24
Jax Is Really Alive
"
Chapter 57 Happy Endings and only One Killing
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When SAMCRO rode out of town, it was as though a dark cloud had been lifted from the town. Businesses made more money since they didn't have to pay for protection. The city felt safer. Hale had stepped up police patrols to reassure the citizens that they didn't need SAMCRO's version of justice to protect the town.
The few weeks until Jax and Tara's wedding were happy filled with family, friends and wedding preparations. Tara had always secretly craved a wedding with a dress, flowers and a nice reception.
It had to be a small wedding because she didn't know anyone and Tara Knowles was dead. Anyone that she knew as Tara Knowles couldn't be invited. The guests would be all Paralorns or hybrids.
Her mother, Donna and Louise went dress shopping with her. Meg had became a real mother to her. She loved both her grandkids and frequently had them for overnights with gran-lorna.
Tara wore a simple white "A" line wedding gown with some crystal embellishments. She didn't carry pink roses. They had been her favorites, but now they brought back memories of Kohn putting pink rose petals on her car. She also used to keep some on her desk at St. Thomas. She wanted to leave those memories in the past.
For her earth wedding, she had pale pink peonies in her bouquet and decorating the small chapel on the grounds of the gated community. Donna was Tara's matron of honor while Louise served as a bridesmaid. Donna and Louise both wore pale pink gowns. Opie was best man with Hale and Kozic serving as groomsmen. Abel and Thomas walked Tara down the aisle. They practiced for days so they would do it just right. Thomas was so proud of his ability to walk.
After the ceremony they went to Lorna's where a small white tent had been erected for the reception. Lots of pale pink flowers were everywhere except roses. There were no roses anywhere. There were so few guests, everyone sat at one big white linen covered table enjoying a meat heavy feast. Even Thomas got to eat meat. His grandmother had special baby food made for him one dish consisting of pureed roast beef and another dish of mashed potatoes with peas. He loved it because he smacked his lips loudly when she fed him drawing laughs from the table.
There was such a feeling of love, happiness and optimism, it felt like this was a new beginning. They had no way of knowing that someone was determined to destroy Jax Teller, Tara and their boys.
The next day was Jax and Tara's Paralorn wedding. Her mother was delighted that her wedding gown had been sent from Rackle for Tara to wear on her wedding day. All Paralorn royal brides wore the same wedding gown. The fabric conformed to the body of each bride much like earth's spandex or any other stretchy fabric.
Wedding bands from Rackle also arrived made from a precious metal that wasn't available on earth. The metal changed colors depending on light and the body temperature of the wearer going from a bright platinum to a stormy looking gray. They also had the ability to fit each wearer, so sizing of the wedding bands was unnecessary.
A week before the wedding, Tara's mother had called Jax over one evening. According to Paralorn custom, gifts are given to the groom, best man and groomsmen. In his case that meant Opie, Kozik and Hale. She had arranged with the local Harley dealership to be open tomorrow evening just for them to pick out bikes and all the accessories they wanted from saddle bags to clothes to helmets.
It was a fantasy come true for Jax, Opie and Kozik. Even Hale was delighted at getting a bike. He'd been wanting one, but he didn't want to ride as long as the MC controlled the town. He feared it would make him look like he was on SAMCRO's side.
They couldn't accept Lorna's gift fast enough. Tara and Donna were OK with them getting bikes. They didn't have problems with the men riding, it was always about the MC.
They got their bikes the night before the earth wedding. The morning of the Paralorn wedding, Jax, Opie and Kozik went for a short two hour run on their brand new bikes. Hale followed in a van. The guys would teach him to ride his new "beginner's" bike in the next few weeks. The guys grabbed lunch together. They would return, pick up Thomas and Abel after their naps and all get ready for the wedding.
Tara was going to spend the morning with the boys. The robots from her mother's house made spaghetti and meatballs for lunch. It was Abel's favorite food. He especially loved meatballs. The robots even made a baby food version for Thomas. Afterwards, she was going to give Thomas a bath and then put the boys down for an afternoon nap.
She didn't know what was involved in a Paralorn wedding. Her mother was handling all the details including the food. More than one thousand Paralorns from all over the world had flown in for the royal wedding. It had taken a lot of logistics and work coordinating travel arrangements and lodging for so many people, but royal weddings were rare and special events. Those that couldn't come to the wedding would be able to watch it live on the specially equipped TVs most of them had in their homes. The event was also being recorded and would be sent to Rackle so everyone could watch.
