Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Sons of Anarchy. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.
Note: I've been a fan of Sons of Anarchy for years and wanted to do something with it for a while now, but for the life of me I was stuck on what. It is only recently that this idea came to me and I can't wait to let it play out on these pages.
Note: This idea finally came to fruition during my latest rewatch of the series. The gang going to Ireland shows that they travel a great deal, so I started to wonder… what if a couple members of the core crew split off from the pack for an impromptu vacation to England? What if they found someone that needed them? And what if Jax found himself with a new big brother?
Note: Changing the timeline around so Jax's dad died earlier when he's still an infant. It fits my story better. Jax's fascination with his father will be even more in keeping with the idea of him, rather than the memory.
Note: This version of Harry will not have a horcrux. His scar is simply a regular scar. Unfortunate, but not actively malicious.
Chapter One - The Newest Morrow
"These IRA trips are always so boring." Gemma groused as she and Clay snuggled next to each other on their walk, "But they do provide the perfect chance for romantic walks."
As was their way, SAMCRO had taken a yearly trip to Ireland to deal directly with their IRA contacts. It was a good way to reaffirm their deal, stay in touch with their roots, and see old friends. It was also Jax's first time going. Only one year old but already he was so curious about the world. They couldn't not bring him. Piney had volunteered to watch him for a couple weeks while the two of them bundled off to England for a little holiday. The place was too close to miss the opportunity. They loved being parents, but childrearing didn't leave a lot of time for just them.
Now here they were, walking down a British suburb, and marveling at how quaint it was. The whole place looked like it would have been just as at home in the sixties as it was now. "This would be a nice place to retire into once we're old and gray." Gemma remarked.
"Maybe, but I plan to keep on riding until my hands fall off." Clay laughed as he pulled his wife closer. It was in these moments that Clay truly realized how blessed he was. He had a beautiful wife, a son in all but name, his club, and a successful business. And now, here he was on a leisurely stroll. Not even ten years ago he wouldn't have been able to imagine so much good in his life. Of course he'd had to do a lot of really bad things to get there, but that was the way of the world in his opinion.
The silence of the evening was suddenly broken by the squealing of an infant in distress, and Gemma's hand tightened noticeably in her husband's. "Clay, we need to check that out."
"Why? It's probably just a fussy eater or a kid that doesn't want to go to bed."
"I'm a mother, Clay, I know when a baby needs help and that one definitely does." Having said her piece, the matriarch of SAMCRO released her husband's hand and took off running.
"Gemma, wait!" What was Clay supposed to do? Let his old lady run into the dark alone?" He took off after her. It took them only a couple minutes to reach the source and they found a wailing infant alone in a basket on a doorstep to a house marked number four.
Gemma was staring down at the boy in horror. He couldn't be much older than Jax, and the night was so cold. Who would leave such a precious little thing out here all alone? And why hadn't anyone come to get him yet? She pulled the toddler out of the basket and held him close, rocking him until his cries turned into muted whimpers as sleep took him. Meanwhile Clay began banging on the door.
With the force of his blows it only took a few moments for the portal to open to reveal a round face full of jowls and a lip covered in a terrible excuse for a mustache.
"The hell do you want!" The man roared in Clay's face. Never a good idea.
The biker eyed the man steadily, slowly slipping his riding gloves onto his hands. "My wife and I were wondering why exactly this child was out here screaming and no one came to bring it inside."
The stranger's face turned red as a beet and he said, "We didn't bring it inside because we want nothing to do with that Freak. It's my wife's sister's son, the note made that clear. We want nothing to do with him or his ilk."
Gemma was aghast at those words. "So you would just leave him out here in the cold instead of at least calling someone?"
"We'll call someone in the morning. If he dies before then, then so what? He's no concern of ours."
"Clay, kick his ass." Gemma stepped aside and her grinning husband did as directed.
He stepped in close and let his gloved fists fly. A shot to the nose put the whale on his ass. A cross to the chin broke his jaw. Then came the body blows. Clay pulverized his ribs, kidneys, and groin. He made the fucker hurt, he made him bleed, he made him suffer. And when all was said and done all that remained was a quivering broken wreck on the floor.
"You said there was a note." Gemma stated simply, staring imperiously down at the obese man's ruined face. "I'm assuming that note had his name. What is it?"
"H-H-Harry." The whale gasped through broken teeth.
