Chapter 47

She stood in front of a mirror in her bedroom fighting with her unruly hair as she tried to work it into a french braid.  Of course coloring thick, unruly hair hadn't helped matters much.  Tucking the bottom part of the braid up and underneath, she reached for an elastic band to secure it while trying to balance and slip into a pair of shoes, all the while muttering in Latin under her breath.  It was an unfortunate habit that she had picked up from her father and would revert to in times of stress or annoyance, and which she kept soundly to herself.  Reaching down to put the second loafer onto her unshoed foot, she hopped across the room to see if any messages had come in while she was in the shower.  And of course one had, she just hoped it hadn't been from her boss demanding that she show up even earlier for the shift that she had gotten called to cover less than an hour before. 

Sinking to the bed, she reached to the nightstand for her watch and was in the process of putting it on as she heard her god-sister's voice.  The smile that momentarily graced her face was lost as the contents of said message sunk in.  Her Latin growing more passionate, she reached for the phone while getting to her feet and starting to gather her things and dialed. Simultaneously, she mentally tried to deduce if she'd have enough time to obtain some of the information that she was asked to as she counted rings till the answering machine picked up. . .

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Jax walked into the Penthouse without trying to conceal his arrival, even at the late hour.  Throwing his keys onto the desk, he scanned the surface while forming a mental check list of things needing to be done on pending deals as he shrugged out of is jacket.  As he did, the phone rang, breaking the silence of the room.  Glancing at his watch, Jax scowled before glaring at the answering machine that was kicking in--- or rather at the message that was coming over it. . .

"V. what the hell is going on? I just got your message about Donna.  Anyway, I think I can get the information that you want.  I'll be in touch when I get off shift."

Shaking his head and biting back annoyance, Jax stalked over to the answering machine and deleted the message.  "She just doesn't get how much trouble she's bringing on us, he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.

At the top of the stairs, V. tightened the belt of her white terry cloth robe and frowned at his actions, closing her eyes she inhaled before calling down to him, "Jax, I thought I heard you."

"Guess you did," he answered noncommittally as he walked to the steps and stopped at the bottom of them to look up at her. "Did I wake you?"

"Not really," she shrugged as she twisted the belt around her fingers.  "I thought I heard the phone."

"Wrong number," he answered stiffly as he turned and walked back to his desk, her conflicted "oh," barely reaching his ears.  "You go on back to bed; I'm going to be working on some stuff for a while yet."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No."

"I see," she sighed.  "How's Donna?'

Slipping into the chair behind his desk Jax frowned, "why don't you call one of your good friends?  I'm sure they could fill you in."

"Don't."

"Don't what?" he demanded as he swiveled in his chair in time to watch her descending the stairs. "Don't resent them for their ignoring her? Don't worry that this Lyman character has made a dangerous decision when it comes to her health? Don't think about how their presence can only hurt?"

V. swallowed and shook her head, "they didn't ignore her.  One of them didn't look past what she told him to what lied beneath.  In fact, that's probably why she told him.  As for Josh, he would die before he willingly did anything to hurt Donna, and I'd lay money on the fact that he's more conflicted with having to make that decision that you'd want to believe.  Just know that he did what he thought was best for her at the time. And lastly, why the hell are you so sure they're the ones who are going to hurt her.  As far as I see it they can only help."

"You're not seeing the whole picture."

"Really?" V. asked.  "Because as much as you've repeated these allegations today, you've left a lot of things out."

"And just what the hell would they be?"

"Just that I think it's more than a little ironic that you're throwing these accusations around when they're not."

"They have no reason to."

"That's the funny thing.  You keep saying they didn't come when she called.  They could say the same, if not worse, about us.  Most of them didn't even have a clue about AJ harassing her.  We knew he was and what did we do? We didn't look past her words to the fear underneath anymore than Sam did.  We enabled her to hide what was happening.  We were the ones here.  The ones who should've been able to do something to stop him, and we didn't."

Jax shook his head and closed his eyes at her words.  "They're making the wrong choices for her."

"And we made the right ones?" she challenged, the put up a hand to forestall the counter argument she knew he was mentally forming.  "Don't let your guilt color your opinion of them."

"Who saids I feel guilty?"

"It's written all over your reactions.  You didn't know it would happen when you set up that talk between her and Ned."

"I underestimated AJ.  That's not going to happen again."

"So instead you're underestimating Donna's friends.  You should be working with them instead of against them."

"Can't be your own feelings of guilt coloring your opinion there, now can it?" Jax countered defensively.

V. inhaled sharply at that as she took a step back, surprised at the anger she heard in Jax's voice.  "Yes, I feel guilty, but I also know that these people aren't who you think they are.  Given the opportunity they'll take down the Qs and anyone who stands in their way."

"Do you know how naive that makes you sound? They can't just walk into a town and tumble one of its most prominent families on a whim! It just doesn't work like that!"

"And you don't know how ill-informed that makes you sound," she sighed.  "Because in this case, with these people, it just might work exactly like that," she added as she turned and started towards the stairs, only to pause at the bottom.  Looking over her shoulder, she decided she needed to impart a piece of wisdom to him.  "You have got to make a decision here.  You either get out of their way or they'll steamroll right over you.  Don't let your pride force you into the crossfire of this."

Jax snorted at that and turned back to is work as he listened to her walk up the stairs.  "I'm not the one in the way," he muttered.  "Besides, if anyone gets steamed rolled it will be them, and right out of town. . .