Visitors were staying with other Paralorns or in some of the underground rooms converted into bunk houses. Charming's hotels were also fully booked with visitors for the wedding. All the guests would be Paralorns or hybrids. Humans weren't allowed. This was the handy thing about a gated community. They could just lock off of the gates when needed.
Around eleven thirty there was a knock at the door. Tara looked out the peephole to see a pizza delivery driver holding two pizza boxes. She thought that Jax might have ordered pizza as a special treat for Abel or the driver had the wrong address.
She opened the door.
"Step back into the house," the man said. "I've got a gun and I would love nothing more than to shoot you."
Tara knew that voice. Another hybrid returned from the dead. She could fear the terror rise up in her.
"
"***********"
"
Ten minutes later, Tara's mother went to her house. She felt something was wrong with Thomas. They were all gone. Tara and the boys had vanished.
"Jax, I'm at your house," Lorna said. "Bring everyone with you. Someone's taken Tara and the boys."
"Oh, my God," Jax said. He'd just gotten back to Hale's house from their ride. "We're on our way."
Less then five minutes later Jax, Opie, Kozik and Hale arrived. Lorna had already called Ryland and alerted him.
"What happened?" Jax asked as he burst through the door followed by Opie, Hale and Kozik.
"I don't know. I got this feeling of great fear. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out that I was getting a message from Thomas. He was really scared. I came over here to see what was going on and I found them gone with empty pizza boxes on the front door step."
"We'll get them back," Opie said, patting Jax's shoulder.
"I've alerted Ryland," Lorna said. "Louise is on her way. They are going to the operations room."
"Tara has a GPS chip," Jax said suddenly remembering how Ryland had used the GPS chip to track Tara when she got kidnapped from the biker bar.
"I'm going to get the book and see if anything's been written," Lorna said.
"You really think that's going to help?" Jax asked.
"Yes. Didn't you ever wonder why I always showed up at key moments in your life?" Lorna asked.
"I did."
"When we came to earth, it was written. We didn't know if this planet even existed. The coordinates were listed and based on faith alone, we got in spaceships and came here. I showed up at key moments in your life because it was written. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I was there because the book told me to be there. I think it was in case you needed me or somehow seeing me helped you to make the right choices. I'm hoping the book will tell us where we can find our family."
"Why would someone take Tara and the boys? Who would do something like that?" Opie asked.
"You think someone from SAMCRO could be responsible?" Kozik added.
"If someone from SAMCRO did this, they would have had to have been watching us to know that we were staying here," Jax said.
"It wouldn't have been that difficult to do," Opie said, "but I just don't think any of the guys would do something like this."
"What about Happy?" Kozik suggested.
Lorna appeared ending the speculation.
"Is there something in the book?" Jax asked.
"I checked it this morning. This is new. It says that there is a deadly danger that is threatening the royal line of succession and great care will be needed to save it."
"Tara's at the clubhouse," Ryland said. "We've got drones on the way."
"Makes perfect sense," Opie said.
"I'm going to get my wife and boys back," Jax said.
"You aren't going anywhere until we come up with a plan," Lorna said. Three vans pulled up. Gabe and Stuart got out of one of the vans and walked into the house.
"Com links so you don't need to use your cell phones," Gabe said passing out the small devices.
"OK," Ryland said. "We just got a report from one of the drones. There are four in the clubhouse. Judging by the heat signatures it's two kids and two adults."
"If there's only one person, I don't think a plan is needed. Give me a gun and I'll go now," Jax said.
"Absolutely not," Lorna said. She was every inch the queen or lorna now. "I know that you need to be there to rescue your family, but you aren't going alone. You will have back up. We will have a plan."
"As always, Lorna is right," Ryland said from the command center through the earpieces. "We need to plan this out. We sent in a different drone to get a closer look. We just discovered that the doors are rigged with explosives. They were hard to detect. It was the smell of the explosives that alerted the drones. If you had gone in blindly, you would have blown yourself up."
"Eventually I will learn to be less impulsive," Jax said drily.
"I think I should pull police resources to the other side of town, so there aren't any law enforcement issues when we go in," Hale said.
"Good idea," Ryland said. "OK since we can't hit the doors and we haven't been able to find a vent. We can still cut a hole and drop gas, knock everyone out, defuse the bombs and make entry. We can also go in by shooting some flash bang grenades and entering through the windows. Which one do you prefer?"
