Hello! Hello! It's been too long and for that I'm sorry. I won't go into all the details of what's going on in my life right now, but I will say that if anyone reading this feel like they are alone or has no one, please don't hesitate to read out and say hello to me and I'll write back. We are all a community here reading and writing these fanfics for the shows we love. Don't every give up and you are not alone.

Enough of the drama right. I'm only one chapter ahead in writing but I'm trying to correct that ASAP so I can post more often again. Thanks for the reviews and for simply taking the time to read what's stuck in my head. I appreciate it and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. SOA and all their rights belong to FX and Kurt Sutter.

Chapter 14 – Fuel

*Gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire
Ooh!

Yeah!
Turn on... I see red
Adrenaline crash and crack my head
Nitro junkie, paint me dead
And I see red

The roar of Harley's fills the main street of Charming for the first time in years rattling windows and shaking the bones of its citizens. They come to a stop just outside the main drag when the new Sheriff waves them down.

They slow, but don't turn off their engines. The hum is like a swarm of bees in the otherwise silent evening.

"Filip." She says as she approaches the two men riding lead.

"Sheriff." He replies.

"Where you lovely boys heading off to?"

"Aye, just out for a ride lass." Chibs says, but Jax senses tension different then just the good cop/outlaw.

She moves from Chibs, to stand if front of Jax. "Jax Teller I presume. Come home to the roost I see."

"And you are?" He question defensively not daring to break eye contact with her.

"Sheriff Althea Jarry. I took over after Roosevelt quit. Seems there was some incident involving your mother."

"Your point Sheriff?" he says heated.

"I heard she died in jail. I'm so sorry for your loss. That's all three parent's isn't it?" She smiles.

Some things never change. Her smile reminds him of Stahl. "You can count? I'm impressed. Usually women who look like you are working a different kind of stick." He says as she has her baton in her hand.

"Come on Althea, we just needed some air." Chibs interrupts and it doesn't pass Jax that he just called her by her first name.

"I head there was an accident." She comments as she walks back to Chibs, putting her baton back in her belt. "Is Tara going to be ok?"

There's something in way she says Tara's name that reminds him of Ima, or any of the other girl who realized that they couldn't win what they thought was a fight for their man. There was never anything to fight for though, they may have fucked him but his heart always belonged to Tara and he knows then, that this women was at some point in the past involved with Chibs, and he chose Tara too.

"She'll be just fine."

"It's a beautiful, quiet night Filip." She nods at Jax, "Let's keep it that way."

Stepping away she allows the brigade to pass. Jax conceded lead to Chibs since he doesn't know where Bobby is at, just that he's watching Malone.

The guys fall in behind and Chibs leads them out to a bar in Modesto called The Kilt. The Irish run the bar and the Shamrock Motorcycle Club bikes dominate the outside. Several members come and go, and in the shadows the Sons watch.

"Malone's been inside for a few hours." Bobby updates them. He can't hide his smile at Jax amongst the men. "See someone's come to their fucking senses." He adds.

Jax wants to storm in the back and hold no prisoners light the place in flames but that won't get anyone anywhere. He holds back and lets his brothers who've never left take the lead.

All but a few bikes are gone and the Sons take their places at the exits and surrounding areas to cover the men that are going to go inside.

Chibs and Tig go first followed closely behind by Happy, Jax enters last. The bar is all but empty except for Conner Malone sitting at a booth, alone.

"I wondered how long you were going to make me wait Teller. Telford, grab a seat along with the wee lad." He says completely unsurprised and calm.

Chibs nods to the other two men to stand aside but keep a close eye and hand on their weapons.

"I thought you might be ready to talk more clearly now son." He says to Jax.

"Didn't know I needed to be more clear in what I said before. Maybe it's the accent." Jax looks at Chibs who shrugs and nods maybe in agreement.

"I didn't think you would so passive that old Chibs is doing a line with your old lady. Guess you boys don't mind sharin." He says with a laugh. Clearly not intimidated by the two. Both Chibs and Jax pull their gun and point them at him in response. He laughs and pours both men a shot of one of the only 200 bottles of Green Spot whiskey.

Neither man moves to lower his weapon. "Jackson, I thought you're mother would have taught you better then to pull a gun on a man in his own home." He says as he takes his shot.

"My mom helped kill my father, and attempted to kill my wife, then died in prison. I'd say my mother taught me pretty well." Jax says as Chibs snickers next to him.

From his side each man hears the click on a gun's safety. Along with them Tig and Happy are covered as well. They turn the safety's off and lower their guns simultaneously. Sitting they take their shots.

"Good boys." He pours them another shot. "Now, let's talk more about the Sons taking back the gun business from brown."

"Jesus Christ man you ran my wife and kids off the road to get the Sons back to muling for you?"

"Correction Jackson, I had them run off the road to get your attention. We want access to the pipeline to and from Oregon and into Washington and Canada. Want the Sons to facilitate this again. Low Key of course to get the ATF off our back."

Jax looks like he might be sick so Chibs speaks, "There is no pipeline for fucks sake. Jax has left the club and has lived in Oregon for the past years to get away from all this."

