Author's Note: Thank you so much to all of you who favorited/alerted/and reviewed! We were so blown away by the amount of alerts we got we decided to post this chapter a couple of days early.

After three weeks of working at Cara Cara, if Jess had to describe it in one word that word would be insane. Music constantly pumping, drinks flowing, drunk patrons hollering, and topless girls dancing, but despite it all, Jess was really enjoying the job. There was certainly never a dull moment and her shifts passed much faster than the miserable hours she'd endured at Ethan's bar back in Santa Barbara. The money didn't hurt either – she was making more in one shift at Cara Cara than she had in a week at her old job. Rose had so far steadfastly refused any rent money, so for the first time in her life Jess actually had savings. She couldn't even describe what a great feeling that was.

At the end of her shift, Jess printed out her receipts and walked to Luann's office to do her tip out. Luann glanced up when she knocked on the door, smiling and motioning for her to come in. Jess handed over the money she owed to the bar and Luann stuffed it in an envelope sitting on her desk before looking back up at her.

"So how you doing, Jess?" Luann asked her, motioning to the chair on the other side of the desk as a cue that Jess should sit down.

"Doing good," Jess replied nervously as she took a seat, not really sure why Luann wanted to talk to her.

"Lux tells me you've been picking up on things really well," Luann told her and Jess smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Lux has been a great trainer," Jess said.

"Well that's subjective, but I'm glad you two are getting along," Luann said, grinning, "I just wanted to tell you I've been really happy with your performance so far. I just wanted to make sure you're happy and see if you needed anything." Jess's smile widened. She couldn't recall a boss ever asking her if she was happy.

"I really like it here. Lux has been great, and the girls have been really welcoming. Well, for the most part," she added. Luann waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"Just ignore Ima. Even she knows she's a bitch," Luann told her and Jess laughed, "Well keep up the good work, Jess, and again, let me know if you need anything."

Jess thanked her and walked to the back of the club where the dressing rooms were to grab her purse. Lux was in there when she walked in, also getting ready to leave, and walked up to her.

"So you've been in Charming over a month now," Lux commented, "You must have seen the whole town by now. What do you think?"

"All I've done is go to work and go home," Jess replied, "I thought about going and getting a drink at one of the bars but I hate going by myself and my aunt isn't really the bar going type anymore."

"That's pathetic," Lux told her, "I'll go with you." Jess smiled in surprise.

"Yeah? That'd be great," she said. Lux smiled, nodding.

"Why don't we go now? I know you're not busy since you have no other friends," she said. Jess rolled her eyes, pulling her purse out of one of the lockers and shutting it.

"Sure, why not?" she responded.

"Excellent," Lux said happily, "I know a place – why don't you follow me there?"

SOASOASOASOASOA

Jess pulled into a parking spot next to Lux in front of a very non-descript bar. A sign over the front door declared it to be The Hairy Dog. Lux joined her on the sidewalk, glancing up at the sign before looking back at Jess.

"I know it looks like a shit hole, but the drinks are cheap and the people are nice," she said shrugging, holding the door open for Jess. Jess walked through to see a small room. There was a square bar in the center and pool tables in the back with booths lining the walls and tables scattered throughout. Several people glanced up when they walked in, waving at Lux who waved back as she led Jess to the bar.

"Hey crazy," the bartender said as Lux stepped up, "Long time no see."

"Hey Sam," Lux responded, rolling her eyes at the nickname, "Get us a pitcher?"

"Sure thing," he said, filling one up and setting it on the bar in front of them. Lux tossed a few bills on the counter before picking up the pitcher and leading Jess, who grabbed a couple glasses, to a booth.

"So," Lux began as she filled up their glasses with the beer, "Why did you really leave Santa Barbara?"

"What do you mean?" Jess asked, taking the glass and sipping on it.

"Come on," Lux said, "Trouble with the law? Crazy ex? Creepy stalker?" Jess shook her head.

"No to all of those. I just… hated my job," she replied. Lux frowned.

"That's boring," she said. Jess rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm not as interesting as Honey Boo Boo," she said jokingly.