"Jax, this is your decision," Lorna said inclining her head.
"Put them to sleep. I don't want to traumatize the kids anymore than they are already traumatized."
"Gabe and Stuart, you two will defuse the bombs. You've got everything you need with you. Hale, we're ready for you to contact Charming PD. Arm up and head to the clubhouse. By the time you get there, we'll have used a drone with a laser to cut a hole and insert the sleeping gas."
"Be careful, everyone," Lorna said.
There was a moment when communications got mixed up and they heard Ryland ordering three medical teams to be on standby. That raised the tension level.
"Let's go," Jax said. "The next time you see me, I'll have your daughter and your grandsons with me."
He didn't suggest that Opie, Kozik or Hale stay. He knew they would come with him to help him get his kids back.
"Try not to kill this person," Lorna said. "We need to know if this is a continuation of the plot against Paralorn. Don't worry. After an interrogation, there will be an execution."
Hale made his phone call and then the men ran to the van where they were given guns.
"We've dropped the gas inside the clubhouse. By the time you get to the clubhouse, everyone should be asleep."
The plan that worked so well at the house with Unser and Gemma worked just as well this time. Gabe and Stuart defused the explosives on the main entry door and everyone went inside. Thomas and Abel were on the floor. Tara had her hands tied behind her back.
Jax went over to the man on the floor who was lying face down. Now, he would be able to see who it was who came after his family. He rolled the man over. It was Otto.
"Son of a bitch," Jax said kicking him hard in the ribs.
"Let's get the kids to Lorna. She will escort them to medical for a quick check up," Ryland said. "I want to make sure the sleeping gas hasn't caused any side effects."
"It's better for them not to see how this is going to end," Jax said.
Two members of the security team from the second van entered and picked up the sleeping boys to transport them to Lorna.
Otto moaned and his eyes opened. Jax kicked him again before going over to check on Tara. She had a few marks on her face. Otto must have slapped her a couple of times.
Hale, Kozik and Opie pointed their guns at Otto.
"I bet he was behind all the attacks on SAMCRO," Jax said.
"Smart as ever," Otto said sarcastically, pushing himself up to a seating position. "How the hell did you find us?"
"Tara has a GPS chip," Kozik said.
Jax returned to Tara when he noticed she seemed to be waking up.
"Are you OK?" Jax asked.
"Where are the boys?" Tara asked fearfully.
"They were taken to be with Lorna. Ryland wants them to get medical check ups."
"That bastard hit Abel," Tara said.
"He hit you too," Jax said.
"That wasn't all I was planning to do to her in front of your precious boys. I was going to rape her and then I was going to make them do all kinds of sick twisted things with her and me. When I was finished I was going to call you so you could come here and I could kill your kids and then Tara and finally you. I was given a second life for this reason."
"He was behind all the attacks on SAMCRO including the attack at the clubhouse open house. He also tortured and killed Wendy," Tara said.
"I should have shut the fuck up and raped you when I had the chance," Otto said sourly.
"You wrecked my life," Tara said.
"And mine," Jax said.
"We know this wasn't part of the Paralorn/Sliven plot. Jax, go ahead and kill him," Lorna said.
"Your mother just told me to kill him," Jax explained to Tara.
"How about we blow him up instead," Hale suggested.
"It would look like he had some vendetta against the Sons and even after they left town, he blew up their clubhouse in one last futile act of revenge and went up with the blast," Opie suggested.
"I like the idea of him getting blown up. It's really unpleasant," Kozik said.
"Can you do that?" Jax asked Gabe.
"We'll need a couple of things a drone could bring us. How small do you want the pieces?"
"Whatever will cause this asshole the most pain," Jax said.
Gabe told security what they needed to level the clubhouse and leave Otto in chunks. Hale, Kozik and Opie still held their weapons on Otto.
"You know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Tara said.
"That only applies to earth weddings."
"You can't kill me. I'm special. I can't be killed even if you blow me up."
Otto didn't know why he'd returned to life. He really believed that he was going to live through getting blown up because he had some kind of magical powers.
"Abel told him that his daddy was going to come and kill him for taking us," Tara said. "That's when he slapped him."
"Bastard."
Jax thought that Abel might remember some things from the past because how else would he know that Jax would kill Otto for taking them?
