Hey my readers! I just want to thank you all for the favs, follows, and reviews! You guys are amazing and keep me motivated! If you guys have any suggestions of what you would like to see more of, feel to ask and I'll try to make it happen :). This chapter is loosely based on the season two's episodes, Potlatch and Fa Gaun. I hope you enjoy!
Jax felt the warmth of the rising sun on his face as its rays snuck through the curtains.
He let out a loud groan, turning onto his opposite side, reaching over to Melanie to pull her close to him.
His hands came up empty.
He opened his fatigued eyes, looking around the room for her.
"Mel?"
Jax sat up, looking in the direction of the bathroom.
The bathroom light wasn't on.
He pulled the covers off of him and got out of bed. He headed down the hallway where he saw a dim light coming from the living room.
When he reached the living room, he smiled as he took in the sight before him.
Mel had made herself comfortable on the couch, wearing one of her robes with her auburn hair tied in a loose ponytail. Abel was snuggled in her arm with the zebra print blanket wrapped around him, his and one of Mel's hands holding the bottle he almost finished. Her neverending legs were propped up on the coffee table with his father's manuscript resting on her thighs.
"Hey," Jax whispered, not wanting to disturb his son whose eyelids were growing heavy.
I looked up from the manuscript with a smile on my face.
"Hey. What are you doing up so early?"
"I would ask you the same question, but I already know who woke you up," he glanced at his son lovingly.
"Actually, Abel didn't wake me. After our tussle between the sheets, I couldn't sleep so I decided to start reading your dad's manuscript. I have one more page left," I moved my black reading glasses with silver rhinestones to the top of my head.
"Damn, Mel."
"I know. When I have reading material in my possession, I tend to read it in one sitting, no matter how many pages it contains."
To prevent disturbing his son, Jax sat down on the couch with more ease than usual.
"Do you have any questions or comments for the author's son?"
"I do. Like your father, you both have the sense to move the club out of guns. Away from the shit that is killing you and putting you behind bars."
"Yeah..", he nodded, wondering where I was going with the current coversation.
" Where I'm going with this is have you ever thought about showing this to the club? Maybe reading your father's words will finally help the rest of them see what you have been seeing."
"I've thought about it, Mel. But, I think throwing my dad's words into the mix will cause a further divide in the club. "
"Okay. You are doing the right thing, Jax. You're earning legit money with Cara Cara. Don't let this friction with Clay cause you to second guess what's right and wrong. John would be proud of you, baby. Like I am."
Jax got up from the couch and walked over to me. He bent down, taking my face in his hands, placing a light kiss on my lips.
"Thanks Mel," he pulled back, resting his forehead against mine.
"No need to thank me for telling the truth."
"Ya know, I have something for your insomnia."
"Is that so?"
"Mhmm. It's doctor approved."
Jax carefully took a now sleeping Abel out of my arms, cradling him in his own.
"I'll meet you in the bedroom."
My phone started to ring from the nightstand on Jax's side of the bed.
Jax's arm moved away from my bare back, picking up the phone off of the dresser.
"It's Britt," he stated, handing me the phone.
I took the phone from him, bringing the phone to my ear.
"Hey Britt."
"Hey Mel, I'm so sorry to call you so early."
"It's okay. What's wrong?"
"Cara Cara was broken into again. Me and some of the girls wanted to put in some more hours on the sex cam when we saw the door busted in. The guard dog was killed. The sick bastard wrote "dead bitch" on one of the new girl's dressing room."
"Jesus Christ."
"What is it, Mel?", Jax asked, looking up at me with worry.
"Hold on, Britt."
"Okay."
I moved my cellphone to my chest, adverting my attention to Jax.
"Jax, Cara Cara was broken into again."
He sighed, running both of his ringed hands down his face.
"Looks like Georgie came out of hiding. I'll take care of it. Tell Britt I'll be there in a bit."
Jax got out of bed, and began to get dressed.
I brought the phone back to my ear.
"Britt, Jax is going to be there in a bit, okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks Mel."
Britt hung up, ending the call. I wrapped a sheet around my naked body, sitting back on my heels as I watched him get dressed.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, stay here with your mom and Abel. I got this. "
" Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll be fine, Mel. Promise," he walked over to the bed, giving me a kiss.
"Be safe. Call me if you get a lead on the asshole."
"Will do."
"Are you sure this potlatch is a good idea?", I asked Gemma as she continued to fill the shopping cart with groceries.
Jax had Half Sack tag along for safety precautions. He tailed closely behind us, his gun tucked into his kutte.
"We need it, Mel. We've taken way too many hits. "
"I'm in violent agreement with you there," I replied, pushing the cart forward.
"Let's talk about something else for a little while. How's the wedding planning, sweetheart?"
"It's good. Jax and I picked a date."
"Yeah, when?"
"April 26th, hopefully."
"Holy shit, that's less than two weeks away."