"He seems to be mighty ingrained in that leather on his back Filip. If you are still head of that table I suggest you get your man in line. Wouldn't want there to be any other unforeseen accidents." He nods to his men who pull Chibs and Jax out of their seats but holster their weapon. "I'll look forward to hearing from you when you've got a plan in effect. Jackson, Filip." He nods as the muscle men usher the four Sons out.

one hundred plus through black and white
War horse, warhead
Fuck 'em man, white-knuckle tight
Through black and white

On I burn
Fuel is pumping engines
Burning hard, loose and clean
And on I burn
Churning my direction
Quench my thirst with gasoline

So gimme fuel
Gimme fire
Gimme that which I desire

Tara's been on pins and needles all day. She wants to go home. She wants her kids to go home and she wants Charlie to wake up. Right in this very moment she wants to know that that son of a bitch who did this to them is dead.

After Chibs and Jax left last night she tried to get all the info she could from the prospects, but they weren't giving up any info. She tried calling both men, with no answers. It was frustrating. She hurt like a motherfucker still, and her being annoyed makes it worse. She has spent the entire morning in the boys room playing and reading and now she's been laying in bed with Charlie.

Doctors are saying they don't have any answers for her. All the little girls STATS are normal, it's up to her they say. She has to want to and decide to wake up. How can her little girl make those decisions! It's breaking her heart.

She's been dozing all afternoon with her baby girl. She open her eyes again, expecting the nurse whose been checking both their vitals. However when she opens her eyes it's Filip. He's plating a very sweet and gentle kiss on Charlie's forehead.

"Hi." She says.

He looks surprised to see her awake. "Hi love." He says, kissing her forehead as well. "How you feeling today.?"

"I'll be a lot better if you tell me you made the asshole pay who did this to us."

"Love that's club business." He says.

"That's bullshit!" She says. "That's my daughter, and my boys laying in hospital beds. This isn't just a club issue and I really expected better for you then to throw that crap at me."

"Aye, that's not what I mean. I'm just trying to say you need to let us handle it."

"What the hell does handle it mean? I thought you and Jax took off last night?"

"We did." He concedes. "But it's not a simple thing…"

"It's pretty simple to me Filip. If you or Jax don't do something then I will." She tries to stand but is unsteady on her feet and he helps her back into the wheel chair.

"I don't think you'd get too far right now." He laughs. "Sit your ass back down. Charlie and the boys need you here."

Tara sits in the chair, not able to verbally articulate how angry and frustrated and sad she is. Everything in her life has turned to hell in the matter of a few months and there's not a damn thing she can do about it. Movement behind them catches her attention and she turns to find Jax, kutte on, standing in the doorway. She realizes she seated between the two men who love her and that she cares for and steels herself for the verbal battles she knows is coming as usual.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I thought you'd be with the boys." Jax says and then with a nod, "Chibs."

Chibs nods his hello and Tara just stares in shock at the men. "Come in." she says to Jax, still unsure how to handle this.

"It's ok. I'll give you two your space. I'm just gonna go visit my boys."

"Jax, you don't have to do that."

"I do." He says to her then looks at Chibs, "Church at 2?"

"Aye."

Jax turns to walk away and then stop and turns back around to face Tara. "I'm glad your ok. It's nice to see you up and around." He turns and heads to the boys room.

Tara looks at Chibs, "Did I miss something?"

"What?"

"Well, suddenly you and Jax are civil even when the kids aren't around and he's wearing a kutte?"

"Like I said before, club business." He smiles and kisses her head leaving her alone with Charlie.

Jax pulls his bike back into the garage at home and turns off the ignition. He heels the kickstand and leans the bike to the side. He hangs his Kutte on hook by the front door. He sets his gun down as well and then sits on the sofa. He runs his hands through his hair, and gently shakes his head. Leaning back he stairs at the leather on the wall and even though only moments ago it graced his back it looks foreign.

After his last prison sentence he swore he would never again wear that rocker. His father club had become not a legacy, but a curse. It tore down little by little every single thing he loved, everything that mattered to him, to bits and pieces unable to be glued back together. His children were practically strangers and his wife…his…Tara was no longer any of those things.

She too was a stranger to him, as he knew undoubtedly he was to her. These days he felt like a stranger even to himself. All it took was one incident and he falls back into being that person he has fought so hard not to be. He has a life in Oregon, a business that is thriving. He has great people working for him, and home and he decides right then and there that he will help the club out of this situation he knows has been put on them because of him and then he will go home. To his home and make it the best home it can be for when his kids visit him.

His kids. It breaks his heart that in all of this they are the innocent victims of the ghost of a life he use to lead. He won't take them from Tara. He won't make this about his drama with his former friend. After all, when he was absent it was the "friend" that made sure they were all safe. He knows now that Tara won't keep them from him, but while he loves his children more then life itself, Chibs is the father they know and Tara is their mother. He won't take them away from the life they know, he will just make sure he is and always will be a part of it and he sure as hell will make sure the motherfuckers that hurt the people he loves will pay. He is a changed man, but he is still Gemma Teller-Morrow's son.

Turn on beyond the bone
Swallow future, spit out home
Burn your face upon the chrome
Yeah!

Take the corner, join the crash
Headlights, head on, headlines
Another junkie lives too fast
Yeah lives way too fast, fast, fast, oohhOH!

On I burn
Fuel is pumping engines
Burning hard, loose and clean
And on I burn
Churning my direction
Quench my thirst with gasoline

*Lyrics – Fuel by Metallica