Gabe and Stuart got the materials they needed from a drone and began to wire the clubhouse.
"How did find us so fast?" Tara asked.
"Your mother felt Thomas' fear and came to check on him. When she found all of you were gone, she called me."
Jax helped Tara to her feet.
"Jax, if you had come five minutes later," she broke off. The thought of what Otto was going to do to her and their boys was too much.
Jax wrapped his arms around her.
"Everyone's safe and Otto's going to be blown to hell."
Stuart tied up Otto and then for good measure tied him to a chair.
"What I'm tying him up with is a specially made to dissolve in the blast, so no one will ever know he was tied up," Stuart explained.
"I'm going to enjoy knowing that in a few minutes you are going to die. Otto, you can only come back from the dead once."
The former members of SAMCRO spit on Otto as they left him to die. The clubhouse exploded less than five minutes after they left. Drones captured it all including a shot of Otto's mangled body. There would be no resurrection He was finally dead and was no longer a danger to Jax, Tara, their sons or anyone else.
They went to the medical unit to pick up Abel and Thomas. Lorna was with her grandsons from the moment they got back.
"Are you two up to the wedding or should we call it off?" Lorna asked.
"I'm OK," Tara said. "The boys are OK."
"Let's get married," Jax said.
"Normally we let minor injuries heal on their own," Ryland said. "With the wedding and the recording of the event, I think we can use some healing cream so everyone will look OK."
Jax held Thomas while healing cream was applied to Tara and Abel's faces.
"You know you helped daddy and grand-lorna find you," Jax said. "She knew you were scared and came to check on you."
Thomas smiled, drooled and sucked hard on his pacifier.
"I guess we keep to the plans. I'll put the boys down for their naps and when they wake up, I'll bring them to Hale's."
"Why don't I take the boys to Hale's and you can have a little peace and quiet before you have to get ready for the wedding?" Jax suggested.
"I'm still feeling the effects of the sleeping gas. That stuff works almost instantly," Tara said. "I think I'm going to have a nap when I get back."
Jax kissed her on the cheek.
"I'll see you at our wedding."
Several hours later, Lorna went over to Tara's house after she'd dressed for the wedding in her fuchsia and flaming red gown trimmed in sparkling gold crystals. She also wore a tiara of bright sparkling red stones that had been brought with them in the spaceships when they left Rackle.
Unlike earth weddings where the colors tended to be pastel, Paralorns believed that weddings should be full of joy and the wedding's colors should reflect that. No one would dare wear dark or pastel colors to a Paralorn wedding.
Donna put on he fiery red dress with splashes of fuchsia. Louise's dress was fuchsia with splashes of fiery red. Each had her hair styled in elaborate twists with a headpiece on top.
"Very different from yesterday," Tara said looking at Donna and Louise.
"It must look garish to you," Lorna said.
"It's different, but I like the idea that weddings use bright joyous colors," Tara said.
"So how long will it be before you walk down the aisle with Hale?" Donna asked Louise with a teasing smile.
"Not long. Once I broke the ice with him, he got the hint. He's really a great guy."
"I'm glad you two are together," Tara said.
The royal wedding gown had a fitted bodice and a long full skirt with no train. It was a bright grass green because the plants grow green on Rackle when they are beginning their growth cycle and it's the color associated with freshness and new beginnings. The dress was covered in clear crystals that surprisingly did not make the dress heavy.
Lorna pinned Tara's hair up before placing the tiara with the shimmering diamond-like stones on her head. She then added dramatic make up giving Tara exaggerating eyes with broad heavy strokes of black eyeliner.
"I barely recognize myself," Tara said looking at her intense make up.
"Paralorns aren't subtle when it comes to weddings. It's bigger and brighter and bolder. Subtle is for later."
"If . . . no when you and Hale get married are you going to have an earth wedding or a Paralorn wedding, Louise?" Donna asked.
"Paralorn. It's a really beautiful ceremony. It isn't long—less than 10 minutes but it's so beautiful. If Ryland doesn't screw up your ceremony, Tara, I think I'm going to ask him to marry Hale and me assuming he asks me," Louise said.
"Ryland screw up?" Lorna said. "I can't imagine that."
"He's such a great guy. I hope he finds someone like that nice nurse Diane," Louise said.
"I think they would make a great couple too," Tara said.
