A/N: Please enjoy chapter 10! Although there only supposed to be 12 chapters there are now 14. Funny how that happens! Thanks for all of the positive feedback. Please keep it coming.
Three weeks later Sara was putting the finishing touches on her gumbo for 'family dinner' at Clay and Gemma's house. She was a little nervous about going, but Juice had reassured her that everyone loved her. Sara looked over at Lola. "I don't understand why you aren't coming tonight, Lola. Tig seemed liked he really wanted you to be there. I heard him asking you again this afternoon before he left. You already made the jambalaya, and you told Gemma that you would be there. What is going on with you? And don't say nothing."
Lola smiled slightly at her friend. "I honestly just don't feel good. I've been sick for days now. Tara thinks that the drop in my immune system following the shooting probably helped me catch some sort of summer bug. I've been puking all week. I don't think anyone wants that at dinner tonight. I am just going to stay home and try to get some rest. I'll probably watch some Burn Notice. Michael Westen can keep me company tonight." Lola nibbled on some crackers hoping they would settle her queasy stomach.
"That is a plausible enough excuse, but I feel like something else is going on. Lola, you are my best friend. We've known each other for a long time. I know you better than you know yourself. There is something else at play here. You've been acting weird all week. Is there something wrong with you and Tig?" asked Sara. "Did your uncle say something to you?" she asked, knowing that Lola had spoken to T.O. last week.
"There is nothing else going on with me. I just feel like shit right now, and my arm is killing me. I'm not taking the pain meds anymore. But I promise if I start feeling better I will come on over. Tig said the invitation is open. And there is nothing going on with me and Tig. Things are great to be honest. I am sad that it is July already. Sooner rather than later I will be headed back to Santa Barbara, and my summer fling will be over."
"Summer fling?" asked Sara chuckling. "It hardly seems like such a fling. I was there the day you got shot. That man was afraid that you were dead. I saw it on his face when he lifted you out of the closet. He cares about you a lot more than you give him credit for."
"I know he does. Things are just a little weird for us right now. So are you excited about your first family dinner as an old lady?" said Lola, taking the attention off of herself. "That has to be exciting right. Getting to know the other old ladies and the families better."
Sara smiled and said, "I hope that you will come, Lola. It won't be the same without you. I will feel like an oddity there on my own. I am nervous, but being there with Juice will be fun. I feel like I am getting to know all of the sides of him. The Juice he is with me and the Juice he is with the club. He is amazing."
"Sooo... have you talked about what is going to happen in August when you have to set up house in Stockton?" asked Lola with a cheeky grin.
"No, we haven't talked about that yet. I think both us are worried about freaking the other person out. But Juice suggested coming to Louisiana with me when I go back to pack up my stuff. He wants to see where I come from. I mean that is serious right?" asked Sara looking to her friend for reassurance.
"That is definitely serious," said Lola laughing. "It looks like Juice is going balls to the wall with this relationship. He isn't pulling any punches. That is a great thing. So are you going to let him go with you?"
Sara nodded slightly. "I am nervous but as serious as we are about one another I think he sort of has to meet my family. There are just a lot of ghosts of my past out in Lake Charles. I'm not sure that I am ready to stumble across any of them."
"Sara Jane, Juice loves you. Your past isn't going to scare him away. After what you've seen and been through with his man in a matter of a couple of months. I doubt he will find fault in you. And if he does... screw him because he is a hypocrite. We all have skeletons in our past that we would rather forget. I know I do." said Lola.
Sara laughed and said "Well, I don't think he is a hypocrite. He is actually one of the most honest men I have ever met. I think that is what I like so much about him. He's real. And I haven't had real in a very long time. I went to Italy to get away from... everything. I never knew something this great was waiting for me."
"And you came back with a new perspective on life. One that allowed you to accept Juice with an open mind and an open heart. The Sara that I knew before Italy... would have run in the other direction as fast as she could because - let's face it - Juice is different. But a great different. I couldn't be happier for you." said Lola. "I am feeling like crap. I am going to go lie down for a while. I know that is rude of me. You can stick around and chill until you have to leave if you want."
Sara shook her head. "That isn't rude at all. You aren't feeling well. I promised Gemma that I would come over early and help her set up anyway. I will get out of your hair," said Sara with a smile. She got up and walked out to her car opening the back. Sara headed back inside, collected the gumbo and the jambalaya, and then loaded them into the back over her car with Lola's help.
Lola stood at the door holding Sara's purse for her. "I will try to make it tonight. But if I can't make it, I want you to have a great time tonight and then tell me all about it."
Sara nodded and said "Okay..." Sara hugged Lola and took her purse from her. "I hope I see you tonight."
Sara walked out to her car and hopped in. She looked back and waved at Lola before taking off and heading over to Gemma and Clay's house.
