Hi my lovely readers. I just wanted to apologise for the lack of updates. Work and life hav just been extremely busy but coming back to writing always makes me happy so I have a few days off and that is what I am going to spend my time doing, writing. I hope you are still enjoying this story. I wanted to thank everyone who has read, followed and reviewed this story I do really hearing what you all think. Any here is the next chapter and hopefully I can get a few more to you over the next week.

Acceptance

They all sat around the table, last night had not gone to plan and now a brother was behind bars and another in the wind.

Ally Lowen the clubs lawyer had just left. It wasn't looking good for Opie. He'd been caught pretty much red handed, there was no way that they were going to be able to deny that Opie had something to do with the explosion, but they just hoped that they could lessen the damage in a way.

"I'm gonna check in with Donna and the kids." Jax spoke before taking a drag on his cigarette, he spared a glance to Piney who nodded in thanks and respect.

"Tell her the club is here. We'll cover any bills needed." Clay added before he looked over to Bobby who as club treasurer would know if Clays words were possible, thankfully he nodded silently confirming they had the funds.

"So what do we do about Kyle?" Clay looked to Tig who had asked the question.

"Until we know for sure what happened nothing."

"We know what happened. He bailed on my son." Clay looked towards Piney.

"Brother, I understand..."

"Kyle needs to be found." Piney demanded. Clay nodded in agreement. If Kyle had betrayed a brother he was done.

"I'll reach out to April see if he's touched base. Everyone else keep your eyes peeled okay. If Kyle tries to reach out I need to know." Everyone nodded and Clay banged the gavel.

Everyone left the table, with Jax heading straight to his cell in the box on the pool table.

As he scooped it out he saw a couple of missed calls and presumed it was Haley. He had bailed early this morning once he had gotten the call about Opie. Haley was sleeping so he didn't go into details when he woke her to say goodbye. It was 11am so he figured that the missed call was relating to that asshole Aaron. He knew that she was nervous about seeing him today at college. He wanted to be there for her and if that jackass had done anything then he would love to kick his ass, but right now he also needed to be present for the club, be here for his brothers, be here for Opie, so he was glad when he saw a voicemail it meant he could listen at least.

Flipping his cell open he pressed it to his ear and started to listen to the message. He frowned when he heard her voice. It wasn't Aaron that was the problem.

Hearing the clubhouse door open he saw Gemma enter. She eyed him straight away. She looked as pissed as he felt. Listening to the end of the message he closed his cell and approached his mother. He moved close enough so that only she would hear him.

"You went to Haley?"

"Thought you we're just checking she was okay, not shacking up with her." Jax shook his head before ushering his mother back outside of the clubhouse. He felt the looks from his brothers but he needed this to be a private conversation.

"It's none of your business." Jax fumed as they reached outside.

"It is when that business turns up in my office." Gemma watched her son frown as he looked back at her. "Wendy." Of course Jax thought. "She told me you hadn't been home didn't take a genius to figure out where you were. She's broken Jax. You and Wendy were good baby."

"No Mom we weren't." Jax took a breath trying to calm down. With all the shit with Opie and Kyle he didn't need this right now. "I was lonely, Wendy was just there. I love Haley Mom. Always have. I know you blame her for me going inside but that was all me." He closed the gap between them. "Me and Haley that's happening. I want you to be okay with this, but if your not, this is still happening and then it's a choice."

Gemma knew what Jax was saying. He was going to pursue this relationship no matter what. She got the same impression from Haley this morning. Gemma didn't want to lose her son, that was why she was being the way she was she was trying to protect them. Now Gemma had a decision to make and she didn't like it.

"What about her Dad, Sam..."

"I don't give a shit." Jax shouted. "We're both done listening to what other people want."

"You going to tell him?" Jax knew that she was referring to Sam and it still annoyed him.

"Yeah, but if he doesn't like it I don't care any more. He needs to get over this shit."

"Your brothers I just don't want you to lose sight of that." Jax shook his head and started to head towards his bike. He heard the click of her heels before she called out his name. Jax threw his leg over his bike so that he was facing Gemma again. "I havent lost sight of the fact he's my brother but this isn't about him. But if Sammy has an issue that's on him, so maybe you should have this conversation with him, remind him he broke her, that he had a kid and married someone else. If anyone has a right to be pissed here, It ain't me or Sam, it's Hales."

And with that Jax started his bike and rode out of the lot leaving Gemma just standing there, although she wasn't alone for long.

"Everything al'right?" Gemma turned to see Clay. She also noticed Sam over his shoulder so she pulled Clay further away.

"Jax and Haley. Their back together." Clay smirked. "What?" Gemma asked.

"I'm just not surprised."

"So what your just okay with this?" Clay shrugged.

Yes Clay had sent Jax off to Tacoma when he realised that Haley was back and that was just for a weekend. But she had done the thing many people weren't able to do and that was catch him off guard, So he reacted. He sent Jax away, but with Opie potentially seeing the inside of a prison cell and a potential betray of a brother Clay needed Jax whole and something told Clay that Haley could help with that. But he also understood his wife concern. Sam, Daniel they could cause issues. But of course Clay had a plan.

"Haley's a good kid. Maybe instead of fighting her we bring her back in." Clay replied which cause Gemma to raise a questioning brow.

"She's never been in Clay, not in that way." Gemma stated referring to the club life. Daniel had kept her protected from all of that and Clay couldn't argue with that.