"She's his guest at the wedding. I need to leave now. I have to greet the guests as they arrive. I'll see you in an hour. Be prepared for the wedding venue. It's a lot different than yesterday's."
That feeling that her happiness was going to be snatched away from her was gone. Now there was nothing standing in the way of their happiness.
"Do either of you know what the guys are wearing?" Tara asked.
Donna and Louise shook their heads.
"Do you think they'll look like clowns?" Donna asked.
"I think I would enjoy that," Tara said.
They all toasted to Tara's wedding with sips of Indigo before going outside to the waiting vans to take them to the chapel. They were escorted inside to wait. The actual Paralorn ceremony was being held in a huge tent behind the chapel.
On the outside, it was white. Inside was something else. The floor was a flaming red color, the walls of the tent were gold and the benches were orange. Instead of flowers, glass sculptures in bright colors framed the altar where the ceremony would take place. The vivid colors or maybe it was the brightly clothed guests gave the atmosphere a happy, joyous feel.
The ceiling of the tent was special. It was dark blue with twinkling lights to simulate what the night sky of Rackle. It was an over the top touch, but the guests appreciated the tribute to their home world.
Lorna had taken her place near the altar, the guests were all seated. The lights went off and the glass sculptures at the altar glowed lighting the space. Bright happy music began. It was a Paralorn tune so Jax had never heard it before. Hale and Kozik walked down the aisle first wearing loose fitting bright purple pants with pullover tops. Opie walked down the aisle next wearing a slightly lighter shade of purple. Jax walked down the aisle last wearing a vivid blue outfit.
Ryland was at the altar wearing the same pants/pullover combo in a vibriant teal. Normally Paralorn weddings didn't have children as guests because the weddings were held at night. This was a Royal wedding, so exceptions were made for Kenny, Ellie, Abel and Thomas. JC's parents had volunteered to look after all the children. All the kids wore kid's versions of their parents' clothes in slightly lighter colors.
The music changed to another happy tune before Donna and Louise walked down the aisle. In place of flowers, they carried glowing tubes of light with a delicate spiral at the tip in reds and oranges. The music stopped, a hush fell over the room and Tara appeared carrying her own glowing bouquet of tubes of light. In the middle was a round glowing globe that resembled Rackle. No one stands when the bride appears in Paralorn weddings. She looked at all the brightly clothed guests and saw Abel and Thomas watching her. She smiled at them. Abel smiled and waved proudly at his mother. Thomas gurgled happily sitting on JC's mother's lap and kicked his legs.
Tara walked to the altar to stand next to Jax. He was smiling ear to ear. Almost losing his family again brought home just how important Tara and his boys were to his life. He wanted to share his revelation about the importance of family life with the world.
Ryland performed the ceremony both in English and Rackle. Near the end of the ceremony, Ryland handed a small knife to Tara. She cut the palm of her hand before handing the knife to Jax. He also cut his hand. Ryland instructed them to place their hands together and continued the ceremony explaining that they are sealed together as a married couple.
"His blood flows through her and her blood flows through him joining them as one," Ryland says. "They are married." They exchanged wedding bands at this point.
Jax kissed Tara lightly on the lips and then they pulled their hands apart revealing their cuts were now healed.
There was one last part of the ceremony. For a Royal bride to know if she will have a happy marriage, she has to turn in her dress holding out the edges.
Tara took a few steps away from the altar so she had room to do her dress twirling. She held her dress and began to slowly twirl. She didn't know what to expect, her mother hadn't told her this part.
At the first turn, the crystals in her dress came alive and the crystals began to change colors providing a light show. She turned again and again worried that nothing else was happening. This time the crystals seemed to fly off the dress and up to the ceiling glowing and sparkling changing colors. Suddenly without warning the crystals began to fall liked brightly colored rain drops returning to the dress becoming clear once again. The test was passed. Tara and Jax would have a happy marriage.
The guests began clapping. JC's mother was prepared. The children already had ear protectors over the ears to shield them from the noise. It sounded and felt like thunder. Tara's mother walked down the aisle followed by Jax holding Abel and Tara holding Thomas. Tara's mother left, so Tara and Jax could have that moment with the Paralorns and hybrids. They were all fascinated to meet the Lorna's daughter who would one day be queen and her son who would one day be king.
After each guest passed by Jax and Tara wishing them well, they walked outside to a covered area where Paralorn style cocktails and beer were being passed out by robots. Robots were the perferred servers used to free up people so they could attend the wedding and the reception.
