"Hi, Mackenzie, I'm Dr. Ferro. What's been going on?" The short, dark haired doctor asked Mackenzie sweetly. Her coffee colored eyes were already evaluating Mackenzie.
"Uh, I got sick to my stomach yesterday. It was late morning, I guess. I haven't really had an appetite since then and I just got a little dizzy when I stood up too fast." Mackenzie explained flatly. Dr. Ferro nodded and jotted something down in the chart. She looked back up at Mackenzie and smiled professionally.
"Did you eat anything outside of your normal diet before you got sick? You can answer, I'm just going to check your eyes and temperature, okay?" The doctor asked, pulling a thermometer off of the wall. Mackenzie nodded and thought about her last meal.
"No, not really. I had some cereal yesterday morning and a burger the night before. My boyfriend ate the same burgers, but he's fine, so is his son." Mackenzie said, tripping over the word boyfriend a little. She was so used to biker terms, it felt weird calling Jax her boyfriend. The doctor nodded again as she shone a flashlight into each of Mackenzie's eyes.
"Your temperature is a little up, but not anything to worry about. When was your last period, Mackenzie?" The doctor asked, sitting back down on her rolling stool. Mackenzie shook her head and looked down at her nails.
"I haven't had one in year or so. Even before then, they weren't really constant." Mackenzie said, hitching her shoulder. Dr. Ferro nodded and wrote something else in Mackenzie's chart.
"Okay, Ms. Bradshaw, I'm going to order some labs so we can check out some things and see what might have you under the weather. They'll also give us a baseline of your health, which is always good when you establish a new primary care physician." Dr. Farro told Mackenzie with a pat on the knee. She had a nurse escort Mackenzie down to the lab.
She looked at the needle and grimaced. If there was one thing she hated most about doctors or hospitals, it was the needles. The technician drew a couple of vials of blood and told her she'd get a call in a couple days with the results. Mackenzie made a beeline out to the hall where there weren't any needles.
"Sorry, we had some chicken nuggets while we waited. You ready to go?" Gemma asked, looking up from the magazine she was flipping through and tossing the food carton into the bag. Mackenzie nodded and picked Abel up from Gemma's lap where he'd been sleeping. Gemma eyed her curiously as they walked out to her suv. Mackenzie strapped the still sleeping boy into his car seat and then headed to the passenger seat. As she buckled in, she looked over to Gemma.
"They didn't really say anything. Drew some blood and told me to drink clear fluids and chicken broth until my stomach settles." Mackenzie explained, raising her arm to show her battle wound from the lab. Gemma laughed and shook her head as she started the engine.
"I'll think you'll live there, Rambo. You need anything before going home?" Gemma asked as she pulled out of the parking lot. Mackenzie shook her head silently.
"Do you think he's mad because I can't have kids?" She asked Gemma as she stared out of the window at the elementary school. Gemma frowned, realizing what had been under Jax's skin this morning.
"No, baby, I don't think he's mad. A part of him may be disappointed, but it's nothing he would be mad at you for." She said softly. Mackenzie continued to look out the window, this time in the side mirror where she could see Abel sleeping soundly. She sighed as she felt a sadness she'd long suppressed swell up.
"I wish I could give him that. If that's what he wanted. I've always wanted to be a mom and he's a great dad to Abel. I guess I tricked him into loving me. I should have told him before things got so serious." Mackenzie sounded exasperated and pained. Gemma pulled over into the dirt and stopped the suv suddenly.
"Don't you do that to yourself. Jackson loves you more than I've ever seen him love before by a long shot. You don't get to claim trickery or blame yourself for something you didn't do. See that beautiful little boy back there?" Gemma asked, grabbing Mackenzie by the shoulders and turning her to look at Abel. "You are the only Momma that angel has ever known. He may not be your blood but don't for a fucking minute think he doesn't see you as his. You got a whole family here that loves you. The club, me, Jax and Abel, we're your family whether you knew it or not." Gemma pulled Mackenzie in close and gave her a hug as she felt the young girl collapse against her chest. She didn't know if her tears were from sadness or happiness, but she was glad to have Gemma there. Gemma patted Mackenzie's hair before pushing her up a little. She smiled and handed her a tissue.
