7

Jax Is Really Alive

Chapter Recap 39

Jax and Tara get to Ryland's secret bunker near Charming. He has a message for them. Abel has died as a result of his heart condition. He put him into a medical drone and is sending him to a doctor. It isn't possible to know if Abel will return to life given the damage to his heart. The doctor will repair Abel's heart which will give him the best chance at returning to life.

Hale visits Jax and Tara in their secure hideaway. He found Abel's body. Jax, Tara and Hale discuss Gemma's role wondering if she had the boys kidnapped or if she were also kidnapped. Aranora, the strange woman Skeeter is going to marry, is missing. Hale adds that when Kozik got back with the security team, he and his nurse girlfriend left on some kind of secret assignment from Ryland.

Jax wonders if he can trust Kozik. It seems to him that Kozik's loyalty is now with Ryland. Jax and Hale question Ryland's motives, but Tara insists that they can trust Ryland.

Chapter 40 Enter Opie

Tara wrapped her arms around Jax and held tight to him. She remembered how he'd handled it when Abel was a preemie and then later when Abel had been kidnapped. She knew this would take a heavy emotional toll on him. It was her time to be strong for him.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms drawing strength from their love of each other. They would have to get through this for both Abel and Thomas. They would find their boys and finally be a real family.

"Waiting makes me crazy," Jax said. "Do you think Abel has a chance to come back?"

"I think he'll be back," Tara said. "I really believe in the treatment Ry is having done to Abel to save him."

"He still makes me uneasy."

"It's because he's so intelligent and competent. He's an alien. That's a huge advantage."

"Maybe that's it. I'm worried that he can outmaneuver me and the results could mean I'd lose you and the boys."

"You aren't going to lose me or the boys. This is our time, baby. Abel is going to return to life. We are going to find Thomas. Now, why don't we find out if this place has a bed?"

He couldn't help Abel or Thomas by worrying, but he could make Tara feel good. Of course, he would enjoy it too.

"Cas, we need a bedroom," Jax said.

"Follow the blue lights," Cas said.

"I kind of miss the Cas from the other bunker," Jax said. "This one doesn't have your voice."

"I can speak with whatever vocal sound I'm instructed to use," Cas said, sounding annoyed by Jax's criticism.

"Some of the same attitude," Tara said.

"How's this for attitude?" Jax asked as he grabbed Tara and through her over his shoulder as though she were no heavier than a towel and followed the blue lights down a dimly lit tunnel and into a bedroom.

Tara giggled as Jax carried down a tunnel about twenty feet until he arrived at a doorway. He carried her through the door and dumped her on the bed. The king-sized bed was covered with a navy bedspread. There was a small reading light on a table next to the bed and a metallic silver dresser against one wall. Above the wall was a communications screen that could also be used as a television.

"Cas soft romantic lighting," Jax ordered. The lights dimmed.

Jax gave her the soft long deep romantic kisses that he'd promised her. He tested his will power by keeping his hands off her breasts and just focused on kissing her. They used to spend hours kissing back in high school. Now, he could see that was one of the ways they had built such a strong bond.

"Wow," Tara said impressed by his skill. "If I'd been standing up, I'd be crazy dizzy."

"It gets even better," he said sliding his hands under her shirt.

When Tara's hormones went crazy and she wanted sex from him without any emotional attachment, he finally got the hard truth that he had treated her that same way in those last turbulent weeks of her life. That was one of the reasons he'd started having sex with Colette. He'd wanted some simple drama free sex.

He'd always been able to separate sex from emotion until Tara's hormone craziness. It was another lesson showing him how much Tara and emotions mattered. Drugs, alcohol and sex were substitutes for an emotionally barren life.

Jax spent his time making love to Tara, showing her how much he loved her in every touch and every caress. This was what sex should be—love between a man and a woman. He would never again use Tara for sex. It might not be a full course two hour marathon, but it would always be done as an expression of their love for each other and not as a means to scratch a sexual itch.

Afterwards, they lay tangled together sleeping until a loud buzzing noise woke them up.

"Incoming phone communication," Cas announced.

"Cas, can you put it through without video?" Jax asked.

Tara was sitting up and trying to pull the sheet up over her breasts.

