Chapter 2: California Über Alles

The 1995 Jeep Wrangler crossed the city lines into Charming, "Our Name Says It All" read the sign, with Dead Kennedy's California Über Alles blasting loudly through the stereo. This was a particularly hot late summer day, and Alex kept the windows down. Sid was lying down on the passenger seat quietly, he'd been into most of the drive, head out the window and tongue out, but now he was peacefully resting by her side, unbothered by the music.

"California... über alles! California über alles!" she sang loudly with the song, one hand in the steering wheel, her other elbow resting at the window, a cigarette between her fingers.

Alex lowered the volume of her music slightly as she actually entered the small town. She took a last drag of her cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray on her console. The town looked like all the little towns she just passed by, but where Morada and even Kennedy boasted of at least one big chain store, she was yet to see anything like it in Charming. She lowered her aviator glasses to the tip of her nose and started looking around, curiously, as she slowed down the car. Sid sat up and whined, she glanced at him.

"Oh, I know, baby," she pouted. "I will stop right away, get you some water and we will go for a quick pee, yeah?"

The dog whined back in response and lied down again. She smiled and looked around, she turned right and got into a busy-ish (for a small town) street. She parked behind a police cruiser in front of a "Lumpy's Family Restaurant".

"Be right back," she told the dog, who looked up at her again, and kissed the top of his head. As soon as she stepped out of the car, he sat up again, watchfully following her with his eyes.

Alexandra noted two Harleys parked in front of the police cruiser and raised her eyebrows for a second, making a mental note before she opened the door to the restaurant.

[xxx]

"I don't know enough yet," Unser said, shifting in his seat and glancing briefly outside at the jeep parking behind his cruiser. That's new, he thought, but his eyes were back on Jax Teller in front of him. "All I know is that they talked to Hale."

Jax did not reply, he had followed Unser's glance to the jeep but unlike the chief he stayed there when he saw a redhead pop out. She was maybe 5'6, not taller than that but unlikely shorter, she was thin and her skin was pale but covered in tattoos. Her arms, her legs, her back; only face, neck and hands seemed to be blank. And her work was nice too, realistic, bright black. She wore black jeans cut-outs, an off shoulder oversized Black Sabbath t-shirt and Dr Martens, a tattoo piece popped out of her chest up to her clavicle. Her long red hair was up in a ponytail, nice curtain bangs framed her face, and he could see even under the aviator shades that she was beautiful. Not the type of hot he was accustomed to seeing in Charming, she would be almost a classic beauty if not for all the ink; for him of course, the ink was a plus. He fixated on her as she walked inside and took her glasses off, approaching the counter.

"Jackie-boy?" Chibs called out in a half-laugh. He watched the VP watch the girl from the start, this amused him greatly.

"Holy shit," Jax said, lowly. And looked from Unser to Chibs. "You seeing that? Am I hallucinating?"

"Jesus, kid," Chibs said, Unser laughed lowly. "Calm down," he added and looked past Jax and at the girl ordering. "I mean, yeah, I get it."

"Probably some tourist passing by on her way to Sacramento," Unser said. Jax looked back at the girl. "I guess that doesn't matter..." he trailed off when Jax completely ignored him again and continued watching her. "Has he been on a dry spell since Wendy or something?"

"You could say that, I think," Chibs said, still amused. "He's a bit bored with local meat, I guess. Like I said though," he stretched to take another look at the girl. "I get it."

It wasn't that though, at least not just that. He'd been detached, out of sorts, since Donna's funeral. Just being in the same room as Clay made his stomach turn. He'd been thinking about the conversation with Piney, things had to change. But change seemed so unlikely when everything was the same as when he was a child. Literally and figuratively. Then somehow, this complete - beautiful - stranger shows up. She stood out, and he had a hard time looking away, and it was more than just her long legs. It was as if she was a sign; maybe change was possible. Or maybe he was just rationalizing and grasping at straws. It didn't matter though, he continued watching.

