Jess could hear the motorcycles following her. She thought briefly about trying to lose them, but it was out of the question. Jax was a far better driver than she, and she was convinced he'd had a lot more practice with car chases. He could follow her. But he couldn't stop her.

She felt completely out of control, as if consequences no longer mattered. Nothing mattered. Otto had killed Zobelle, mistakenly thinking he was avenging Luann's death, and getting him months in isolation as a result. He'd served them with no problem, satisfied in the reason behind the act. But they'd all been wrong.

Every ounce of self-control had been spent on walking past Georgie's passed out body without slaughtering him on her way out of the house. It would have been a painless death; too good for Georgie Caruso. What she had planned would be much, much worse.

She pulled into the lot of Georgie's club, parking towards the back. She heard the bikes pull in behind her, heard Jax shouting her name, but she ignored him until he grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him.

"What are you doing, Jess?" he asked.

"You shouldn't be here, Jax," Jess said. "They'll blame it on you. You should go."

"Blame what on me?" Jax asked, his grip on her arm tightening. She tried to jerk herself out of his grip, but he would not let her go.

"You're hurting me," she said. He loosened his grip slightly, and she managed to wiggle free. At that moment, she had tunnel vision. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed, except destroying Georgie. She turned and marched to the front doors to find them locked.

"How did you all get in earlier?" she asked.

"I'm not going to tell you that," Jax said. His calmness irritated her. Jess glanced around the parking lot, deserted except for her car and the bikes. Juice and Happy were standing several yards away next to their bikes, waiting for Jax to give an order.

Jess found a large rock and picked it up, walking back to the front door. She drew her arm back, but before she could fire the rock through the window, Jax grabbed her arm again and the rock tumbled out of her hand.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Jess screamed. "I don't follow you around on your escapades all night!"

"I'm not letting you risk everything you've built here. Let's get you home, we'll think better in the morning," Jax said.

"He can't get away with this," Jess whispered. Jax gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"He won't," Jax said. "But you're not gonna do anything tonight. We're gonna make this right, Jess. But that requires planning."

Jess felt her jaw tense and she looked away towards the club. She wanted to see the thing burn, as she'd had to watch Cara Cara burn. She wanted to take it all away from Georgie, as he'd taken everything away from her. But she felt the fight draining from her as exhaustion crept in.

"Promise?" she asked, tears springing to her eyes. "Promise he won't get away with it?" Jax wiped her tears with his thumbs, pressing his lips lightly against her forehead.

"I promise," he whispered. Jess sighed, leaning her head back to look at the sky.

"Fine, I'll go home," she said. Jax narrowed his eyes as she turned to walk towards her car.

"I'm following you," he said.

"Do what you want," she said, not bothering to turn back around.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Jess woke the next morning after a restless night's sleep. She felt hung over from the amount of emotional upheaval she'd experienced the night before and the craving for coffee hit just before the smell.

Curious, she made her way into the living room to find Jax at the coffee pot in the kitchen, his back to her, bare chested with a pair of sweat pants hanging low on his hips. His Sons of Anarchy tattoo stretched across his back, and it took everything in her not to run her hand down it.

He turned when he heard her walk in and handed her a cup of coffee, which she took gratefully.

"You stayed the night?" she asked. He poured a cup for himself and turned, leaning against the counter.

"Like I'd leave you like that," he said. She shook her head.

"You didn't need to stay," she said. She was going to add that she was fine, but she knew he'd see right through it. She was far from fine.

Jax studied her as he took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving her face.

"We need to talk about next steps," he said. "Before you go run off and do something stupid."

She bit her tongue before she could say something she knew she would regret, choosing instead to say simply, "Okay."

"Okay," he said, and though he was standing there half naked she could tell he was all about business. "Let's talk about Daisy first." Jess winced, looking away. "Is that something you want to take care of yourself?"

Jess thought about the question and finally shook her head. "I just never want to see her again," she said.

"We can make that happen," Jax said. Jess looked at him, eyes wide.

"I don't want her, like, dead or anything," she said. Jax smirked.

"I think we can figure something out," he said. Jess nodded, staring down at her cup of coffee and taking a sip.

"And Georgie? What do you want to do about him?" he asked.