"Oh, well if that's the standard you're holding yourself up to," Lux said, "No one is more interesting than Honey Boo Boo." Jess laughed, enjoying how easy it was to feel comfortable around this girl she'd once found so intimidating.

"I need to start looking for an apartment," Jess commented, "You know any good ones around here?" Lux pursed her lips in thought.

"We don't really have many apartment buildings in Charming. The ones we do have are small and the nicer ones usually fill up pretty fast. But you could always get on the waiting list since you don't have to rush," Lux told her.

Jess nodded, but before she could respond, the front door flung open angrily and Lux's eyes widened as two tall men, one with blond hair to his shoulders, the other with long dark hair and a huge beard, stormed towards them, both looking angry.

"Fuuuuuuck," Lux whispered, biting her lip.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked, looking between Lux and the men.

"God damnit piece of shit stalker mother fucker," Lux was muttering, shrinking down slightly in her seat, her eyes not leaving the men walking towards them.

"What? Is one of those guys your boyfriend?" Jess asked, hoping she didn't say the blond who, even through his anger, was possibly the sexiest guy she'd ever seen. Or possibly because of his anger, Jess couldn't tell yet. Lux grimaced, shaking her head.

"No. It's my brother," she said. Jess looked back at the guys, who were closing in on their table, and sent up a quick prayer.

'Dear God, please let Lux's brother be the giant and not the blond,' she thought quickly, knowing that the desire to fuck your friend's brother wasn't exactly the greatest thing for a new friendship, and threw up an 'Amen' just to be on the safe side as the guys stalked up to them.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Lux?" the blond asked as Jess looked away, trying not to get caught staring.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Lux asked haughtily.

"Don't do that, Lux," he replied angrily, "Just tell me why the hell you suddenly decided to come back here." Lux stared back him, clearly trying to figure out how he even knew she was there before her eyes flicked past him to Sam, the bartender, who was standing behind the bar looking guilty.

"God DAMNIT SAM!" Lux bellowed before turning her attention back to the blond, "I was just having a drink with a friend."

"You don't have any friends," the blond replied before turning to look at Jess, his eyes narrowed and, Jess thought, slightly smoldering, "Who the fuck are you?"

"That's exactly why I don't have any friends!" Lux yelled at him, turning to look at the giant standing silently beside the blond, "Opie, can you please put a leash on him?" Opie gave her a small grin and a wink, seeming very amused by the whole thing and causing Lux to roll her eyes and turn back to the blond, "Don't you have some pussy you need to be face down in?"

"You know I don't like you coming here," he said.

"Yeah, last time I checked, you were my brother, Jax, not my dad," Lux grumbled. Jess sighed at the confirmation that the blond, Jax, was indeed her brother.

"Yeah, and you know your dad doesn't like you coming here, either," Jax responded. Lux sat there staring back at him, pausing as she tried to think of a comeback.

"Last time I checked, I was an adult," Lux said, trying to find the calm in her voice, "We were just having a drink. Me being here doesn't have anything to do with…. anything else." Jess frowned, wondering what the 'anything else' was that the guys seemed so determined to keep her away from.

"We're just having a drink," Lux said, turning back to look at Jess, "Right, Jess?" Jess looked wide-eyed back at her, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, before she finally realized they were waiting on her to respond.

"Yeah, we were just having a drink," Jess confirmed, "I wanted to go out and don't know anyone else. Lux was just being nice… I didn't know we were doing anything wrong-"

"We're NOT doing anything wrong," Lux said, cutting her off. Jax was still clearly annoyed, but before he could say anything Opie put his hand on Jax's shoulder.

"Let's go get a beer," he said, "Everything's cool." Jax sighed, glaring once more at Lux, before he and Opie walked away, taking a seat at the bar and getting a beer. Jax turned in his seat, his back against the bar, clearly keeping an eye on Lux and Jess.

"So that was my brother," Lux said, turning back to Jess, "And my keeper…. And his keeper." Jess nodded, still shocked at their outburst, and they both finished the rest of their beer in silence. As Lux picked up the pitcher to refill their glasses, Jess finally worked up the courage to ask her.

