Twenty Minutes.
That's how long Jax was able to sleep for.
Throughout the night, his weary blue eyes shifted back and forth between the alarm clock located on his side of the bed and his wife in hopes the continuous exercise his eyeballs were currently engaged in would finally cave and he would fall into the much needed slumber.
Of course, that experiment was a failure.
The alarm clock now read 8:00 am which signaled him to start his day.
With his arm still draped around Mel's shoulder, he pulled her closer to him, giving her forehead a gentle kiss.
"It's time for me to get movin', darlin," he whispered.
I shook my head in denial and buried my face into the crook of his neck.
"Twenty more minutes and I shall let you go."
"Twenty huh? Why not thirty?", he asked.
I opened my eyes, making direct eye contact with my visibly exhausted man.
"I didn't want to sound greedy," I smiled.
"No such thing."
"You do know you are more than welcome to stay home with me. Plus, how much sleep did you even get last night?"
"I got some," he lied.
I scoffed, slowly sitting up to hover right over him.
"The heavy bags under your eyes paint a different story, baby."
Jax lifted his right arm from my shoulder, bringing his hands in front of the both of us, sliding them up my body until they reached both sides of my face.
"You know I want nothin' more than to stay home and keep you company, Mel, but the shit that surrounds us isn't gonna settle unless I handle it. The sooner, the better."
With his hands still on my face, I turned my head to look at the alarm clock.
"We now have seventeen minutes left. Can we try and make the most of 'em?"
"You took the thought right 'outta my head," he smiled as he met me halfway for a kiss on the lips.
The moment our lips grazed one another, Abel swung open our bedroom door, making a dash to the wooden bench that is placed in front of our bed.
We both smiled at each other in perfect sync.
"It looks like I'm not the only one who is taking full advantage of the time you have left at home, " I commented, sliding myself off of Jax to make room for Abel who was now climbing up the middle of the bed.
"Morning mommy. Morning daddy," Abel chirped as he laid right in between the two of us.
"Good morning, handsome. You're up earlier than I expected," I stated as my fingers ran their hands through his tussled blonde locks.
" I can't sleep," he replied.
"I know the feelin'," Jax added.
"Why can't you sleep, bud?"
"It could be because his grandmas are taking him to that new amusement park that opened just off of route thirteen."
Jax nodded, looking back down at his son.
"Is mommy right?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Can you please come, mommy?"
"Aww baby, you know I would in a heartbeat. But, under the doctors' and daddy's orders, I have to stay home for a couple of days to feel better. Once I'm one hundred percent again, I will most definitely take you back there."
"You promise?", he asked, holding out his left pinkie.
I nodded, twirling my own pinkie finger around my son's.
Once Gemma and Linda broke through the bevy of brothers in kuttes, Linda made her way to the master bedroom to check on her daughter.
"Mel?"
"In the bathroom," I yelled as I began removing my aged bandages.
"I don't think I've seen that many kuttes in one place since Half Sack's wake," she stated while she leaned against the doorframe.
"I know. Jax wants to make sure I follow through on this mandatory bed rest. If I don't, I'll have double of what you see here tomorrow."
"I don't doubt that."
"Hey, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Mel bear."
"You mind helping me change these bandages?"
She nodded, immediately picking up a fresh bandage and the medical tape.
"Is there a reason you didn't have your husband help you change these out before he left this morning?"
My mother already knew the answer to that.
I guess she would perfer it if I say it aloud.
I pulled my dark blue t-shirt over my head, setting it down on the counter in front of me.
"Jax is so spun out about all this shit that by him just helping me with these bandages could add fuel to the already growing fire," I noted as I held my locks up and away from my back.
"Good point. Make sure you keep up with your daily dosage of antibiotics and pain meds. I'll know if you don't."
"Antibiotics, absolutely. But, I don't need to be taking any more pain meds. I have plenty due to chemo. I don't want to be walking 'round the house like a god damn zombie. Believe it or not, the pain is a great representation of how grateful I am that I'm still here."
Piney pulled into Jax's driveway, parking behind the endless line of motorcycles already present.
He cut the power to his three wheeled vehicle, automatically removing his helmet thereafter.
He dismounted his bike, pushing the nasal canula further into his nostrils with his right pointer and middle finger.
He made his way up the curved pathway, making his presence known by knocking firmly on the aged wooden door.
"Hey Piney, what are you doing here," V-lin asked once he opened the front door.
"Not to see you, boy. I need to talk to Mel."