When she arrived Sara could smell the scent of bar-b-cue wafting through the air. Loud music blared from the back of the house. She found a place to park and climbed out of the car. She waved seeing Bobby and then opened the back of her car pulling out two very large aluminum pans of jambalaya.
Bobby was standing out front smoking a cigarette when Sara arrived. He put out his cigarette and walked over to the car. "How are you doing, sweetheart? Let me help you with that," offered Bobby taking the aluminum pans from Sara's hands.
Sara smiled brightly. "I am doing great. Thanks, Bobby," said Sara lifting the large stock pot full of her gumbo out of the car. She closed the back of the Tahoe with her elbow before following Bobby around to the backyard where Gemma and the other women were busy setting up for the dinner. Sara smiled seeing children running around the backyard as Clay and Jax stood around the grill talking and drinking beer.
Juice walked over and said "Here...let me." Juice set down his beer and took the pot of Gumbo from Sara and walked over sitting it on the food table. He walked back over to Sara and kissed her. "I was just about to call you. I was wondering where you were," he said with a smile.
"I was talking to Lola before I came over. What have you been doing today?" asked Sara. She hadn't seen Juice since early that morning when he left the house for work. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips.
"I had some work to do at the club. Nothing I can really talk about right now. Actually, that is something I need to talk to you about. This weekend I am going to have to go on a little trip. I'll leave Friday evening and I won't be back until Monday some time." said Juice.
Sara was curious about where he was going. But if he didn't tell her, then it was obviously not for her to know. She smiled and said, "It will be weird being without you this weekend. But I guess I will just have to find something to keep myself busy."
Juice could see the curiosity on her face. "The guys and I are taking a ride up to Oregon for the weekend. We've got some work to do. I'll call check in with you to make sure you are okay while I am gone," said Juice. He looked up seeing Clay motioning for him to come here. Juice kissed her and said, "I am going to go talk to Clay. Meet some of the other old ladies."
Juice walked over to the grill.
Clay said, "You tell her that you are leaving this weekend?" He took a swig of his beer as he looked at the younger man.
Juice nodded and said, "Yeah, I did. I had kind of forgotten to tell her until Jax reminded me about it this afternoon. I am still getting used to the whole relationship thing."
"You had the talk with her about the road?" asked Jax, quirking an eyebrow at Juice as he flipped a couple of burgers on the grill. He had told Tara about the trip this weekend, and she wasn't pleased. But she didn't say anything about it. Tara had been an old lady long enough to know how it worked.
Juice shook his head. "Nah, I don't know what to say to her about it. I know that I will have to say something before I leave though. She doesn't have any experience with club life so I know that it will be a shock to her. I just don't know how she will take it."
Clay said, "It is better to tell her now than for her to find out later on. It's part of the life, and if she is going to be a part of your life she needs to be on board with how things work." Clay was lucky in that respect. Gemma knew all about how things worked by the time they got together.
Juice looked to Jax. "How did you tell Tara? I mean in the beginning?"
"Well, she had been around me and Ope for years. So she heard the stories that we told about chicks throwing themselves at club members on the road. Don't mean she didn't cry when I told her though. Be prepared for that shit. They'll make you feel like the worst fucking person in the world." said Jax.
Juice frowned looking over at Sara laughing and having a good time with Tara and Lyla. He didn't want to see her crying because of him. He didn't think he could stomach that feeling. He tried to think of a way to smooth it over with her. "I've been thinking about asking her to stay with me."
Clay quirked an eyebrow at him. "I thought she was already staying with you."
"Yeah, she is now. But in August she starts a job at the college over in Stockton. I've been thinking about asking her to stay with me and just commute to work."
Jax laughed and said, "I still can't believe that you managed to get a smart girl like Sara to hook up with you anyway. You think she will go for shacking up with you long-term?"
Juice laughed and said, "What the fuck ever man. I still wonder what the Doc sees in your ass. Yeah, I think that she will be into it. We haven't been a part at all since the day she rolled into town. I don't think she's interested in changing that at all. I offered to go to Louisiana with her to pack up her stuff."
"I thought you knew. No woman can resist Jax Teller," he said with a shit eating grin. "You in Louisiana. This shit I've got to see. You'll be like Forrest Gump or some shit like that. When are you two going out there?"
"Second week in August. Most of her shit is stored at her parents' house which means I'll be meeting her moms and pops," said Juice.
Jax and Clay laughed. Jax said, "Oh, that should be fun. Bringing home a tattooed biker to mom and dad."
Juice laughed slightly and said, "Should be a lot of fun."
Clay said, "Juice, why don't you go to the store and pick up some more beer. Looks like we are running low. Dinner will be ready soon. And bar-b-cue just isn't good without a cold one."
Juice laughed and said, "Alright, I'll go pick up a couple of cases. I'll take my prospect with me." Juice whistled and said, "Eh, prospect! With me!"
Juice's prospect Randy jogged after Juice and they left for the store.