[xxx]

Alex turned on her heels after she ordered and paid for some fresh orange juice for her and a bottled water for Sid. They didn't have to-go cups for the juice, but she agreed to have it in a coffee cup. Little town indeed, no wonder her parents didn't feel like staying, she thought to herself amused, before getting her cellphone and pulling the badly folded map from her back pocket.

"Motel Sunshine Coast, Christ," she said to herself under her breath looking at the text message Jimmy sent her with her reservation details.

"Here you go, sweetheart," the lady's voice called from behind the counter. "Sorry again about the cup situation."

"Oh, it's no problem," she replied with a smile, putting both her cellphone and the map away and grabbing the coffee cup and the bottled water.

That's when she glanced to a booth facing the counter to the left of her. A police officer and two scruffy looking men looking at her. The officer was an older man, sitting across from the two scruffy ones - bikers, she noted by their kuttes. Sons of Anarchy, she could read on their backs. That was fast, she thought.

The biker by the window was older, a scar on each side of his mouth. Interesting, she noted. The one next to him was a handsome blond young man, around the same age as her, his hair a little longer, a scruffy beard framed his sharp jawline. His blue eyes were fixated on her, while the other two simply looked curiously. She was taken aback for a second, especially because as she crossed eyes with them, the older two tried to look away. But blondie? Never broke eye contact.

Alex raised her eyebrows and managed somehow a nervous smile before putting back her shades and walking out.

"Phew, okay," she said lowly to herself as she walked outside. She put a pin on blondie in her mind for a second, she'd get back to that once she was sorted out. Could be an in on the whole story. If the League was here for the Sons of Anarchy, blondie would be a good source.

She put the bottle of water on top of the Jeep and opened the coffee cup, drinking the fresh orange juice in one go. It was surprisingly good and refreshing. Sid wagged his little tail inside the car, she let him out as soon as she trashed the cup in a bin outside right by the entrance. He got out and patiently waited for her to pour the water on a dish for him to drink, she searched for his empty water dish by the passenger seat and started a set up for him on the sidewalk.

"I know, it's hotter than a nun's tit on confession day," she said to the dog, scratching his ear while he drank the water, still squatting by his side.

"Hey," a voice called from behind her. Sid stopped immediately and looked up at the source, but didn't move. Alex looked up. Hot biker blondie from the restaurant. His Californian accent showing through a simple hey. Fun, she thought.

"Hi!" she replied, cheerly and stood up. Sid's eyes fixated on her new friend still.

"What's his name?" he asked gesturing with his head to the dog, a few strands of his hair falling in front of his right eye as he did. He had a charming smile on his lips, hands in his pockets.

"Sid," she replied and looked down at the dog. "It's ok, baby," the dog looked at her, then continued drinking at her command.

Jax noted an accent in her, but those few words weren't enough for him to quite make it. He followed her eyes as she glanced at Unser leaving in his cruiser and Chibs taking off as well, but not before laughing at Jax like the dickhead that he was.

"Sid? Interesting name for a dog," Jax looked back at her and caught her eyes under the shades again. He couldn't believe how bad he was at this. He hasn't really needed to do this for a while, it usually just happened. The women knew who he was, that was it.

"Sid Vicious," the redhead said with a teasing smile, she didn't seem to mind Chibs' teasing or his poor attempt at conversation. He watched as her eyes ran around his leather kutte.

Alex read quietly the patches on his leather kutte and stopped at V. President on the left. Nice, she noted, and kept cool, her eyes back to his.

"I see," Jax's voice actually brought her back to his eyes, he acknowledged the pup's name with a nod. He also got the accent now; British? Damn.

"I like it." He added. He did. A lot.

"Don't worry, he's friendly," she glanced at the dog and back at him. "Until I tell him not to, of course."

"I'll keep that in mind," he smiled again. That disarmed her every time now. That's a problem, she thought and smiled back.

