, they camp out here, they get some of this."
He hit Jax and he staggered back, drawing his gun as he threw off the blanket. Just as he knocked one Mayan to the ground, the other pulled a weapon.
"No, bang bang, por favor," Clay said, putting a gun to his head.
He took the other guy's gun, tossing it away.
"You tell your dirtbag buddies, they steal from Samcro, they get some of this."
Without hesitation, Clay shot the other Mayan in the throat. Neither of them saw a third run out as they forced the remaining guy on his knees. When the truck was started and the third guy started driving, Happy hurried out.
"I got him."
Happy leapt onto the back of the truck, shooting through the back and causing the truck to roll to a stop.
"Go check the back. Make sure that's all of them," Jax instructed Tig and Happy.
They hurried off, looking around for any remaining Mayans.
"He's all yours," Clay said, gesturing to the guy on his knees.
Jax glared at his receding back, looking down at the man who was pleading for his life in Spanish. Before he could shoot him, three shots landed on his back. He fell to the ground with a shout, turning over to shoot the man who had taken him by surprise. Just as the Mayan leapt up from his knees, Clay shot him with an M4. Jax refused help, standing up by himself.
"I'm all right. Got the vest," he sighed, wincing at the dull pain that still radiated through his torso.
"Finish it," Clay said, nodding at the man who shot him.
He was breathing, though it was labored. Jax looked over at Clay with a frown before lifting his gun. He hesitated, watching as the man slumped down and let out his last breath.
"It's finished," he decided as the others ran up.
"Oh Mary, mother of Christ, I leave you bad boys for two minutes and it all turns to shit," Chibs said, shaking his head with disbelief.
Jax maintained eye contact with Clay as Tig checked on the last guy to make sure he was dead.
"We're all good." Jax said.
"Let's get out of here," Clay said, sounding pissed.
Tig looked up at them.
"Clay, look at this."
They all walked over to see that the guy was white and that he had a swastika tattoo.
"Darby's guy," Jax realized.
"Darby did make some new friends in Chino," Clay sighed.
The other exchanged wary looks.
"White boy must've sucked lots of brown dick," Tig muttered.
"Nords crew up with the Mayans, gives them numbers, access to guns," Jax nodded.
"A common enemy, us," Clay continued.
They all straightened up, realizing the same thing at the same time.
"Darby wants Charming," Jax said, putting it into words.
"There goes the neighborhood," Clay said before shooting up a sign.
Chibs helped Jax wire up the rest of the explosives before they ran out, getting halfway to the truck before the place blew up. The rest of the guys cheered as they pulled away but Jax sat silently in the backseat, staring off into space.
Elena was hovering outside of the NICU when she saw Jax coming down the hallway. As soon as he spotted her, he hurried to where she stood. She noticed a cut on his lip and a bruise forming on his cheek but didn't have time to comment on it.
"Is he gonna be okay?" he asked breathlessly.
Elena nodded, a smile forming on her face.
"He looks good."
Jax grinned, pulling her into a hug before she knew it. Elena froze for just a moment before winding her arm around his shoulders and burying her face in his shoulder. Then she felt something strange against her chest and pulled away. Looking down, her eyes widened when she saw a red smear across her skin and staining her shirt. Jax opened his mouth to say something but she didn't give him a chance, reaching out to unzip his jacket. Sure enough, his white t-shirt was stained with blood. Elena seized his arm and dragged him into the nearest bathroom.
"I…"
She fixed him with a look before wetting down several paper towels and rubbing at the blood on her skin.
"You need to clean yourself up," Elena said, anger welling up in her once more.
She fought the urge to say more, tossing the towels in the trashcan before turning around to walk out. As she pulled the door open to leave, she heard him heave out a heavy, troubled sigh and hesitated, her anger slowly ebbing away. Instead of leaving him behind like she meant to, Elena walked over to an abandoned laundry cart and found a pair of scrubs that would fit him. Walking back over to the bathroom, she pressed her lips together before pushing the door open and stepping back inside. Jax was wiping the blood from his bare chest but that wasn't what caught her eye. A large tattoo spanned his entire back of a black grim reaper tattoo, as well as the name of the club. But the more alarming sight were three distinctive bruises on his smooth skin.
"Are those from bullets?" she asked, stepping forward.
Jax nodded, glancing at her in the mirror.
"I had a vest on," he said, turning to face her.
She tried her best not to admire his toned abdomen, something that he clearly noticed. When she saw his smirk, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Clothes," she said, shoving the scrubs into his chest.
"Thanks," he said, still smirking.
"You're welcome," she said, shaking her head with a slight smile. "We can go to the incubation chamber when you're done. Abel is ready for visitors."
