A/N: Alright guys! Here is the REAL chapter 16! Hope you ennjoy it.
"Do you think we should take this to the club?" Chibs asked Jax after a long minute of silence.
"No. I'm not taking this to the club. This is all me. I'll probably fill Opie in on things, but I'm doing this one way or the other." Jax said.
"Fair enough." Chibs said, not caring they might go against the club on this.
"Let's just put this back in the box and put that in the closet or something. I'd rather not look at it again to be honest." Jax said, throwing the closed book back onto the box.
Chibs wordlessly got up and put all the books he had taken out of the box and placed them back in. He then went and put the box in the spare room that wasn't currently being used, other than storage for Abel's stuff.
When Chibs came back into the living room, Jax heading out the door to smoke a cigarette.
Jax saw Donna's car pulling into the driveway, and went out to meet her.
"Hey darlin', Tara's working today." Jax said.
"I know, I ran into her on her lunch break. Listen Jax, I messed up and I think Tara is really mad at me. She didn't show it today, but that doesn't mean it's not there." Donna said, rambling her frustrations at him.
"Wait, okay first off, what happened?" Jax asked.
Donna sighed deeply and sat down next to Jax.
"Gemma came by the house. I didn't go into too much detail, I just may have lead her to make her own conclusions about things." Donna admitted.
"So basically you told my mother things Tara didn't even want us to know?" Jax asked, offended for Tara.
"Basically, yes. I didn't come right out and say anything, but I said enough that Gemma knew."
"Sorry Darlin, but you'll have to take that up with her. I'm not stepping on any toes in this situation. And I won't pick sides." Jax said.
"Just talk to her, love." Chibs said from the door way, overhearing the whole conversation.
"Alright, I guess." Donna said, unsure of herself now.
Donna smiled at the men and then walked back to her car. As they watched her drive away, Jax's phone rang.
"Hey babe, I'm coming home early." Tara said in greeting.
"What's wrong?" Jax asked, thinking the worst.
He could hear Tara's soft, tired laugh on the other end.
"Nothing is wrong. Technically I already have my hours and I think Margaret was a little worried I came in so soon after the attack. I checked on Abel before I left but I thought we could go see him after I shower, change, and eat." Tara said.
"That sounds great, babe." Jax said, exhaling in relief. "Chibs is here too. We'll get some food made and see you soon."
When Jax hung up the phone he relayed the information to Chibs.
"That's a good woman you got there Jax." Chibs told him.
"Don't I know it."
-AHW-
"You know you need to talk to Donna right?" Jax told Tara.
They had been at the hospital for three hours and Donna had called six times. Tara had ignored every call.
"Yeah, I know that. But this is neither the time nor the place for that conversation to happen. Plus.." Tara trailed off.
"What?" Jax asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I don't know if I'm angry or not." Tara admitted. "I don't want to talk to her until I know. Otherwise it's a pointless conversation. Right now, yes I'm angry. But when I've had time to rationalize it and think it through will I be angry? If I talk to her now, I may say things I regret and I don't want to have anymore regrets."
Jax smiled at her, eyes softening at her dilemma.
"When did you get to be so smart Nurse Knowles?" Jax asked.
"Mmm, I'd say the second I left Charming." Tara joked.
-AHW-
While Jax and Tara were at the hospital, Opie, Chibs, and Kozik had convened at Chibs' place.
"Hey man, everything alright? You just never really invite anyone over." Kozik said, sitting at the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine. This is about something that couldn't really be talked about at the clubhouse." Chibs said, lighting a cigarette.
"What's up?" Opie asked.
"I just want to start off by saying I'm not revealing any information that I shouldn't be. Jax and I talked about this for a long time and he agreed that I would be the one to tell you guys. Jax's mental state is kind of off with the information we got. The other thing is, Jax and I have decided not to go to the club with this information. If potentially pissing off Clay is not worth the risk to you, then it is time you get up and walk out of here right now. No one will think differently." Chibs said.