"Let's get you home sweetie." She said, pulling back onto the road. Mackenzie nodded but didn't say anything for the rest of the ride. When she had first come to Charming, she never thought she could tolerate Gemma, but now she was closer to her than she ever was her own mother. She thought about what she'd said about Abel and family, realizing she was too lucky to be feeling so sorry for herself. She looked up from her lap as Gemma pulled up behind her car in the driveway.
Mackenzie smiled when she saw Jax's motorcycle parked beside her Challenger. Before she even had a chance to open her door, he was walking down the front steps towards the suv. Gemma watched silently as Mackenzie got out of the car and Jax scooped her up into his arms. She smiled even though she realized at that moment that Jax was no longer only hers, he was just as much Mackenzie's.
Gemma felt a single tear roll down her cheeks as they both smiled while Jax got Abel out of his car seat. Jax grinned at his mom before the three of them headed into their house and Gemma headed to her own.
"I'll put him down babe, you rest." Jax said as he kissed Mackenzie softly. She smiled and kissed Abel on the cheek before headed to her and Jax's room. She sat her purse on the bench in front of the bed as she shrugged her jacket off. When she turned to hang the leather jacket in the closet, she noticed a bouquet of beautiful, white lilies on her bedside table. She dropped her jacket on the bed and walked over to the flowers, gently stroking one of the petals with her fingertip.
"I know they're your favorite and I wanted to get you something nice." Jax said in a low voice as he leaned against their bedroom door. Mackenzie nodded and turned towards him slowly.
"They're beautiful, Jax. Thank you so much." She said with a bright smile. He walked in and closed the door behind him.
"Babe, I was a dick earlier. I wasn't mad at you. I was pissed at myself for assuming and hurting you with that." He said as he brushed a hair off of her cheek gently. She smiled and looked the man she loved in the eyes, taking in the moment. "I can't promise that we're not going to fight again, but I can promise that I'll always come back home to you. Even when I'm on runs, I'm only yours, babe. Have been since the day you showed up at TM." Jax whispered as Mackenzie ran her hands through his hair and kissed his neck.
"So, I guess that means I'm officially your old lady?" Mackenzie said softly as she pulled him down onto their bed. They laid next to one another as Jax ran his calloused hand over Mackenzie's smooth arm. He hitched a shoulder with a smile.
"You've been that for a while, babe. I was kind of hoping you'd want to be my wife to." Jax said, blushing ever so slightly as his dimples seduced Mackenzie. She felt a warmth run through her as she smiled.
"Jackson Teller, are you asking me to marry you?" She asked, cupping his face in her petite hand. He nodded and kissed her outstretched wrist. Mackenzie scooted forward and kissed him deeply. Jax ran his hand around to her back and pulled her against him. She pulled back a little and smiled into his blue his eyes.
"Yes, Jax." She whispered. Jax beamed and kissed her passionately. He stretched across the bed and turned off the lamp on his bedside table, throwing the room into a comfortable darkness. When he returned, he and Mackenzie took things slow and enjoyed every minute of their first time having sex as an engaged couple.
Every touch of Jax's mouth or skin to Mackenzie's body sent joyful tingles down her spine. She couldn't help but smile as he kissed her neck as he slowly entered her yearning opening. Every fiber of her body was on fire as she lost herself in his touch and presence.
Jax was intoxicated by the taste of his fiancé's skin. She was warm and sweet on his tongue as he sucked on her soft skin on her breast. He couldn't help but run his hands all over her as she moaned softly. He felt her tighten around him as they both exploded into waves of pleasure so good it could hardly be considered legal.
After lying silently for a few minutes, Mackenzie slid off of the bed and into the shower. Jax followed her and joined her in the steaming stream of water. The water crashed over them as they kissed deeply. Mackenzie pulled back slowly to catch her breath. He caught the small yawn she tried to hide and smirked.
"We can save round two for the morning. Showers and then bed, woman." Jax said winking down at her. She laughed and slapped his chest playfully.
"Yes, my king." She whispered as he ran a sponge across her shoulders. He smiled again and let her finish showering as he watched. She stepped out of the shower and dried off before getting into bed. Before Jax could finish his shower and join her, she was sound asleep. He smiled as he slid in the bed, careful not to wake her. For once in the last two months, Jax fell sound to sleep minutes after his head hit his pillow.