"Are you lost? I saw, inside..." he asked and trailed off as he gestured to the restaurant.

"Yeah, I think so?" she replied, slightly embarrassed, her cheeks were already rosy due to the heat, but he could swear he saw them get a tad redder.

"Where do you gotta be?" he motioned to the Jeep, his hands still in his pockets. Sure, she said the dog was friendly, but you never know.

"Uhm, looking for..." she bit her lower lip and took Sid's lead with her right hand, pulling her cellphone with her left from her back pocket. "2234 Harbor Street."

"Motel Sunshine?" he didn't expect her to stay in Charming. Interesting. Suspicious, maybe? Not a lot of foreigners in Charming. He glanced at her plate, it said California and this didn't look a rental car. He was intrigued, but now on alert.

"Yeap, that's the one," she said. And noted him looking at her car. Hmm, she knew this wouldn't be that easy to hide. But he's not the one she needs to be careful with. Besides, that smile...

"This is Main, then you gotta turn right at the corner," he pointed to the right on the street behind him, then looked back at her. "Then it's the fourth one on the left, then it's right again."

"I'm afraid you have to dumb that down for me, love, sorry," she said, now the one with a disarming smile. Shit fuck, the way she said love too. Calm down, he thought. He just couldn't take his eyes off her and being on alert suddenly was now a second priority.

"I'm afraid I get lost in my own room. Absolutely useless," she added with a guilty smile and noticed that he eased up. Mission accomplished, she thought.

"Hah, that's alright," he laughed softly. "I am going that way and I'll pass right by it. You can follow me if you want."

"Is it?" she breathed out, and let out a bigger smile, sincerely. "Alright, thank you!" she looked down at Sid, who had been watching her impatiently but politely. "I've got to take Sid here for a spin around the block though, poor sod's been in the car for a long time now."

"Want some company?" Jax asked even before he could rationalize it. "You know, in case you get lost?" he joked, slyly.

"Hah, funny," she chuckled. Hot and funny. "Sure."

"I'm Jax, by the way," he said as he watched her put the bowl back in the car, he took the opportunity to look inside briefly as he held the door for her.

She had a couple of bags in the back seat, the car smelled of cigarette smoke and... Fresh cedar? He saw a little charm by the rear-view mirror that read "SF Auto Detailing & Wash". San Francisco? Huh. He glanced back at her, the piece on her back had what looked to him like three cloaked mages or witches, there were trees and a cauldron, maybe? He couldn't make it as her shirt covered the rest of it, under it he could see she was wearing a bikini top.

White eyes from the witches stared at him, it was a fancy and beautiful black ink work. He looked down and down at her legs, most of her tattoos had the same theme, witches and demons, but everything very well detailed and done. He fooled himself for a moment that he was really interested in the art covering those long legs.

"Alexandra," she said and turned to him, closing the car door and meeting his eyes, catching him as he looked back up at her. Subtle, she thought sarcastically. "Alex."

"What are you doing in the US, Alex?" he asked and started walking by her side, Sid a few steps in front of them. "That's a long way from the UK."

"Right, yea," obviously he noticed the accent. She put her aviators up in her head, so he could see her eyes and she could work on the trust. She wasn't there to investigate him, but he was in a way or another involved into what she was there for. She's done this a million times before, create a rapport with sources. And this one, ah, this one would be a pleasure.

"Actually, I was born here," she said truthfully, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My father is American from Oakland and moved to the UK when he was a lad, maybe 14 or 15. Anyways, he was an engineer and had a project in Charming in 1980 – and we moved back to London in early 81, I was about 5 months old. My mum is British. I haven't been here since, so really no real memory."

"But that didn't tell me what you're doing here," he prodded masterfully, her green eyes were enchanting, a dark green that shined along with her skin, slightly sweaty from the heat. She seemed at ease, and telling the truth for that matter. He only grew more interested.