Opie and Kozik shared a look, but neither of them made a move to get up and leave.
"Alright then, now that that is settled. We're going after Kyle." Chibs said suddenly.
"What changed?" Opie asked, not really surprised it was decided to take it into their own hands.
"Earlier today, after Tara went to work, I went over to Jackie Boy and Tara's to help him unpack. I grabbed a box that had books and trinkets in it. Didn't think anything of it. Started placing the books on the bookshelf. I pulled out a leather bound journal and went to place it with the other books when something fell from the pages. It was a picture. I picked it up and.." Chibs trailed off. As soon as he mentioned the picture, the image came flashing back into his mind, bringing the anger and sick feeling back to the forefront of his mind.
"And what?" Kozik asked, voice quiet.
Chibs took a deep breath.
"It was a picture of Tara. She had bruises all over her face and cut above one of her eyes. The journal it fell out of was an anthology of all the abuse she suffered. I'm assuming she did it in case she decided to turn him in. It was...disgusting." Chibs said.
"Was it really bad? The book?" Opie asked.
Opie still felt guilty that this happened to Tara. Not only was it a member of the club he belonged to, and every member should feel this on a personal level, but also because she received some of the beatings as a result of their friendship.
"I didn't even attempt to open the book. Jax asked where the picture came from and I pointed to the journal. Jax opened it. There were lots of other pictures and he said he's also assuming the situations were detailed. He didn't read into any detail either. But I guess the images themselves said enough. We're not waiting on a club decision about this, we're not even going to the club. We're going after him ourselves. And soon."
Chibs looked between Kozik and Opie. He was not surprised to find different levels of anger on their faces. Kozik looked pissed off, but Opie. Opie looked murderous beyond reason.
"You just let me know when, and I'm there." Opie promised, and then got up and left.
Kozik watched as Opie left.
"I'm in too. I'm going to follow Op to make sure he's okay. Are you going to be alright?" Kozik asked.
"Yeah, 'course." Chibs said, waving him off.
Truth was, Chibs wasn't sure that he was alright. He had not known Tara long at all, but he had felt an instant connection with her. He knew she was nothing like Kerrianne, yet he couldn't help but think of what he would do if the situation were Kerrianne's instead of Tara's.
Tara had no blood family here. Chibs knew that the club would be behind her as family, but she had no one else. All of these things that she went through with Kyle and being in Chicago, she'd done it by herself. No person should have to go through things like that alone. Especially when she had a psuedo family here the whole time.
The longer Chibs thought about it, the more angry at Kyle he became. Not only did someone like Kyle take away the innocence and youth of Tara, but he took away her family too. Kyle was the reason Tara was scared, closed off, and emotionally scared.
Chibs' mind had been made up earlier today, but his line of thinking just solidified it. There is no way that Kyle could get away with what he did to Tara and not die as a result.
-AHW-
Later that night after returning from the hospital, Jax was debating on telling Tara about his knowledge of the book. He knew he'd have to tell her eventually, but he wasn't sure if today was a good day. Tara was still reeling from the conversation with Gemma and the revelation about Donna.
"Hey, I'm going over to Donna's. Wanna come with me?" Tara asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Are you sure?" Jax asked.
"About which part? Going over there, or you coming with me?" She asked.
"Both."
"Yes. I thought a lot after our conversation at the hospital. I'm not going to put it off forever. I think I'm as calm as I'm going to be on the situation. I don't think Donna was being malicious, but that doesn't mean I condone what she did. If I don't tell her that, she'll think what little bit she did was okay. I'm calm enough that I can be an adult about this." Tara said.
Tara and Jax took the bike over, so Tara had a few minutes to get things in her mind right again. She felt so much had happened in her short return to Charming.
Tara scoffed to herself, and unfortunately for her, Jax heard it. They were currently stopped at a stoplight.
"What's so funny?" Jax asked.
"I was thinking of my life. You do realize that I have enough drama in my life that it could be a TV show?" Tara asked.
