Sorry for the long wait guys, I didn't realise how long Lenny had been AWOL until I logged back on but our favourite girl from Arizona is back and she managed to gain a few more followers in my absence! What are you guys thinking so far? A few people are asking about Lenny's Mom, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Gina but Arizona has thrown a few curveballs, like Eden, that Lenny needed to address. Anyway, on with the show.

The Only Exception

Jax sent another text to Lenny to check she was okay, he had truly wanted to follow after her in the car park but after Jens admission in the car park he knew it was in Lenny's and the his clubs best interred to find out exactly what and who Jen had told. He had hoped even after Lenny's threat she would see he had a duty as Vice President that sometimes took priority over his own affairs.

It had been exhausting trying to calm a very drunk Jen but after a long chat with her Tig emerged from her room to where Jax had been fighting off a tipsy Eden who had seen his return to the girls apartment as an invitation to try and seduce Jax who had feigned an interest to get the information he needed.

Both men left the apartment in one piece although Jax was certain Tig would have stayed had they not had to return to Lenny who was apparently so pissed at them she was protesting with a radio silence.

"She not replied yet?" Tig asked as he glanced over at Jax who was checking his cell every 2 seconds. The roads on the way back were empty making it a quicker journey but Tig still sped to get them there faster.

"Nah, man. She's pissed," Jax let his head fall against the seat head rest.

Tig lightened the atmosphere by relaying what Jen had told him, it turned out she hadn't blabbed to Eden despite the latter's attempt to extract information since her sudden arrival in Arizona. It seemed SAMCRO's latest crow eater had flown to pastures new in the hope of rolling in the hay with SAMTAZ after she lost out on the role of Old Lady to their very own Jackson Teller. Jax rolled his eyes at how crass Eden was, she had pretty much thrown herself at him and had he not of had Lenny he would of let her do whatever she willing to do to him. The information he had gotten from Eden was she had left Charming because she missed Tara but that still didn't explain how she ended up in Arizona of all states. He realized they were back at the motel as Tig put the car into park, he was mentally prepared himself for the war that he knew would be brewing in his room.

"Err, Jax, your trucks gone man," Tig scratched at his head as he looked around the car lot in search of the large black van.

Jax ran up the stairs to his and Lenny's room and his fears were confirmed, Lenny and all her stuff was gone, all she left behind was the empty bottle of cheap whiskey which Jax grabbed in frustration and flung against the wall watching it shatter in pieces as he growled in frustration. Slamming the door to the room he stormed down the stairs to where Tig stood leaning on his bonnet smoking as he watched the young blonde man pace up and down in front of him.

"She's fucking run! The bitch has packed up and fucked off man," Jax ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

Tig knew he didn't mean the words he was using , Jax was just tired and mad. "Should we call Clay?"

"No," Jax snapped, "We find her before someone else in Arizona does. This is exactly the kind of opportunity that Nate's guys would be hoping for," Jax and Tig climbed into the truck , as Tig pulled out and onto the road Jax pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialled. It went straight to voicemail "Lenny, you need to call me when you get this, I know you're pissed but I need to know where you are!" Snapping the phone shut he looked out the window in search of his van and the girl who had run, again.

They had been driving for 2 hours and still had no idea where she could be and Jax was seriously considering calling Bobby and taking the beating that would ensue, he was that desperate. They had tried driving past Jens apartment and there was no sign there, he had tried calling at her mom's but even Gina was out and Jax was fast running out of places to check and his patience was also thinning.

"You really like this broad, don't you?" Tig hadn't seen this side of Jax in a really long time, it was a side that was torn between doing what was right for him and the club, his VP was conflicted and this only happened when a member had fallen for pussy or when a member was betraying the MC.

"She's under my skin, Tig. I find myself thinking about her even when's she's next to me. Lenny is the first who just gets it, she knows what the Clubs about and even if she doesn't like it she knows it's my blood," Jax only realised just how strong his feelings for Lenny were when he spoke them aloud, he had been a fool he could see that now. He had kept pushing her to breaking point when she was in a vulnerable place, he was used to dealing with covering up murders like it was as normal as washing the car but Lenny was still new to the Club way of life and if he wanted to share that with her he needed to guide her.

"It's in her blood too, brother." Tig reminded Jax and gave him an idea at the same time. He instructed Tig to drive them to the cemetery.