"It did not," she noted and looked around, the little town was at the very least quaint, as Richie would say. She noted people observed them but would either look away quickly as Jax glanced at them or would wave or nod at him, he acknowledged them with nods here and there, but his attention was fully on her.

"I guess I don't know... It's... complicated?" she looked back at him.

"I'm listening," he said with a reassuring smile.

"I live in San Francisco, actually," she continued. Not a lie, good, he thought thinking of the cedar charm on her rear-view mirror.

There was no reason to be too careful with this one. Again, he wasn't the reason she was there. And his genuine interest just... Made her comfortable?

"I got tired of... Rain, moodiness… Doom. It makes for great music and writing, but a depressing lifestyle " she glanced at him at that, he knew exactly what she meant and nodded. "I needed some sunshine, a change of pace. So, I decided to complete my last year of university abroad."

"It was between California or Australia," she continued as he listened intently. They walked slowly, and Sid stopped here and there to sniff or mark and they continued calmly. "I am an arachnophobe and not really into big snakes, so, I decided on UCLA. That was six years ago. Then I stayed and stayed, got a job... you know?"

"A boyfriend?" he fished without missing a beat, masterfully. She didn't reply right away and smiled mischievously at him. Smooth, she thought.

"Not anymore," she said slightly flirty, they were already a few feet away from her car again. "Sort of why I am here, I guess." Scott came into her mind and she suddenly felt uneasy.

"How about you? What do you do in California, Jax?" she changed the topic quickly.

"Born and raised in Charming," he replied, and noted her aversion but decided not to insist.

"I have my family, my club, the auto shop," he added, as he wished it would be. That simple. Maybe one day, maybe soon.

"Sounds idyllic," she said and stopped by her car.

"I assure you it's not," he said after a nervous smile and looked down for a moment, she fished for his eyes back at her with hers, tilting her head. Perceptive.

"Right," she noted when he looked back at her. She, of course knew that; one percenter. She didn't know exactly what, as Jimmy put it, unsavoury business he was into, but somehow that didn't matter. Something in the way he looked away from her at that moment caught her attention. It wasn't protective or evasive, it was sad.

They shared a brief moment of silence; he could swear she caught his doubts just with that look. He got lost for a moment as he looked back at her eyes, she smiled sincerely like an old friend would upon hearing bad news, trying to be reassuring.

"Well, should we go?" she decided to break the silence, motioning to his bike. She'd go back to that at a later time.

"Yes," he snapped out of it, for a moment. He started to turn away but stopped and turned back to her. "Listen, we're having a... Welcome home party for a buddy of mine, at our clubhouse slash shop. It's tonight, if you want to come." he said before he could stop himself, and grabbed his wallet pulling out a card and handing to her. She grabbed it, intrigued. "It's definitely a change of pace from your British moodiness and... doom."

"Jax Teller," she read out loud from the card. He smiled at the way she pronounced his last name. "Sounds good. Maybe."

"I'll let you think on it," he watched as she put the card on her back pocket, he smiled the same disarming smile as when he first said hi to her. "You can bring Sid, if you want."

"All right, I'll think on it," she walked to the other side of the car after letting Sid up on the passenger seat. Jax followed her, closing the driver door for her before he walked to his bike.

She watched as he put his helmet on. Fuck, why did she always like the troubled ones? He was at the same time exactly like Scott but also the complete opposite. Jax Teller was the VP of a one percenter motorcycle club, yet he acted (at least around her so far) as someone with nothing to prove. Disarming, pleasant, natural, and even vulnerable for a moment? Scott was the opposite: the tattoo artist was all pose and attitude; he commanded every room he walked into with a glance. Inside though, he was rotten and manipulative. It was as if he acted as someone would think Jax Teller ought to act if they had only heard his name and title.

She shook her head slightly to snap out of her thoughts as Teller, on his bike, signaled for her to follow him.