"I'd watch it" Jax said.
"Of course you would! Jackson Nathaniel Teller would be the main character in the story of my life." Tara admitted.
Jax smiled, revving the engine as he continued on their way to Opie's house.
As soon as they were parked out front, Donna was out the door and in the yard.
"I've been calling you." She said, pointing at Tara.
"I know." Tara said, getting gingerly off the bike, not wanting to fall off.
"So, what, you were just ignoring me?" Donna asked, anger in her voice.
"Yes." Tara said, walking towards the house.
This was definitely not something that Tara prepared for. She hadn't been prepared for Donna to be mad at her in this situation. As ridiculous as it sounded, it pissed Tara off.
"Don't walk away from me, Tara. That's not fair." Donna said.
Tara stopped in her tracks.
"Not fair? Not fair?! Do you know what's not fair? You opening your mouth when you shouldn't be. I wish you'd never been in on the secret. Wait, I can't call it a secret anymore because every fucking person I know in this god forsaken town now knows. And you told the one person that opinion matters to me slightly more than the rest. We both know that if Gemma doesn't want something to happen, it won't. How the fuck do you know that by you telling Gemma what you did that she wouldn't have decided to go against us instead of help us." Tara asked, raising her voice higher and higher.
"I hardly told Gemma anything! You're seriously pissed that I helped the situation and Jax seem to be doing okay." Donna pointed out, smirk on her face.
"You don't get it do you? I've had people making decisions for me for the last seven years of my life. I thought when I came back, I finally would be free from that and be able to make my own choices. But I see that people are taking that away from me left and right. You, Jax, and Opie just get to decide who gets my information. Jax and Opie are going to kill Kyle. Do you get that? Do you think that's what I want? But NO I don't get a choice in the matter. They're going to kill him because they feel responsible for what happened. And they shouldn't." Tara said, knowing Jax was still standing in the door way of the house, listening to every word she said.
"Do you know how it feels to not be in control of your own life? Do you know how horrible it is to have to watch over your shoulder everywhere you go? Or when the man you're desperately in love with wants to touch you and you recoil out of habit? The thought of someone's hands on your body just make your skin crawl. God, all I wanted to do was come back here, and take control. Reconnect with my friends and just live a happy life. Why is everyone so keen on taking that away from me? Why don't I get to control anything? Why don't I get to decide when Kyle dies, or when Gemma finds out?" Tara asked, she then turned to Jax.
"Why don't I get to control when you found about how bad it was? Why did you have to be so fucking helpful and try to unpack for me? Why couldn't you just let me do that myself? I appreciate the help, but everyone is taking my control away and that's the one thing that's keeping my life together. Just the shred of hope that I'm the one in control." Tara said, looking at the ground.
"How did you know?" Jax asked.
"One of the pictures fell out and slipped under the dining room table. I found it before we went to the hospital. I'm not mad, I'm frustrated. Nothing is in my control and I can't stand it. This, this feeling of helplessness is horrible." Tara said, wanting nothing more than to walk away from this all, just for a few minutes.
"Your mom still live in her old house?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, why?" Jax asked, confused by the quick change of topics.
"I'm going for a quick walk, I need out of here, just for a bit. This isn't how this was supposed to happen. This was supposed to be emotional, but cathartic, and it wasn't. Pick me up at your moms in, say, 45 minutes? I'll be there Jax, you can call her and tell her to watch for me if you don't trust me. Just please, just let me walk away from this for a minute?" Tara asked.
Jax hated hearing the desperation in her voice. He hated that he hadn't been thinking about her in this situation, but his constant need for revenge.
"I'll see you soon babe." Jax said.
Watching Tara walk away from him was harder than when he found out she had left Charming. Because this time, he could stop her, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't because he knew it was what she said it was. Her separating herself from the situation. He knew she wasn't leaving and he'd never see her again.
It was okay because she was doing this for her. She was taking control of a situation she felt helpless in. He was damn proud of her for that.