Jess felt that familiar rise of rage boiling just under the surface, ready to explode. She looked at Jax, all humor gone from her expression as she was transplanted back to Cara Cara the day she screamed over the body bag that held Luann. She thought about everything Luann had done for her, everything Luann had meant to her. She had been Jess's first hope at a real mother, and she had loved her as one until Georgie Caruso stole that away from her in an ultra violent death.

When she finally spoke, she knew she meant the words as much as she'd ever meant anything in her entire life.

"Him I want dead," she said. Jax remained expressionless, apart from one imperceptible eyebrow twitch.

"You remember that conversation we had about crossing lines?" he said. Jess shook her head.

"He has to die, Jax. But first, I want to take everything away from him. His business, his club, his girls, everything," she said. Jax nodded.

"Consider it done," he said. Jess stared back at him, understanding the gravity of what had just crossed between them.

"I'm not asking you to do it, Jax," she said quietly. "I wouldn't ask you to do that."

Jax was silent for a long time before he finally spoke again.

"We can hammer out the details later," Jax said. "But first, we need to talk about something else."

She watched him, watched as his eyes never left hers, as his expression turned from one percenter to something much more vulnerable.

"Before we get into whatever I'm about to walk into with you, I need to know who I'm doing this for," he said.

Jess's brow furrowed in confusion, not following the train of his thought.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean am I doing this for the daughter of a club member who I owe because he saved my life, or am I doing this for the woman I love, because she loves me," Jax said.

Jess felt the sharp inhale as she looked back at his unwavering gaze, heard the voices in her head say the words she longed to say, and remembered with a sharp twist of her gut why she couldn't say them.

Gemma. The same argument that had been warring through her mind for months flared up again. How could she be in a relationship with someone knowing what she knew about his mother? Knowing that Gemma had orchestrated his father's death? But how could she have Jax in her life without being with him, and she now knew there was no life without Jax in it.

"Jax," she whispered, and he shook his head, preparing for an argument.

"Can you honestly stand there and tell me you don't trust me anymore?" he asked.

"No," she said, starting to reach out to him but stopped, wrapping both hands around the coffee mug. "I trust you."

"Then… what?" Jax said. "Do you not…" His voiced trailed off and he finally looked away from her, turning around and leaning against his hands on the counter.

"Jax, no, I-" Jess sucked in her breath before continuing her thought. "I do love you. I probably always will. It's just…" He tilted his head towards her.

"Just what?" he asked. She chewed on her lip, unsure what to say. He finally turned back to her.

"Just tell me what it is," he said.

"That's the thing, Jax," she said, hearing the desperation in her voice. "I can't tell you. I can't ever tell you. And being around you, knowing I have this secret, it's killing me." Jax's nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing.

"Why can't you tell me?" he asked.

"It's not my secret to tell," she said weakly. He slammed his hand against the counter in frustration and she jumped, coffee slipping out of the mug and onto the floor. She set the mug on the counter, turning her full attention on Jax, unsure how he would react or what he would say. He stared at her for a long time, his eyes searching her face, before he finally spoke again.

"Whatever it is, I don't care. Keep your secret," he said, and Jess felt her heart flutter, unable to stop the smile from growing on her face. She heard the meaning behind his words – that he trusted her enough to let her keep her secret. "God knows I have plenty of my own. And if that's the only thing standing in your way-"

But before he could finish his sentence she had thrown her arms around his shoulders, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tight against him as he kissed her back. Everything that had held them apart suddenly disappeared, and Jess realized the only thing that mattered in her life was Jax.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Jax brought Happy and Tig with him to the shithole trailer park Juice had managed to track Daisy to. The three parked their bikes in front of a rundown trailer and Jax held his hand out to Happy, who handed him the syringe. He was hoping he wouldn't have to use it.

"Stay here," he said to Happy and Tig, who nodded and stood guard as Jax banged on Daisy's front door. He waited until Daisy poked her head out of the door, looking a little worse for wear, but clean enough.

"Jax?" she said.

"Daisy," he said. "We need to talk."

"I don't-" Daisy began, but before she could finish, Jax pulled the door open and walked through. Daisy backed up, her eyes wide.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I want to figure out what it's going to take for you to get out of Jess's life. For good," he said.

"Jax, she's my daughter," Daisy said. "You can't ask me to stay away from her."