"I know. Personally, I wish it was sooner, but with everything going on.. Jesus, that sounds really fucking selfish."
"No, it doesn't. You just want to marry your man. I'm sure Jax feels the same way, baby. You and Abel are the best thing that could ever happen to him."
I smiled.
"Thanks Gem."
"You're welcome. So, what else is on that god damn list that I wrote out?"
I chuckled, running my finger down the list.
"Uh.."
Before I could answer her, my cell began to ring.
I pulled my cell out of my purse, seeing a picture of the two of us when we were kids appear on my phone with Jax's name at the top.
I hit the answer button, bringing the phone to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey babe."
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. We found Georgie."
"What?"
"Yeah. He opened a studio right outside of Charming."
"Jax, please be careful. We underestimated this guy twice already and I don't.."
"I know, Mel. I'll be okay. I'll see you at my mom's house later."
"Eight o'oclock. No later, or else you'll have your mother's shoe up that perfect ass of yours."
"Yes mam. I love you."
"I love you too."
Jax, Bobby, and Opie walked into Georgie's office with fury radiating through each of their bodies.
Georgie's eyes widened as the three of them came closer to his desk.
"I knew I'd find you, you phsyco piece of shit."
Georgie grabbed his gun from the draw beside him, aiming the gun at Jax.
Jax charged him, bringing his armed hand upwards, the gun firing at the studio's ceiling.
Bobby and Opie readied their own guns.
Jax headbutted Georgie, sending him to the floor, the gun sliding across the floor.
He crawled to get it, but Opie picked it up first, kicking him in the ribs, sending him on his back.
Jax climbed on top of him and threw his first punch, hitting Georgie in the eye.
He let the anger consume him entirely, and kept hitting Georgie, his hits growing harder.
"Jax, Jax you're gonna kill him," Bobby attempted to pull Jax off of him.
He ripped out of Bobby's grasp. Opie grabbed him, pushing his best friend backwards, standing in between Jax and Georgie.
"I want to kill him. What he did to Mel, the studio.."
"Not here, brother. Not here," Opie whispered loud enough for only the two of them to hear.
Jax nodded, pushing his long locks out of his face.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Bobby took Luanne's labtop off of his desk, passing Georgie's labtop to Jax.
He dropped it into the fish tank, spitting on him.
"This isn't over, shithead."
"You're getting better in the kitchen, Mel," Gemma observed, as I finished preparing the mashed potatoes.
"I have to. My mom brought it to my attention that you can't live off of hot pockets. Right, mom?"
My mom set the salad onto the middle of the dinner table.
" I only bring these things to your attention because I love you Mel bear."
Jax came up behind me, kissing me on the cheek.
I turned around, my smile fading when I saw a frown on his face.
"You okay?"
"Just a long day, that's all. I'll tell you all about it later."
I nodded, bringing the mashed potatoes to the table with Jax following behind me.
"Alright everybody sit down," Gemma suggested, setting the roast beef down next to the mashed potatoes.
Clay, Tig, and Happy entered the home.
Clay walked up to Jax, automatically getting into a heated arguement the moment they opened their mouths.
It was like a snowball effect.
The fight spread throughout the club, turning physical fast until Hale made his presence known.
"Me and a couple of cops found Luanne Delaney beaten to death about an hour ago. I figured you all should know. "
My breath caught in my chest.
Luanne was dead.
The Next Morning:
Jax and I barely said anything to each other after we left Gemma's. I knew I needed to give him his space. What happened last night.. I didn't want to bring it up unless he wanted to talk about it. The last thing I wanted was to be at each other's throats.
"Alrighty handsome, you are all set for the day."
His blue eyes lit up, his legs kicking back and forth with enthusiasm.
I finished dressing Abel, lifting him into my arms, giving him a kiss on the side of his head.
"Morning."
I turned around to find Jax standing in the nursery's doorway, forcing a grin.
"Morning."
I walked over to him with Abel on my hip, giving him a tender kiss on the lips. After I pulled away, he gave his son a kiss on his forehead.
"Where you headed?"
"I'm going to see Otto. I have to tell him about Luanne."
Ya know, I tried to convince myself that Hale didn't enter Gemma's home last night, announcing to everyone Luanne was beaten to death with a wooden bat. I've tried with everything I had. This storm just didn't want to settle, and was making no promise to do so anytime soon.
"Do you want me to call Neeta and see if she can come over early and watch Abel a little while? I can go with you."
"I appreciate the offer Mel, but I have to do this on my own. Her death is on me."
"No, it's not. Luanne's death is on Caruso. You were trying to do the right thing."
He let out a loud scoff, and shook his head.
"What good that did."
"Hey, hey look at me," I touched the side of his bruised face with my free hand, being careful not to hurt him.
His blue eyes found my brown ones.
"Bad shit happens, Jax. It's awful what life tends to throw at us. But, we can't control everything. We can just try. And that's what you did. You tried, baby. That's what's important."