Jax looked relieved, nodding as he pulled the scrub shirt over his head.
"I'll be out in a second."
She waited outside of the bathroom, holding a trash bag towards him when he stepped outside with his bloodied clothes.
"I'll take them to Gemma's house to be cleaned," she offered.
"You don't have to do that," Jax said.
Elena hesitated as he waited to see if she would follow him.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you," she told him.
He looked surprised at her apology before shrugging.
"S'alright," Jax said.
She didn't feel all that better but still followed him when he tilted his head towards the NICU. When they reached the door, Elena hesitated and watched as he walked in. When he glanced back and gestured for her to follow, she smiled and stepped inside as well. They were watching the rise and fall of Abel's chest when Gemma came in, putting a hand on Jax's shoulder.
"He's perfect," she breathed.
Jax nodded in agreement.
"He is."
Glancing over her shoulder with a feeling that someone was watching, Elena saw Clay standing outside of the glass window that peered into the room. She stepped out, leaving Gemma and Clay alone with Abel.
"He's looking good," Clay said.
Elena hummed in agreement, glancing into the room to see Gemma rubbing Jax's back and smiling at him.
"Can you get me a ride?" she asked.
Clay gave her a strange look before nodding.
"I'll call Half-Sack."
As soon as she got to Jax's house, she sent Half-Sack away and got to work. As tired as she was, she wanted to do something to help. Cleaning up the rest of the house was the only thing she could think of. By the time she had the living room and bedrooms cleared of trash and cleaned up, she was absolutely exhausted. Elena changed a load of laundry from the washer into the dryer and did a final check of the house. When she sat down on the couch, she only planned to rest for a few moments before calling someone to come pick her up. Instead, she ended up dozing off and woke up to someone shaking her gently. She opened her eyes to see Jax there, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"You didn't have to do this," he said, leaning away as she sat up.
She yawned, stretching out her arms.
"I like helping," Elena mumbled tiredly.
Looking up, she saw him staring at her with a strange look.
"What?"
Jax didn't answer, sitting down next to her. They didn't talk for several moments.
"I'm sorry," Elena said softly.
He let out a low laugh, shaking his head.
"I'm not mad," Jax assured her.
"I am," Elena said.
He looked at her questioningly and she sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"Elena?"
She shrugged off his hand when it touched her shoulder.
"All my life, people have lied to me to protect me," Elena said, looking into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how that feels?"
Jax didn't say anything, simply shaking his head.
"It fucking sucks. And then I'm brought here, where I'm supposed to be safe, only to find out that people are lying to me again. People that I'm supposed to trust. So I'm mad. I'm furious. But mostly I'm tired."
Elena hated that her eyes burned with tears and wiped at them furiously.
"Hey," he said, reaching out to her again.
She pushed his hands away and stood up, walking away from him before turning back around.
"I have lived the past year in constant fear of everything that I don't know," she told him in a shaking voice. "I almost died because of it. I can't do it again."
Jax stood up, walking over to her.
"Okay," he said, reaching out to touch his hand to hers. "We'll figure it out."
Elena let him pull her closer and ended up enveloped in his arms. Breathing in his scent of leather, cologne, and smoke, she slowly let it relax her. Pulling away, she looked up into his eyes.
"I'm glad Abel is gonna be okay," Elena said softly, feeling tired once more.
Jax nodded, looking emotional at the mention of his son.
"Let's get you home," he said, brushing off the subject.
She didn't argue, letting him lead her from the house and out to his bike. Once he was settled on, she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Underneath his cut, she could feel the outline of the gun that was strapped to his hip. It didn't bother her as much as it should. Now that she had it out with him and made it clear what she expected, Elena knew that she could start to relax and hopefully let herself settle in Charming. After all, there was no way she'd be bored, mixing in with an outlaw gang of motorcycle enthusiasts. You should leave now, before you get hurt, a voice like Caroline's told her firmly. Ignore the bitch, Katherine scoffed. Who says you can't have a little fun?
Elena pushed both of the voices away, curling herself around Jax as he pulled out of the driveway. She knew that there was every reason for her to drop Charming and leave right that instant. But for some reason, she found herself wanting to stay. Elena couldn't figure out why but there was something holding her there. She knew that there were still secrets buried in the idyllic-looking town. Secrets that wouldn't stay that way for long. Plus, like Katherine said, who said she couldn't have a little fun along the way now that she knew exactly what she was getting into? A smile formed on her face at the thought.
"Let's go to the cliffs again," she told Jax.
He didn't argue, smiling slightly as he turned left on Main Street and headed out of town.
I would love to hear what you think!
Updated: 4/11/21