The Morrow's stood over his sobbing form, spat on him together, and left him there, baby in arm. A beating was one thing, they were just a couple of random people who laid the man out, but killing him would bring heat on a whole different level. They would probably get out of the country just fine, but better not to invite trouble.
Clay looked at his wife as she nuzzled the infant and couldn't help but chuckle. He knew that look well, and he knew there was no talking her out of something once she had decided on it. "You wanna tell me what's going on in your head?"
"Harry Morrow has a nice ring to it. That's what I'm thinking."
"Gemma…."
"He doesn't have anyone, Clay. If that guy is the best option family-wise then this little one will be horribly treated from day one. We can do better."
"We have no legal right to him. We don't even know who his family is or where he comes from."
Gemma waved his concerns off, "Who his family is doesn't matter. We'll be his family now. And besides, Jax could use a brother. As for the legal right… we just need to get him to Ireland and our IRA friends could forge some records for us. Birth, registration, adoption, the works. I'm sure Chibs knows someone that can help."
Clay sighed, "We just got used to raising the one kid after John's death and you wanna add another?"
"What's the matter, darling?" Gemma bumped into her man as she kept cooing to the baby "Don't think you can handle it?"
"Oh I can handle it, I just want to make sure you're sure about this. There's no going back once we take him."
"You shouldn't be able to go back with parenthood. This kid is mine now, Clay. All that remains is the paperwork to prove it."
The biker thought this over for a few moments and a fresh smile came to his face. "You know what, you're absolutely right. Harry Morrow does have a nice ring to it."
Fifteen Years Later
"Fight"
"Fight"
"Fight"
In the school yard of Charming highschool Harry and Jax faced off against four other boys. Two of them were transfers from out of state and the others were their flunkies. Children of parents with old money, and they'd taken issue with the kids of the local biking kingpin. Everyone in Charming knew who really ran things in their small town and these fuckers had decided to take issue with the idea that their family money didn't automatically net them the same respect it had in their last town.
It had started small, shoulder checks in the hallway and snide comments in the classroom. All of those acts they could have brushed aside. But when those fuckers started making untoward jokes about their mother… all bets were off.
Now here they were outside their school, surrounded by their fellow classmates and offering the asswhooping of their lives. The flunkies had gone down quick, but the rich boys, they'd clearly had a bit of martial arts training. Enough to know how to dodge a punch or kick on occasion. What it didn't teach them was how to take a hit and keep moving.
Harry hit the lead in the nose and he dropped, moaning in pain. He tried to get back up a second later, tears streaming from his eyes, and the black haired teen finished him off with a hook to the jaw.
Jax took a kick to the kidney before coming back with the gut shot that doubled his opponent over and dropped him with an elbow to the back.
The brothers took a final look at the idiots that picked a fight with them before shrugging and clasping arms before the cheering crowd. They took a moment to bask in their success before the teachers showed up, dispersed them all, and dragged the two of them to the office to call their parents, sitting them down in chairs against the wall. This was about to get bad.
Twenty minutes later the principal's door burst open and in marched Gemma like the god of thunder and wrath. Clay followed at a more sedate pace. "What the hell is going on here!" She exclaimed, causing all the men present to wince at her tone. Not a soul alive wanted to mess with Gemma Morrow when she was pissed.
Principal Reynolds slowly stood up and gestured to the chairs across from his desk so he could see all four people at once. "Mrs. Morrow, your boys were caught fighting four other students in the yard today. They were sent to the hospital for stitches."
"Four boys?" Clay asked, rolling back in his chair to look at his sons. Jax had a black eye and Harry had a bruise on his jaw. "All you got were a couple of bruises and you put double your number in the hospital?"
"Yup." Jax said.
"Yes, dad." Harry added.
The biker grinned wide, "Good job."
Gemma responded by slapping her husband's shoulder roughly. "Clay! We're not supposed to praise them for something like this." She leapt out her chair and pulled her boys up with her. "What the hell happened that would make you do something like this?" Unspoken was the implication 'in public where you could be seen'.
Neither of her children looked her in the eye, and Gemma snorted with fond annoyance, her anger dissipating the more she came to terms with the fact that her kids were alright. The call she'd gotten from the school had just said that they were involved in an altercation and an ambulance had been called. She'd been terrified they might have been in it.
The longer she stared, and the longer they refused to answer, the more exasperated she became until she finally said, "Harry, look at me."