Before Tig had even turned the engine off Jax had jumped out and was sprinting towards the graves past where his van had been left. He had no idea where Ray was in the vast church yard so he just started walking around trying to find Lenny.

A few moments later he saw someone sat with their back to him facing a grave , he slowed to a walk and approached cautiously. He knew it was Lenny as he got closer he recognized his sweat shirt, he walked until he was stood next to where Lenny knelt staring at her father's grave. Even though Lenny wouldn't look up at him Jax could tell she had been crying and his heart felt heavy knowing he had caused it.

"How'd you know where to find me?" Lenny asked as she stop to face Jax , her arms went around her middle to keep her warm and to to create a barrier between them.

Jax found himself shoving his hands in his pockets as he shrugged, "I guess I know you better than you think,"

Lenny raised her eyebrows, "Doubtful," she had nothing to say to Jax that he hadn't already heard so chose to turn her attention back to her father's simple headstone reading the simple gold inscription she had read so many time before, "Loving Father, Devoted Husband & Fearless Leader, Forever in our Hearts,". Lenny wished she had an ounce of her father's fearlessness within her , maybe if she had faced her actions from the night of Nate's murder head on instead of running she wouldn't be in the limbo she was living.

Jax watched as Lenny turned away from him, a few hours ago Lenny had a rage in her that would have sparked a fear in most but now she was silent like a little lamb. Not only was she emotionally drained but seeing her out here in her lounge shorts and his oversized sweat shirt Jax could see how she was physically drained. He needed to get her into his van before she froze anymore.

"Come on darling, need to get you out of the cold," Jax gently pulled at Lenny's elbow as he steered her towards the van she had stolen from him this morning, he was surprised at how easily she obeyed him. It was another sign of just how this trip had drained her.

Jax motioned for Tig to drive on as he was going to drive Lenny back in his van, he had the perfect idea to get her talking with no option to run but first he had to get her warm. He grabbed a blanket that was stored in the back of the van and chucked it over in the direction of the passenger seat, Jax watched as Lenny covered her self the woollen blanket. She had pulled her knees close to her chest and held the blanket tightly under her chin, she looked sweet like that but when you looked closely at her eyes you could see how haunted she was.

Pulling out of the cemetery parking lot Jax headed towards a coffee shop he and Tig had passed on their little trek this morning that he decided would be the perfect ace to get Lenny a warm drink and some food. Parking up outside he explained to Lenny he'd be right back to which she just nodded before watching him rush inside.

Lenny sat in the car listening to the dull sound of her own breathing, she was beyond tired now after her night of camping in the grave yard, she had thought going to see her father was a good idea but in the moment of sobriety she could see it wasn't. She could have caught pneumonia all because of her temper, which she was slowly learning she needed to kerb before she pushed just about every one that gave a shit about her away.

A soft rap on the window brought her back down to reality , she wound the window down expecting it to be Jax handing her a coffee but instead a wide eyed Lenny found herself looking down on David Hayes. The tall dark man who had joined Lenny and Jen that fateful night in the bar, he wasn't so much a friend as some one they knew, some one who knew Nate and had suggested the two groups merge for the evening.

"Lenny, I thought it was you! How are you?" Dave smiled that grin that had Lenny and Jen weak at the knees that night, he seemed happy to see her.

"Hey, Dave," Lenny awkwardly adjusted the blanket as she twisted in her belt, "I'm okay," she lied ," what's going on?"

"I haven't seen you since that night you performed at the bar! I thought maybe we'd upset you, or maybe Nate had down his usual bullshit romance thing and you were avoiding me," he laughed lightly which didn't comfort Lenny in the way it was intended. "I mean, no one's seen you or Nate since that night!"

Lenny felt her mouth dry, " no way man, I just been doing some support gigs in my Uncles tour you know. Didn't Jen tell you?"

"To be honest Jens not really been the kind of girl you'd wanna socialize with lately, she's got some new questionable friends," Dave leant against the window she had wound down and Lenny caught sight of Jax leaving the counter in the coffee shop with two coffees and a bag in hand.

"Yeah I saw her yesterday after my set! She was kinda drunk," Lenny had never been so happy to see Jax and he apparently picked up on the fact that this guy wasn't a welcome face.

"Can I help you, man?" Jax stood to his full height, towering over Dave, as he stalked towards his van stopping at Lenny's passenger side so he was almost toe to toe with the guy.

"Oh hey, I was just talking to an old friend, I'm Dave," Dave held out a hand to Jax who just stared like he had been offered a dead fish.