"Look." Clay spoke reaching for Gemma and pulling her close to him so he could whisper in her ear. "I need Jax here, his head present. Jax needs her so we'll make this work. Daniel and Sam I'll handle." Gemma pulled back with a questioning look at Clay's last words. "I just need my queen to play nice."

After listening to Jax and Clay Gemma knew what she had to do.

"Fine. I can play nice."


Donna stared out the window as she mindlessly washed the dishes. It wasn't the first time Opie had been arrested but this felt different. And with that thought she heard the rumble of the motorcycle. Normally she felt happiness when she heard that noise but not today.

Jax dismounted his bike but before he could start making his way to the house Donna was rushing down the steps of the house towards him.

"What's happening Jax...I've been trying to call but nothing..." As Donna came to stand in front of him Jax reached out to her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Don."

"How bad is it?"

"Not sure yet." Jax admitted with a shake of his head. "But Donna we're all here for you." Donna nodded.

"I just want him Jax. I can't do this without him." She spoke before the tears started to fall.

"I know." Jax pulled her into a hug "I know."

Jax didn't know what was going to happen to Opie but he knew one thing he would be there for Donna and the kids. He wasn't going to leave them alone, he couldn't


Jax had spent most of the day with Donna and the kids. Being part of the club meant you could do time but seeing Donna with the twins he knew how hard this was going to be for them if Opie went inside. This was why he let Haley go. She didn't deserve it.

Grabbing the key from the least secure place, he made a note to move it, he opened the door kicking off his sneakers before heading for her room. She was laying on the bed a book resting against her chest as she slept, she had clearly been studying. A smile spread upon his face as he carefully moved the book from her she was way to smart for him.

However even in his carefulness she woke.

"Hey." Jax spoke softly as she opened those beautiful hazel eyes he always found himself getting lost in.

"Hey." Haley's voice was horse from sleep but she was happy to see him and instantly rolled on her side to face him properly. "I missed you." And that was the truth Haley had been trying to get in contact with him all day but as she stared into those blue eyes she realised that he was sad. "You okay?"

"I'm good babe." He spoke before dropping a kiss onto her forehead

Haley watched as he stood up and started removing his clothes. As much as she appreciated the view she knew something was wrong, but it was more the fact that he wasn't admitting it that bothered her.

"Hey." Jax turned to her. "Talk to me. Please."

Jax felt her words.

Haley had always been protected from the club, mostly because of her dad. He never allowed her to T/M and growing up the Tellers respected that but Jax and Sam they were the opposite. They were born and raised in the club, and when Gemma got with Clay Jax knew that he too would some day end up with the gavel in his hand and that was all he wanted, he wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps, both of them.

But there was another thing he needed to decide. When it came to Old Ladies they were either all in or all out.

Jax wanted her in his life. He did 3 years without her and he hated every second of it. But he didn't know if she could handle it. He wasn't lying to his Gemma when he said that this was happening, because this was. He wasn't losing Haley again but he was afraid that learning the truth about the club about him, what they really did, the guns the violence that he could lose her so he was willing to have her as the Old Lady who knew nothing. But it seemed Haley had other ideas.

Pulling back the covers he slid in beside her and placed a kiss onto her lips but she pulled away, her hand coming to rest on his bare chest.

"Jax I'm not stupid. I know the club does things. I mean my Dad wouldn't have been trying all these years to just keep me away from a garage and motorcycle enthusiasts. I also know what the club means to you, your family. I'm guessing that is why your mother is giving me grief." They both smiled with that thought. Although Gemma was scary and Haley had definitely not been smiling after Gemma left that morning. But she loved the man before her.

She knew that it might be difficult to hear, to understand but she wanted Jax, she wanted all of him. So she needed the truth. "I want to be a part of this world Jax, your world. Don't you trust me?"

"Hales it's not that I don't trust you..."

"Then let me in." Jax took her hand that was resting on his chest and held it in his own.

"Hales..."

"Jax please."

Jax dropped a kiss onto the palm of her hand before squeezing it tightly. "Opie was arrested for arson, he's looking at time. Hard time."

"Did he do it?"

And this was the question that opened the door none of them would be able to close. And with a breath Jax told her everything.


Sam looked at Clay. As a step father he wanted to tell him to eat his words but as a president he just nodded.

He wasn't surprised by the words he knew that in some way this was inevitable. He knew deep down when Jax had admitted that he saw her that his brother would go back there, back to her but even deeper down he knew that Haley would go back to him too and he would never admit it but it was that truth that hurt the most and it pissed him off. Jax always seemed to get everything.

"Sam...Sammy."

Hearing his name his eyes met Clays again. "I get it. Haley and Jax, their together and everyone has to be onboard...for the sake of the club."

Clay could hear the distaste in his voice. He understood Sam had been there first but sometimes shit changes. It was like him and Gemma. John was there first and Gemma loved John but it changed and Clay stepped in and protected her. From what Gemma had told him about what Jax had said to her before he felt that Jax was doing the same.

"No shit, you hear me."

"You got it Prez. We good?"

Clay nodded. And with that Sam got up pushing his chair back causing it to scrape across the floor.

"Fun Town." Clay spoke before Sam could leave. It caused Sam to look back. "Annual breakfast. Back in play. Attendance mandatory."

"I'll be there" Sam spoke before leaving the chapel.