The raven haired teen did so and she stared into his emerald eyes. She and Clay had raised their boys as twins, but Harry was just a little bit older by their estimation. "Harry, you're the oldest. You're supposed to keep yourself and your brother out of situations like this." Unspoken again was the implication, 'Where you can get caught.'
Her boy started to shake with visible anger. "We held off mom, we did. For days they picked at us but we didn't respond. Then they started talking about you and the things they said… we couldn't just let it stand."
"He's right mom." Jax added, brushing his long blond hair out of his face. That was another difference between the boys. The blond kept his hair long while Harry liked his short.
"Oh boys." Gemma muttered, her hands rising up to cup their cheeks. "My sweet boys."
"And this has been going on a while now?" Clay asked. When he got duel nods he turned to the principal. "So my kids have been dealing with those assholes up to now and none of your teachers shut them up before it got to this point?"
"That's beside the point, Mr. Morrow." Reynolds explained. "The point is, a fight took place. Now no one has come forth to say who started it so as of now all six boys are being suspended for two weeks. The other parents went to the hospital with their children. The Hales threatened to press charges but I convinced them such an act would end nowhere but trouble. I trust you will take this opportunity to instruct your boys in more nonviolent methods of conflict resolution?"
"You can bet your ass we will." Gemma retorted shooing the brothers out the door, "Come on now. Clay, finish up in here will you?"
"You got it, honey."
Outside the office Gemma led her kids to their lockers. They were right next to each other of course, and supervised them reaching in and pulling out their prospect vests. Just because they were the club president's kids didn't mean they didn't have to pay their dues. "You boys were stupid today, you know that?" She said as they got ready.
"Yes, mom." Harry nodded, slipping his knife into his belt.
"You know you should've gotten them alone right? Somewhere private?"
"Yes, mom." Jax agreed, pulling their helmets out.
She quickly pulled them into a big hug. "But I'm still proud of you both. Thank you for having my back here."
"Anytime, ma." Jax laughed before pulling himself free. School was over which meant they had club duties to take care of. Their suspension really just meant two weeks of work manning the bar, running errands, and cleaning up the club's messes.
The lockers closed as one and Harry kissed his mom on the cheek. "We gotta go, mom."
"Alright, be safe boys."
They'd been on bikes since the day they turned sixteen. Since they shared the same birthday on paper, Clay had gifted motorcycles to them both on the same day. A few seconds later she heard the roar of their engines and then they were peeling off. They'd not be allowed to use them at the club, but it was still nice to know they could get around.
A short time later Clay exited the office and walked her out. "Kinda strange isn't it?" He mentioned as they reached the parking lot. "That out of everyone in that crowd of students not a one could point the finger at Jax and Harry? It's kinda 'lucky' right?"
Gemma nodded, it was. And this wasn't the first time. All his life Harry had been inordinately lucky, and it was starting to defy all reason. Out of curiosity the parents had had him play blackjack with the club and in less than an hour he'd cleaned them all out. Not many teenagers had ten grand hidden in a shoebox under their bed. "What are you thinking?"
"It's not normal. Piney says he saw something similar back in the war and might have a couple thoughts. He's sent out some feelers. Though even if he doesn't find anything, there are worse things for our boy to be than lucky. Especially with this life we lead."
"You don't think he could get out of it?" Gemma wasn't being hopeful, merely speculative.
"I don't think he wants to get out of this life. Him or Jax. From the moment they could first ride their bicycles they wanted to wear the patch. Right now they're prospects, but soon enough they'll be SAMCRO for life."
"I couldn't ask for more."
Later That Night
"Hey Jax, you wanna head into town and grab a-" Harry cut off as he entered his room to see his brother already halfway out the window. "Nevermind. What the hell are you doing?"
The blond blushed at being caught and slowly levered himself back inside. "I'm gonna go see Tara."
"Uh, bad idea, bro." Harry sat down on his bed while Jax did the same on the windowsill. "You know what mom thinks about her."
"Mom doesn't even know her. Tara's the one, Harry. I know it. She's beautiful, smart, and she has so many new ideas for Charming, her future, and me."
"Those ideas are what mom hates." Harry ran his hands over his scalp with annoyance. "This is the kind of shit mom tells me to stop you from doing. You really shouldn't be going out tonight. Not after that fight at least. Give things a couple days to cool down first. Don't pile on the shit like this."