"Well we got a busy day Dave, so excuse us," Jax said his name in such a way it left Dave wondering if the blonde was threatening him as he watched the man in the motorcycle cut walk around the car. Dave continued to watch as he placed the coffee cups on the dashboard, Lenny leant forward to grab one.

"You okay, darling?" He asked Lenny with a tenderness he hadn't seemed capable of a few moments before. Jax then grasped Lenny's chin and kissed her deep all the while glaring out at Dave who still stood at Lenny's window like a lost puppy.

Lenny pulled away from Jax completely taken a back by the blatant pissing contest he was starting, sure she wanted him to intervene but she was hoping for more of we're gonna be for late for that thing kind of intervention. She turned to Dave with an apologetic look but her brows knitted in confusion as she found him glaring at Jax as thought he knew him, like they had a score to settle. Looking back at Jax he looked thoroughly bored with the situation, he had turned the keys over in the engine and resting one hand on the wheel the other was rested on the window frame whilst he glared forward.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around Lenny, maybe a little sooner than we left it this time," Dave pushed off the door and walked on before Lenny could say anything. She looked in her passenger mirror as Jax tore away from the pavement.

They drove in silence as Jax drove them to a secluded spot, he still wanted to speak with Lenny it was just that they had more to discuss now. Lenny noted the deserted warehouse they pulled up outside of and she also noted how Jax locked the doors from the inside.

"What the fuck, Jax?" Lenny screeched as she pulled at the door handle in vain.

"I'm tired of chasing you Lenny, we both got shit to say and we both gotta listen," Jax knew it seemed drastic but he could think of no other way of getting Lenny to be totally open and honest without getting her drunk. He passed her the bag where Lenny pulled out the blueberry muffin and scoffed before taking a bite.

Lenny realised she must of been starving as she devoured the muffin in a matter of minutes, all the while her mind was racing with every thing she wanted to say to Jax. She knew they needed to talk but Lenny was still so very new at this whole talking about her feelings stuff.

"I had to go with Jen and Eden last night, not for me but for the club," Jax started seeing as Lenny was in no rush to open up, but she went to object what he said, "lemme finish!" He was stern in his order making Lenny sit back and shut up taking small sips at the coffee he had bought. " the club offered you protection and it was my job to come here and find out exactly what we were protecting you from Lenny, those girls had answers that I needed."

Lenny understood that Jax had responsibilities to SAMCRO but she didn't like it. " I know that, it doesn't mean I like it anymore though. I needed you last night needed you to convince me I was safe. Tell me I wasn't gonna up like Jen, I shouldn't have made you feel you had to choose me or the club. I don't want you to ever feel you gotta choose," Lenny knew a decision like that could destroy a relationship, it had destroyed her mother and father's and it was the reason she was sat in the truck, not Tara. It was an ultimatum Lenny would never win. " I guess I just saw what I could have become if I'd let the whole murder thing get to me. I got scared ," the last bit was a mere whisper, Lenny felt incredibly vulnerable at being so honest with Jax but she had to learn to trust him.

"Len, you are a way stronger than you've given yourself credit for darling! This Nate thing is gonna go away and you've survived it, okay?" Jax narrowed his eyes, he wanted the Lenny back that he had saved all those months ago in the parking lot. She was still in there but he would have to coax her out.

Lenny sipped at her coffee smiling at how sweet Jax was being, she was angry at her self for rising to Eden's bait last night but she now knew she had to trust Jax was always acting in her best interest. She had to learn to trust.

"Jax, I know the club is your life. I get that, really I do and I wouldn't want you to comprise and I promise I'm gonna try harder to make this work. I don't think I could have gotten through this far with out you and I'm not prepared to let go," Lenny leant over and kissed Jax square on the mouth, she grabbed at his hair with both hands as she held him tight. He responded by pulling her onto his lap with his hands at her hips keeping her as close as Jax could, but he knew it would never be close enough. Lenny pulled back as she gained her breath, she smiled as she rested her forehead against Jax's who had his eyes shut in bliss laughing she quickly pressed a kiss to his nose before climbing back into her seat. She had noticed the bulge that had grown in Jax's trousers as she kissed him and took great pleasure in watching him to gain composure before turning the engine over. Even though they spoke no words Lenny knew she was in trouble when they got back to the motel.

See you guys next chapter ;) please review with your thoughts! Xx