"So… what was that…?" she asked lamely, her sentence trailing off. Lux waved her hand dismissively as she set the pitcher back on the table.

"It's nothing," she said, "I got in some trouble a few years ago and they think this place had something to do with it… like if I come back it's just going to start all over again or something so they don't like me coming here but," she raised her voice, yelling over the bar loud enough for Jax to hear, "That's in the past and I can have a beer wherever I want to!"

Jax rolled his eyes at her as Lux turned back to Jess, expecting her to ask more questions. She was relieved when Jess nodded satisfactorily and Lux smiled, happy to have found a friend that knew when not to pry.

"So what are the Sons of Anarchy?" Jess asked, glancing over at Jax and Opie and reading the words off the back of the vest they wore. Lux stared back at her for several seconds before shaking her head.

"I keep forgetting you're not from around here," she said, "It's a club my dad helped start way back a million ago where a bunch of guys sit around and circle jerk talking about motorcycles and reapers… and motorcycles with reapers… and sluts with motorcycle fetishes." Jess laughed as Sam walked up, setting a fresh pitcher on their table.

"On the house," he said apologetically. Lux glared at him.

"I'm still made at you," she said. Jess started handing over a couple dollars for a tip and Lux snatched it out of her hand, setting it back on the table in front of Jess.

"Don't you tip him," she said, "I'm sure my brother already did that." Sam shrugged again, assenting to the accusation, before walking back to the bar. Lux rolled her eyes at his retreating back.

"I gotta pee, I'll be right back," she said, sliding out of the booth. She paused by Jax on her way to the bathroom.

"Hey," she said as she stepped up to her brother, her anger subsided.

"Hey," Jax replied.

"Look, I'm sorry about coming here without telling you," Lux said, "But I swear, I just came to get a drink with Jess." Jax nodded.

"I know, Lux," he said, "I just hear that you're at The Hairy Dog and I worry about what you're doing here."

"I know, but all that really is behind me. You don't need to worry so much," Lux told him, "And Jess is the only girl at work I can even stand and I really want to be friends with her so will you please apologize for yelling at her because I'm pretty sure she's freaked out enough that she's gonna run away as soon as I'm in the bathroom." Jax stared at her for a beat before rolling his eyes to the ceiling and nodded.

"Sure," he finally said, "For you." Lux beamed, throwing her arms around his shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, walking off towards the bathroom. Jax shoved himself off the bar as Opie followed. He swaggered up to Jess, whose eyes widened partly in lust and partly in fear as she watched him walk up to her.

"Sorry about earlier," he said as he stopped in front her table, "Yelling at you like that." Jess shrugged, smiling flirtatiously up at him.

"It's okay," she responded, "I didn't mean to get her in trouble with you."

"She got herself in trouble," Jax replied, "It's not your fault." Jess shrugged.

"I'm Jax, by the way," he told her, finally taking a second to look at the girl now that he wasn't blindly seeing red. He grinned, liking what he was seeing.

"I'm Jess," she replied, openly staring at him.

"I'm Opie, if anyone gives a shit," Opie declared from behind Jax. Jess blushed, smiling at them as they walked back over to the bar.

"I know that look," Opie told him as they took their seats once again.

"What look?" Jax asked, playing dumb.

"You know what look. I really don't think it's a good idea for you to fuck Lux's only friend," Opie told him. Jax shrugged, glancing back at Jess, his eyes raking over her.

"Lux'll make new friends," he replied. Opie rolled his eyes.

"No she won't," he told him, "When has she ever had a friend?"

"That one girl," Jax said, "That one with the pigtails."

"That was in the third grade," Opie reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Jax replied, "Whatever happened to her?"

"You probably fucked her," Opie grumbled. Jax shrugged in agreement. He couldn't deny his reputation was entirely deserved.

Author's Note: Please please review! It really helps us know if we're going in the right direction so please review! The next chapter will be posted on Sunday, and every Sunday after that :)