"Of course," Cas replied.

"Do that."

"Jax, we have a problem," Hale said.

"Great. Can't go an hour without one of those."

"It's Opie. He's in a car parked in front of his house. If he goes inside to see his kids, they will recognize him because they are alien and then we have alien problems. We need to get him away from his house and figure out where he is mentally."

"You want me to go," Jax said.

"Yeah, I think you might be able to get him to tell you what's going on with him. The space folks are worried that he might give things away. That's why Ryland has given you permission to come into Charming. Tara, you still need to stay at the bunker until the security lockdown is over. You are Lorna's daughter and your safety is crucial. The bunker will keep you safe."

"I'll bring Opie back here," Jax said.

"You can't do that. He doesn't have authorization and Ryland won't change that until we know Opie's mental state. Bring him back to my house. You can just walk in. We don't need locks; we have alien technology. Remember to grab a new alien phone."

Yeah, OK," Jax said, looking around for his pants. "What the hell am I doing?"

"You're getting dressed," Tara said helpfully.

"I know that part," Jax said with a smirk. "I need to stay with Tara in case she needs medical help."

"I'll hook myself up to a monitor and send the info to you and to Ryland."

"OK," Jax agreed. "I'll go talk to Opie," Jax said to Hale.

"Communication ended," Cas said.

"I'm not leaving until I know that you are hooked up to monitors," Jax said.

"Cas, do you have Tara packs?"

"Yes."

"I need a Tara pack and the monitors that go with it and we need two phones."

"I will send a medbot with the required items," Cas said.

Tara pulled on her clothes while she waited for the medbot.

"What?" Jax demanded.

"That obvious, huh?"

"I do know you well," Jax said.

"Opie hasn't been in the best place mentally. He and Donna figured out their relationship, but he has some feelings for you that he hasn't quite worked through."

Jax frowned.

"Not quite worked his feelings out? What the hell does that mean? He fucking hates me?"

"Hates, maybe not at the fucking hates level, but he's unhappy with you."

The medbot appeared. It was a five foot tower of white painted metal about three feet wide. A small door in the medbot opened to reveal two cell phones. A second door opened to reveal Tara packs and everything necessary to insert and monitor it.

"I suspected something was wrong, but there was so much shit going on."

Tara quickly set the monitor up and hooked up the Tara packs to her wrists.

"I barely need this treatment, but I'm doing it to please you and in case I might have to stop time again. I have to be at full strength for that."

"I'll talk to Opie, get him to Hale's and then I'll be back."

"If you need more time with Opie, just stay at Hale's. I'll be fine here. The bunker will protect me or if the lockdown ends, I'm sure Hale or someone can give me a ride into town. I'm going to give the doctor another hour or two and then I'm going to call to see if there's any news on Abel. I'll let you know if I hear something."

Jax bent down and kissed Tara lightly on the lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

Jax left with Cas guiding him out of the tunnel structure and to the car. The trip to the surface was less heart stopping than the freefall down. It was simply a quick rise straight up followed by a sudden stop. It was like an amusement park ride only better because there wasn't a line.

Jax spent the short drive to Opie's old house wondering about Opie's mental state. He understood how Opie and Donna might have problems given how quickly he'd married porn star Lyla, but he thought he and Opie were good.

When Opie disappeared, Ryland had ordered surveillance on Opie's house via cameras. Hale called him with information on the car Opie was in. Everyone had been looking for Opie on a bike, but he'd bought a car a day ago.

Jax parked his car behind Opie's car and walked up to the car. Opie already had the window down.

"I thought they would send you," Opie said.

"Let's go somewhere so we can talk."

Opie stared at his house. His son was near the window.

"You know I spent an hour sitting outside TM today watching the guys. I've been here two hours. The kids were playing in the yard. I didn't feel anything. My kids and I have no emotions. When I saw Tig and Chibs, I had feelings."

"Let's go to Hale's and talk."

"You won't change my mind."

"Come on Ope, let's go figure things out. Follow me to Hale's."

"Sure. Why not? It's not like that's ever gone wrong."

Jax gritted his teeth and said nothing. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Next Up: Opie Rocks Jax's World

Now it's time for Opie to share some truths with Jax. Will their friendship survive?