After the more than hour long receiving line was over, Jax and Tara handed off the boys to JC's parents. There was a small room in the reception tent where the kids could be put to bed monitored by a robot and checked on by JC's parents. Ellie and Kenny would also sleep in this room when they got tired. Paralorn weddings typically lasted until sun rise. Staying awake to the sun rise symbolized new beginnings and greeting the new beginning together as a married couple.
The huge tent for the reception was a sea of round tables and it was done in the same bright red floor and gold walls. The tables were all covered in brightly covered linen table clothes with bright pink chairs making the room look a bit like a kaleidoscope. There were no place cards or seating charts. Everyone was welcome to sit wherever they wished except the married couple's wedding party, the queen and JC's parents and the children who all sat at one table.
When Jax and Tara arrived at their table and were seated, towers in the middle of each table that appeared to contain a glass sculpture with a light rose to reveal the first course. It fanned out the plates like a deck of cards. Each person took a plate, the fan shut and the column descended. When the guests were finished eating, the column appeared diners put their places on the fanned out plate holders and it closed and descended to a lower level that opened to reveal the entrees. Each person took a plate of food and the column closed and completely descended. The columns were designed to hold hot, cold or room temperature foods to the desired temperature.
After the five course meal was over there was a social interval with robots offering tables Paralorn style drinks alcoholic and nonalcoholic to everyone to relax. Many of the Paralorns hadn't seen each other in many years so they used the occasion to catch up with each other.
The kids had gone into their area to watch videos and to relax. Thomas fell asleep as soon as he finished eating the roast beef and mashed potatoes with peas baby food that he'd so enjoyed the previous night.
The wedding party including JC's parents, Ryland and his guest Diane all went into another private room in the tent that opened into the children's room as well as the main tent. They relaxed for an hour or so before heading into the ceremony tent that had been transformed into a ballroom/lounge combination.
The children were carried into a room in the tent that was set up identically like the first room. It had a crib for Thomas and three small beds for Kenny, Ellie and Abel as well as a little area on the floor with some toys and a TV. A robot would constantly watch the kids with JC's parents checking on them as well.
There was music, Paralorn style dancing and a lot of visiting among the Paralorns. Some dancing was individual and some was couples style dancing. The hybrids who were new to many Paralorn customs were welcomed to learn the dances from a home world they might not ever see.
Almost all of the guests stayed until sunrise when the final Paralorn tradition would be carried out. They all went outside. Jax holding Abel and Tara holding Thomas along with Lorna stood as a group. Everyone clasped hands forming a very large circle around them. They walked backwards making the circle as large as possible, then they walked towards them making the circle as small as possible. They did this three times to symbolize the beginning, middle and end in a life cycle. The sun came up as they finished the third sequence. Every watched as the sun rose and cheered.
It was a beautiful moment for them all. Jax could feel the love that was being sent their way by all their guests. It was an amazing feeling of unity—of belonging, a kind of warm glow of being wrapped in the well wishes of so many Paralorns and hybrids who genuinely wanted them to find nothing but love and happiness in their marriage.
"Jax, I wasn't that interested in having a Paralorn ceremony or wedding, but I'm so glad we did," Tara said. "It was one of the most beautiful events of my life."
"Just one of many in our future," Jax said putting his free arm around Tara.
Still holding their sleeping children they continued to watch the sun rise both optimistic about their future.
"*********Epilogue*********
"
The next afternoon, there was a ceremony honoring JC's sacrifice. A short film of JC's life from the time he returned to life until he died so Jax could live was shown. Jax narrated part of the film. At the end, Lorna presented his parents with a medal. Everyone applauded.
Lorna presented a special King's Medal that had only been presented one previous time to Ryland for his extraordinary work in developing the Sliven weapon and saved the Paralorns from a lifetime of living below the surface of their planet.
It was unexpected and caught Ryland by surprise. The usually expressionless Ryland actually teared up as Lorna placed the medal around his neck. Everyone jumped to their feet clapping and cheering.
It turned out that Ryland was actually noble and principled. He was also a patriot.
"
*********1 Year Later*********
"
Opie's attitude towards fatherhood had completely changed. He'd missed years of his kids' lives while he was in prison and he wanted to get to know the kids he created. Ellie and Kenny loved spending time with the new version of their father. They did activities as a family.
