"You know, pretty soon there's not going to be any more work left for me to do," Luann said jokingly as she walked into her office to once again find Jess behind the desk buried in paperwork, this time going through the payroll. Jess looked up, giving Luann a small smile as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Just… you know… trying to help out," she replied wearily. It had been several weeks since Craig turned out to be an explosive asshole and ever since Jess had been spending nearly every waking moment at the club, burying herself in her work and trying to get her mind off of him.

"Anyone ever tell you you work too much?" Luann asked as she walked around the desk, leaning over Jess's shoulder to look over her work.

"I could say the same thing about you," Jess replied. Luann shrugged.

"I live and breathe this club," Luann said, "You should give yourself some time to have a life." Jess shook her head and Luann frowned, "You know, Jess, I really do appreciate all the extra hours you've been putting in, and you've been doing a great job, but I think you should take tonight off. Go do something fun. Or at least go do something away from here."

Jess stared up at her, shaking her head. The last thing she wanted to do was go home early. Going home meant thinking about Craig and how humiliated she'd been by his outburst. She never wanted to show her face at the clubhouse again if she could help it, and working late into the early morning had been the perfect excuse to avoid it.

"Really, it's okay," Jess said, "I don't want to go home."

"I know you don't, Jess," Luann said, "But you need to. You're way too young to turn into me already."

"Turning into you doesn't sound so bad," Jess said.

"Someone who does nothing but work and has no one to come home to?" Luann asked, "You don't want that."

"Sounds easy," Jess replied with a shrug.

"Now you're just depressing me. You gotta face your problems, you're only delaying the inevitable. Go home, Jess," Luann said sternly and Jess sighed, slowly rising from the chair.

"Fine," she said, grabbing her purse out of the desk drawer and slinging it over her shoulder, "But I want you to know… I hate you right now."

"Good, maybe I'm doing this step-mother thing right, then," Luann said grinning at her and Jess couldn't help but smile back, shaking her head.

"Alright I'll see you later, then," she said as she walked out of the office and out of the club, into the daylight.

She pulled up to her apartment several minutes later, smiling as she saw Lux's car parked in its usual spot and hoped she was home and not at the clubhouse. The one downside of spending all her time at Cara Cara was that she hadn't had a full conversation with Lux in weeks.

She opened the front door, stepping inside to see Lux lounging on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. She perked her head up as she heard Jess walk in and grinned at her.

"You're home!" Lux said excitedly, "Before 3 AM, no less." Jess grinned, throwing herself on the couch next to Lux.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been around much," Jess said.

"Well there's only one way to make it up to me," Lux said, and Jess knew what was coming. She rolled her eyes at Lux, shaking her head.

"I really don't want to go over there," Jess said, "Preferably ever again."

"Oh please, you can't avoid the place forever," Lux said, "People have been asking where you've been."

"After the scene I caused, I highly doubt that," Jess said, shaking her head.

"That was nothing," Lux said, "Seriously. Nobody even remembers it. Please just come over with me. It's a low key night, we'll just get a drink. Tig's on a run so I won't abandon you or anything."

"Why don't we just have a low key night here?" Jess asked, but Lux stuck her bottom lip out, gazing at her with her puppy dog eyes and Jess laughed, nodding.

"Okay, okay, fine," she said. Lux beamed and hopped up off the couch, Jess reluctantly following behind.

Jess definitely preferred the clubhouse on the slow nights during the week when it was just the Sons and a few hang arounds. The crow eaters that were around were generally clothed and it was all around much more laid back.

They walked through the front doors and grabbed some drinks, waving hello at Bobby, Happy, and Chibs, who had apparently stayed behind on the run, before taking a seat at a table. Jess looked across the room, surprised to see that Jax had also stayed behind and was throwing darts furiously at the board in front of him, Tara sitting several yards away, her back to him. Lux leaned over to Jess when she saw who she was looking at.

"Tara and Jax got in a big fight," she said conspiratorially.

"Oh, great," Jess said sarcastically, "So he's in a terrible mood."

"Don't you want to know what the fight was about?" she asked.

"Not really, but I know you're going to tell me anyway," Jess said resignedly. Lux nodded, grinning.

"According to my sources-" Lux started.

"So your mother," Jess cut in, but Lux ignored her.

"They fought because Tara didn't like Jax defending your honor," she finished, as if she had just revealed the location of Atlantis.