"Okay," he replied, stepping aside to let the old man in.
V-Lin strolled to the laundry room, informing me of who was at the door.
I reached the end of the hallway with a huge smile on my face.
"Piney, what brings you here to see me?"
"It's nothin' good, sweetheart."
My smile quickly faded.
"Okay. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Soda? Whiskey?", I asked, taking the lead inside the kitchen.
"Surprise me."
"You got it."
Piney took a seat in the closest kitchen chair while I set down a glass and half a bottle of Jack Daniels in front of him.
"You know me so well."
"That I do. What's going on, Piney," I inquired, taking a seat across from him, pouring some whiskey into the glass for him.
He picked up the glass, downing the entire amount available.
"Today during church, Jax told us who was behind the shooting at Cara Cara that left you on bedrest or should I say house arrest since you don't rest and four dead. "
"He did?"
"Yeah. Has he told you anything?"
"Uh in all honesty, he was brief."
"In that brief information, did he mention the cartel?"
"No.. no, he didn't."
"Naturally, he wants to go after 'em, but we don't have the ammo for a god damn war. The vote didn't pass, but I could see that Jax will still do the opposite. The only one I believe can get through to him is his old lady."
After frantic phone call from Mel, Jax sped home and reached his residence in under ten minutes.
Leaving his bike running, he dismounted his bike and sprinted to the front door.
He entered the house to find Melanie pacing back and forth in the kitchen.
"Hey, you sai.."
"Yes, I lied to get you here. But, I do in fact have an S.O.S. that I would rather talk about in person."
"Okay," he responded in confusion.
"Piney stopped by not too long before you got here. "
"Oh shit.."
"You have no idea.. Uh guys, do you mind if I talk to Jax alone?", I asked, looking around at all of his surrounding brothers.
Each of them nodded, making their way outside.
"Jax, why wouldn't you tell me that Clay hired the god damn cartel to go after me?"
"Because I knew this would be your reaction."
"I don't want you going after these assholes."
"That's not up to you."
Taken aback, I had to ask him..
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm doing what has to be done."
"No. There has to be another way. You need to look at the much bigger picture here, and you're refusing to look at it due to the fact that you're so hell bent on tearing Clay down."
Jax's head fell as his ringed hands tightly gripped the back of the kitchen chair Piney was sitting in less than an hour ago.
I closed the distance between the two of us, taking his left hand in my own.
"Jax.. Jax baby, look at me," I pleaded, now holding his face in my hands.
After his failed attempt to be stubborn and keep his eyes elsewhere, his love for her forced him to give in and do what she asked of him.
"I'm all for bringing Clay to his knees, but if that means I could lose you, then I could and would swallow my hate for him. You mean more to me than any form of vegenance."
Jax's hands took hold of my own, moving them from his face.
" I have to go."
He.. He didn't hear a word I said, did he?
He gave me a kiss on the side of my head, leaving me alone in the kitchen.
Without any warning or preparation, a set of tears began to stream down my face.
In the midst of cleaning..
Yes, I said cleaning.
I know I should be resting( hence the word bed rest), but I simply can't.
I feel that if I sit still, I will dwell even more on the recent revelations than when I am keeping myself busy.
My body doesn't agree with my decision, but my mind could give two fucks less.
Anyway, like I was saying..
In the midst of cleaning, I found one of Jax's unfinished packs of cigarettes.
Giving in to what my body is craving, I made myself comfortable on the couch, pulling out a smoke with my teeth.
The moment I did so, the doorbell rang.
Oh no.
I don't think I can handle any more secrets that are suddenly being brought to light.
"I got it, " Miles insisted as he turned off the safety on his gun.
He peaked around the corner to look at me.
"Uh Mel, there is some pregnant chick here to see you."
Pregnant.
No, it's not who I think it is.
I won't be meeting her till later on this week.
I removed the cigarette from my mouth, making my way to the front door.
I gave myself a much needed once over in the mirror near the entrance of our home.
I opened the door with confidence, giving the young girl a forced smile.
"Hi, how can I help you?"
"Hi Melanie, you don't know me, but I'm Erica Burton. I'm the one that chose you and your husband to be the adoptive parents of my unborn son. I know I should've waited until our scheduled visit Friday, but I just can't seem to wait that long. What am I doing.. I should go.."
As Erica turned on her heels to leave, I gently took hold of her arm.
"No Erica, don't go. Honestly, I don't think I can wait till Friday either. Please, come in."
Looks like another S.O.S phone call is in order.