Before the Paralorn treatment, spending time with Donna and his kids had been boring. Now, he looked forward to family time. He loved nothing more than watching his kids grow up. He was grateful that his therapy had worked and he'd been given a second chance to be a father.
Ellie and Kenny went to JC's parents for dinner every week. They loved them exactly like grandparents. JC's parents opened their hearts to Donna and Opie as well. In the coming years, Opie and Donna would come to think of JC's parents as their parents.
Donna got pregnant. She was carefully monitored, but this time her pregnancy went smoothly and she gave birth to twins a son they named Wyatt and a daughter they named Carly as a tribute to JC.
Hale proposed to Louise and they planned to have a Paralorn wedding. Ryland finally found love with new nurse Diane. They were also engaged and planning a Paralorn wedding. Both Hale and Ryland learned to ride motorcycles and went on monthly runs with Jax, Opie and Kozik.
Jax and Tara would soon expand their family with a puppy and a baby daughter. Thomas had been showing them puppies in his mind for the past six months and now that they were settled into Charming, it was time to add a puppy.
Tara settled into her new roles as hybrid doctor and queen in training. Watching the respect that everyone showed her mother made her want to make her mother proud of her by learning her job.
Jax had made the biggest change. He found a passion for helping people that went beyond Lyla. He kept remembering when he and Chibs rescued Emma Jean from two of Nero's crew and how they talked about killing Emma Jean. When Jax refused saying they would kill her, they had demanded a finger and a breast as proof of death so they could show the pussy and keep them in line. That wasn't women choosing to sell their bodies. It was sex trafficking. They were using fear to keep the women working for them.
Prostitution wasn't like Pretty Woman where a woman meets a handsome rich man who takes her away. If the does take her away, he lets her go back to the streets when he gets tired of her.
He ended sex trafficking beginning with Diosa through a combination of partnering with law enforcement and by offering the girls drug and mental health treatment and training for other jobs. By giving these women better lives, he could help repair families.
His charitable foundation had two prongs. One was to end human trafficking. The other was to end outlaw bike clubs including what was left of Sons of Anarchy. The Sons had destroyed families and damaged women. They launched terror attacks against anyone who tried to stand up to them and press charges. SAMCRO had done it. It was a standard outlaw biker club tactic—kill witnesses and their families. That had a chilling effect on anyone thinking pressing charges against an outlaw MC was a good idea.
His goals were ambitious, but he had Opie, Tara and Donna helping and the emotional and financial support of Meg. She'd quickly become like a mother to him. In a few months, the Lorne or king was coming to visit her.
One day Jax would have chapters of his charity in every state. He would have a different kind of power. Each morning, Jax got up knowing that he was going to make lives better. It was a complete switch from SAMCRO.
And he was even talking about forming a motorcycle club beginning with Opie, Kozik, Hale and Ryland. Only this club wouldn't be a criminal organization. It would really be a group of men who liked to ride bikes getting back to his father's original idea of what the MC should be.
It was good to be Jax Teller.
Author's Note: Thanks to all the readers who read and stayed with this challenging story. When I was writing the wedding scenes, I felt such warm happiness that I wanted to do an epilogue so readers know the future for all the characters. It's never good to give across the board happy endings because it's really supposed to be a balance and a bittersweet ending is so much more literary. Since this is fan fic everyone gets some happiness. Hope this brought some happiness to you.
You are the reason I finished this story and took the care I did to finish it right. I could have wrapped it in three pages with a quick narrative leaving out the details. Finishing a story is difficult because I know how it's going to end and there's nothing left to discover inside the story. Completing a story is more about the readers and respecting them and the time they've spent reading the story.
I'm going to wrap 52 Shades of Jax and Strange Times for SAMCRO in the coming months. I don't want to get into the habit of writing stories and not finishing them.
I will be returning to my other Jax/Tara story 21 Days under the name mvaded007 in the next couple of weeks. I use different names based on the story type. Stories are products and fit within brands.
I suspended work on it to finish Jax is Really Alive. I didn't think it would take so long to finish it. I hope I still have some readers left after such a long break.
If you haven't discovered 21 Days, please give it a try. I think you will like it. It's an action rom/com. Please let me know if you like the story or hate it and tell me why. Why helps me get better.
It would also be nice to hear from readers about Jax is Really Alive so I can take your feedback good or bad and use it for the future to improve my storytelling. Thanks.
MV