Jax frowned at that. "What the hell, bro? You're supposed to have my back with this shit."
"I do have your back. Which is why I'm gonna keep our dear old pops occupied here at the house. I'd do the same with mom but I honestly have no idea where she is."
"Thanks, Harry." The look on Jax's face was pure relief. "This means a lot." Without another word he hopped to his feet and exited the window.
"Hey dad!" Harry called as he exited the room and practically slid down the stairs. "How about a game of cards."
Clay's voice came from the living room, "I ain't losing any more money to you, kid."
"I was talking about UNO."
In Town
Gemma was having a good night. Ever since she'd stumbled upon her little Harry she'd fallen in love with evening strolls and tonight was no exception. Charming was a different place in the dark. Full of sparkling lights and laughing people out for late dinners. At night, the people here seemed to just let their hair down. It was enough to make her fall in love with her home all over again.
That good mood was shattered however as she was passing the town tattoo parlor's window. ROXY'S Tattoos was a good place. She'd gotten quite a bit of work done there herself, and she knew the regular clientele. What she wasn't used to seeing was her son in the chair beside that tramp girlfriend of his. Oh hell no!
She quickly crossed the street, pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Jackson Nathaniel Teller! What the hell are you doing!?"
Her boy jumped in place, so it was a good thing his tattoo seemed to be finished. Tara's name was clear as day, cursively scripted on the inside of his bicep. Tara herself was still in the midst of getting hers so it was a good thing her artist was professional enough to not be startled by a random scream. She was facedown on a table getting what looked like a pair of wings in flight on her lower back. Jax's initials were in the middle. The artist stopped a second later and wheeled away; she wanted no part in what was about to happen.
"Mom! I swear this isn't as bad as it looks."
"It looks like your underage ass is getting a tattoo of your first real girlfriend. How can you not see this is a terrible idea? Where did you even get the money for this?" Her boy looked away, clearly she wasn't going to like the answer.
"I borrowed a few hundred dollars from Harry. I'm gonna pay him back, I swear."
By now Tara was sitting up and pulling down her shirt to cover her midriff. "Mrs. Morrow, we're just trying to-"
"Tramp, say another word and I will cut you." Gemma growled before stepping up and grabbing her son by the ear. "Get your perky ass home. I'll be calling your father about this later." With that, she marched her son out the door, still shirtless, and swearing all the way home.
Morrow Home
"Goddamnit, kid, how do you keep winning at this too?" Clay threw his hand to the table and watched as his eldest laughed at his father's misfortune.
"I'm just that good, old man."
"Just you wait, Harry, one of these days this old man is gonna beat you at a game of some kind."
Any further conversation was halted as the front door slammed open and the snarling tones of Gemma berating Jax came through the air to reach them as she led him up the stairs. It didn't take the two of them long to figure out what was wrong.
"Did you know he was getting a tattoo?" Clay asked with an arched eyebrow.
Harry shook his head in the negative. "All he said was that he needed a few hundred dollars and that he'd pay me back. I thought he was buying Tara a gift, not a tattoo."
Clay sighed, "That's not gonna sit well with your mom. Especially seeing as you so effectively distracted me."
Harry looked away, more than a little embarrassed that he'd been seen through so easily. "You knew?"
"You'd need to wake up a lot earlier to fool me. Now get up to your room. Your brother is gonna need you and you won't wanna be down here when your mother starts ranting at me."
"That's for damned sure." The black haired teen agreed before literally running out of the room to the sound of his dad's laughter.
Harry dodged the clicking noise of his mom's boots on the stairs through the front door, rounded the outside of the house, and climbed the side up through his own window. There, he saw Jax, sitting on his bed with tears slowly falling from his eyes. "Why can't she see it, Harry? Why can't she accept her?"
"I don't know, brother. I just don't." Harry sat beside him and wrapped his arm over his shoulder, offering what comfort he could. "I wish I could say I understand what you're feeling, but I don't. I've never felt what you do for Tara." And indeed he hadn't. Before today Harry would have said there was not a thing in this world that could have made his little brother cry, but Tara was it. She was his heart, and she could destroy him if she wanted to. As that realization hit him, for the first time ever, he started to see why exactly his mom was so worried about that girl. "But I'm here for you now. Talk to me, help me understand."
And he did. For the rest of the night, all Jax did was talk about Tara, and all that Harry did was listen.