"I didn't like Jax defending my honor either!" Jess said, annoyed that their fight had been about her. She'd tried her hardest since Jax and Tara had gotten back together to stay out of their way, regardless of how difficult it had been, but she still managed to be a source of contention. She didn't like it.

"He gets back together with Tara, proving he doesn't want to be with me, but then he doesn't want anybody else to be with me either. It's frustrating," Jess continued. Lux shrugged.

"So maybe he does want to be with you," Lux said, "This Tara thing can only last so much longer." Jess shook her head.

"No, Lux. I'm like the shiny toy he doesn't want to play with. He just wants me to sit and wait until he's ready to play with me again," Jess said in frustration.

"That's kind of romantic," Lux said and Jess rolled her eyes.

"No, it's kind of awful," she replied, "And completely unfair."

"Well, all I'm saying is he might be ready to play with you again soon," Lux said, and it was clear she was confused about why this new information didn't have Jess jumping for joy.

"What do you expect to happen, Lux? Him and Tara break up and then oh, suddenly Jax is free again and now I have my shot? That ship's sailed," Jess sat back in her seat, chugging back half her beer before placing the glass on the counter again.

"The two of you have to be the most stubborn people I've ever met," Lux said, "Why can't you both just admit you're still into each other and be done with it?"

"It's not that simple," Jess replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"It could be," Lux said, "It's just you two making it more complicated."

"Whatever, Lux, I don't want to argue about Jax anymore," Jess said, "You wanna play pool or something?" Lux shrugged.

"If you don't mind getting your ass kicked," she said, grinning. Jess laughed, shaking her head.

"We'll see about that," she said, knowing it was an empty threat since she was only good at pool if she got really lucky.

"Okay you rack I'll break," Lux said and Jess nodded, bending over to get the triangle as Lux walked to the wall to pick out cue sticks for them.

"Trying pool again, I see," a voice from behind her said and Jess stood up, triangle in hand, to see Charlie, the hang-around that clearly didn't know when to cut his losses, standing there grinning.

"Was just gonna play a game with Lux," Jess said, turning her back towards him as she began racking the balls, hoping he'd get the hint. He didn't. He sidled up behind her, placing his hands on the edge of the table, just outside of Jess's hands and trapping her beneath him.

"I could show you a few moves, you know," he said quietly in her ear. She tried to wriggle out from beneath him but he stood firmly and was much stronger than her.

"God, does this place just turn people into assholes or were you already one before you walked in?" Jess asked in frustration, but Charlie just chuckled.

"Nah, see, you just need to know how things work around here," he said in her ear as she struggled even harder against him. Lux finally returned to the table, scowling at him as Jess looked at her for help.

"You can step away from my friend now," Lux said, but Charlie didn't move. Jess watched with wide eyes as Lux scurried away, running towards the other side of the room that was blocked from her view by Charlie's shoulder. Jess struggled harder against him as he just laughed at her attempts, but she finally managed to turn around and duck under his arms.

He quickly grabbed her arm, spinning her back towards him, the playful smirk wiped from him face. Just as Jess was about to tell Charlie to let her go, the same words were uttered by a different voice behind her.

"Let her go," she heard Jax say angrily and turned to see Lux by his side. Clearly she had run off to get his help, and as thankful as Jess was to have Charlie immediately drop his grip, she hated that it was once again Jax that had to step in and save the day.

"Get the fuck out of here," Jax said to Charlie, "Don't bother coming back." Charlie tried to stammer an apology but Jax continued glaring stonily at him, pointing at the door, and he eventually walked out.

"Um… thanks… for that," Jess mumbled. Jax glared at her.

"How many more guys am I gonna have to kick out of here because of you?" he asked angrily and her eyes widened, "You know, if you're gonna act like a croweater, they're gonna treat you like one."

Jess took a step back from him, feeling as if she'd been slapped. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tell him he was wrong. At that moment she wanted to slap the ever loving shit out of him. But she knew where she was. She was in the clubhouse of his motorcycle club, of which he was now the president, and she knew better. But for several moments she stared at him, wondering if it was worth the risk.

She finally sighed, shaking her head as she walked past him, grabbing her purse off the table and stalking off towards the front door. Lux turned to Jax, scowling at him.

"Way to go, genius," she said rolling her eyes, "You do know she never fucked that guy, right? She went home to grab cigarettes and he followed her until she finally had to kick him in the nuts to get him to leave." Jax stared at her for a moment before leaning his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"Fuck," he muttered, turning and running off after her. Lux saw Tara look up at the commotion and follow them, standing in the doorway of the clubhouse to watch the scene play out on the parking lot.