"Your daughter who you betrayed every chance you got. So I'm asking you to leave Charming and never come back. But I won't ask again," Jax said. He knew the threat landed when Daisy's expression switched from feigned innocence to fear.

"Fine," she said. "I'll leave. For ten thousand dollars." Jax scoffed.

"You're half right, there. You're not even worth the five dollars I spent in gas getting over here," he retorted. "But I got a place you can go. If you take my offer, and leave now, you'll be set. Job waiting for you and everything." He hoped she'd take the offer. He didn't want to do what he was prepared to do.

"I may not be worth it, but that's Jess's doing," Daisy said, her fear replaced by the anger and resentment she always harvested towards Jess. "She's living the life that should have been mine. If she hadn't come along when she did, Otto would have been mine, not Luann's. I would have Cara Cara. I would have the money. I deserve some of it."

"You got about five seconds left of this offer, Daisy," Jax said. Daisy crossed her arms across her chest, glaring at Jax.

"You're doing this for her?" she said, sneering. "You think she loves you? She's playing you, Jax. That girl never loved nobody. Uses people to do her dirty work, just like she's using you. She stole my life. I'm here to get it back."

"Time's up, Daisy," Jax said.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jax," Daisy said.

Jax's arm shot out, grabbing Daisy by the throat as he slammed her against the wall, her feet dangling inches from the ground. She pulled at his arm, desperately trying to get him to let her go. With his other hand, he grabbed the syringe out of his pocket and jammed it into her shoulder, pressing the drugs into her system.

"What did you do!" Daisy wailed as Jax dropped her and she fell to the floor. He tossed the syringe at her and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him.

"Go back to TM and get the truck," he told Tig. "Take her to Indian Hills; Jury's expecting her there. He can keep an eye on her."

"You got it," Tig said, walking back to his bike.

"Happy, you stay here until Tig gets back. Make sure she doesn't try to leave." Happy nodded and Jax climbed on his bike, heading back to Jess's house. One problem down. One much bigger one to go.

SOASOASOASOASOA

"Wait, what the fuck?" Lux said, sitting up straight in her chair. She and Jess were sitting outside on Lux's balcony waiting for the boys to get back from dealing with Daisy. Jess had just finished telling her about the party at Georgie's, ending with finding Luann's Cara Cara charm.

Jess nodded solemnly, taking a long sip of her wine.

"I can't believe that mother fucker," Lux said angrily, a hand absentmindedly placed on her growing belly.

"I know," Jess said.

"So… what are you going to do about it?" Lux asked. Jess shrugged. She knew Lux wouldn't talk her out of her plan. In fact, she would probably support it. But the less people that knew, the better. Not even Lux.

"I don't know," Jess lied. Lux pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing as she looked over at Jess, but she didn't push it.

"Well did Jax tell you what he was going to do about Daisy?" Lux asked.

"Just that he'd make sure she never came back," Jess said shrugging. She found she honestly didn't care what happened with Daisy. She'd spent enough energy her entire life thinking about her and caring about her; she wasn't about to waste another second.

"Good riddance," Lux said. Jess nodded, her thoughts wandering until Lux spoke again. "But damn, what I would have given to see you on that pole at Georgie's." Lux grinned and Jess rolled her eyes, taking a sip of the wine in her hand.

"A necessary evil," Jess said. Lux laughed.

"So… it seems this whole thing has you spending a lot more time with big brother," Lux said, her tone suggestive. Jess licked her lips, taking a sip of her wine in an attempt to hold back a grin. Lux's eyes widened with her smile.

"Tell me!" she demanded. Jess laughed, nodding.

"We talked this morning," she said. "Decided to give it another go."

"Finally! You stubborn ass mother fuckers!" Lux said. "Damn I wish I could get some champagne to celebrate. When's the wedding? It better be after this damn baby is ejected." Jess laughed.

"Oh, it definitely will be," she said, and her laugh died as suddenly as she realized the words she just said. Lux stared at her.

"Wait, what?" she said. Jess shook her head.

"No, I just meant… you know, it's not even a discussion right now. We got back together this morning," Jess said quickly. The last thing she needed was Lux starting to pester Jax about marriage.

"Whatever. We're gonna be sisters," she said, grinning.

"We already are," Jess said, rolling her eyes.

Author's Note: THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed! I hope you all are enjoying the chapters, and it would mean so much if you could let us know!