About an hour later, Juice walked over to Sara and had a seat next to her with a beer in hand. "What have you been doing while I was gone?" asked Juice with a smirk.
Sara smiled at him. "Hi, baby." She kissed him. "I've just been sitting around talking to Gemma, Tara, and Lyla. Tara asked if I'd be interested in painting a mural on Caitlin's bedroom wall at the new house. I told her that I would love to. I love having a big expanse to work with. Canvases can be so confining." She paused, then added, "Where'd you go anyway? I looked up and you were gone."
"Well, you are a great artist. I wear the proof of that on my arm every day," said Juice putting an arm around her shoulders. "I went to pick up some more beer we were running out. But I got a little sidetracked on the way back."
Tara was sitting next to them holding Caitlin when Abel took a tumble off of his big wheel and started screaming. "Shit..." Tara stood up and said, "Would you mind holding Caitlin for me?"
Sara said, "Not at all." Sara took Caitlin from Tara's arms and watched her run off to pick up Abel. Sara smiled watching Jax reach Abel at the same time Tara did. Caitlin started to cry and Sara bounced her lightly. "Oh, no. Don't cry. Your mommy will be right back little one," cooed Sara. As she held Caitlin, Sara's thoughts began to click into place about everything that had been happening recently.
Juice saw the thoughtful look on her face. "What's wrong?" asked Juice. He made funny faces at Caitlin to make her giggle.
Sara smiled watching Juice interact with Caitlin. She shook her head and smiled at him. "Nothing, baby."
Tara came back over and smiled at Sara. "Thank you." Tara took Caitlin back and went over to where Jax and Abel were currently sitting with Clay and Gemma.
Sara heard a familiar voice and looked up to see Lola walk into the backyard with Tig. Sara had to smile at the grin that was on Tig's face. She got up and walked over to the two of them. Sara hugged Lola. "I am glad to see that you are feeling better, Lola. And I am glad that you convinced her to come tonight, Tig," she added with a knowing smile.
Lola laughed. "What can I say? He is a hard man to turn down."
The two women talked to one another and mingled for the rest of the evening. It started to get late, so Sara and Lola stayed behind to help Gemma clean up. Sara was throwing away paper plates when she looked over at Lola. "So...does Tig know?" asked Sara.
Lola was sitting down putting aluminum foil over the leftovers. "Does Tig know what?" asked Lola, confused since she was struggling with the foil at the moment.
Sara walked over and had a seat. "Does Tig know that you are pregnant?" asked Sara in a quiet voice.
Lola cut her eyes at Sara and said, "Keep your voice down. Somebody might hear you." Lola glanced at Gemma and Tara standing a few feet away from them.
"If I talked any lower I would be silent," said Sara. "You still didn't answer my question. Does Tig know? And how long have you known?" She couldn't believe that her best friend had kept such a big secret from her.
"I haven't known long enough to decide whether or not I am going to tell Tig. I trust you not to say anything... to anyone," said Lola looking Sara square in the eyes.
"You know me better than that. I am not going to say a word to anyone. I just can't figure out why you didn't say word one to me. You know that I always have your back," said Sara.
"You've been so happy. I didn't want to put my problems on you. You've got the good life, Sara Jane," said Lola with a genuine smile.
"That is bullshit. You know that no matter what is going on with me that you can tell me absolutely anything." She paused, then added, "Always..."
Lola nodded and said, "I know... I've just been trying to figure this out on my own. Of all the reckless and irresponsible things of me to do... this takes the cake. I don't know what I am supposed to tell him. How did you figure it out?"
Sara said, "You tell him the truth, Lola. What are the alternatives… an abortion? That's not you. And figuring it out was easy. You've been sick to your stomach all week, and you stopped taking the pain pills for your arm - which I know still hurts like a bitch."
Lola shook her head. "You know how much I've always wanted to be a mother. I couldn't do that. I'm going to go through with the pregnancy. I just don't know if I am going to tell Tig about it. He is 20 + years older than me. I don't want to saddle him with a kid. Maybe it is time for me to go back to Santa Barbara early."
"Don't make any hasty decisions until you think this thing through. Tig is a grown man. I hardly think that you need to shield him from the truth. And don't give me that shit about being a fling because we both know better. How far along are you?" asked Sara.
"A month. I didn't find out until last week though. Tig is going to know something is up sooner or later. I'm not drinking, smoking, and I stopped taking the meds for my arm. I promise that I won't make any decisions until I think this thing through."
Tig walked over rubbed Lola's back. "You ready to go, babe?"
Lola jumped slightly when Tig came up behind her. She nodded and said "Yeah, I could use some sleep. I'm tired." Lola stood up and hugged Sara. "I'll see you tomorrow. We can hang out."
Sara returned the hug. "Call me if you need me." Sara watched Lola and Tig walk out of the backyard.