"Jess!" Jax called after her. She was halfway across the parking lot by now. She whipped around to look at him, tears brimming her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jax said, stopping several yards away from her. Jess threw her arms out briefly as she shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'what do you want me to do?'

"You need to let me go, Jax," Jess said, trying to keep her voice steady through her anger and her tears. She turned away from him, continuing on her path to her apartment, fearful that she would burst into tears when he spoke his next words.

"I fucking can't!" he yelled, his voice full of bitterness, and she hurried off across the street.

Jax stood, watching her go, conflict dancing behind his eyes, not knowing what the hell he was doing. He started to turn around when he saw Tara rush past him, striding to her car.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered, hurrying after her, "Tara!" Tara shook her head as she climbed in her car, but before she could close the door Jax grabbed it, holding it open.

"Where are you going?" Jax asked her. Tara shrugged.

"I don't know," she muttered, "Can I even call it home? Was it ever going to be my home again?" Jax sighed.

"Don't be pissed," he said. Tara shook her head.

"I'm not pissed, Jax," she said, sighing, "I think I've known since we got back together that you were never really mine."

"Tara-" Jax tried to stop her, but she interrupted him.

"I tried to lie to myself about it for a while, I think we both did, but I can't anymore," she said. She looked up at him, smiling sadly at him, "We're kidding ourselves here. I think you know it, too. We just… we don't belong together anymore."

Jax sighed, finally nodding his head and Tara nodded back.

"It's okay, Jax. Really, it is," she said.

"I wanted it to work," Jax replied sadly. Tara nodded.

"I did, too," she said, "I'll pack tonight and be gone tomorrow." Jax stared at her. This was all happening so fast.

"Where will you go?" he asked. Tara shrugged.

"I've got a few options," she said as Jax released his grip on her door and she pulled it closed, driving off the lot as Jax stood there, watching her go.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

"Jess, you got another call on line one!" Jess turned to see Rob the bartender holding the phone out, waving it around.

"Is it Lux again?" Jess called back exasperatedly as she continued running towards the locker rooms, "Tell her I'm still busy! Just like I was the last time she called!"

Jess couldn't remember a more stressful day at work. So far there'd been a bar fight between a couple patrons and two cat fights with girls back stage. She'd been running around putting out fires all afternoon, and to top it off, Lux wouldn't stop calling. She kept telling herself she'd call her back as soon as the next crisis was handled, but there had always been a new crisis.

She got to the locker rooms, rolling her eyes as she saw two of the dancers rolling around on the floor while the other dancers back there continued to get out of their way.

"Jesus Christ!" Jess shouted, "Give it up before I call the bouncer up here and he throws you two out!" The girls got angrily to their feet, glaring at each other.

"This bitch stole my lip gloss!" one of the dancers, Shana, shouted, pointing at the girl she'd just been rolling around with, a dancer named Natalie.

"I did not!" Natalie said defensively, "As if I'd ever wear any makeup of yours. Whore doesn't look good on me." Jess rolled her eyes.

"Natalie, give me the fucking lip gloss or I swear to God you'll be working midnight's for the next two months." Natalie stared at her, obviously thinking it over. Midnight and after were the worst dance slots you could get. By that time, most of the patrons were completely drunk, completely handsy, and completely out of money. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she dug into her bra, pulling out a tube of lip gloss and slapping it in Jess's hand. Jess handed it back to Shana, who smiled in satisfaction and pranced off to continue getting ready for her dance.

Jess walked out of the locker room, shaking her head as Rob called out to her, once again holding the phone out.

"It's Lux again, Jess. Will you please talk to her so I don't have to keep answering the damn phone? I'm getting behind!" he yelled. Jess sighed, walking up to the bar and taking the phone out of Rob's hand.

"Jesus Lux, what is it?" Jess asked, exasperated.

"It's Tara," Lux said, sounding slightly panicky, "She's gone. And no one knows where she is."

"Really? Lux? I'm really busy here. You couldn't wait to tell me this until I got home?" Jess asked, her annoyance hitting an all-time high.

"No, it's just…" Lux began, "She took Abel with her."

Author's Note - I hope you liked this chapter! Within the next 2 chapters Tara's motivations for why she did what she did will come to light and I promise we're not trying to Tara bash here :) Please let us know what you thought!