Jax sat with his back pressed against the familiar granite slab, watching birds swoop down from the trees and snatch unseen treasures from the ground. It was a beautiful day- sunny with a slight breeze, not too hot or too cold. He was kind of hoping for storms, or maybe for the ground to open up and swallow a certain happy couple whole, but things hadn't exactly been going his way lately.

He watched as a figure moved toward him, taking shape in the distance. It was a shape he knew well. He bit the insides of his cheeks, but that didn't stop him from smiling. He let out a cat call as Tara approached. She shook her head, tugging self-consciously on the ends of her skirt.

"Look at my girl, all dressed up," Jax mused. Tara stood above him, her arms crossed.

"I look ridiculous," she disagreed.

"Never," Jax promised her. He pulled himself up, brushing dirt and grass from the back of his jeans. "How was it?"

Tara sighed. "It was very…Gemma." That said it all. Jax chuckled, wrapping her in his arms. With Tara's body pressed against his and her sweet breath hot on his neck, all was right in the world.

"You didn't have to go, you know," Jax reminded her.

"Yes I did. After everything she's done for me, for us…I owe her a lot. I had to be there."

It had been six months since that fateful day- the one that changed everything. Six months since Gemma and Clay's engagement, Tara's tattoo, Jax's proclamation of love and the consummation of their relationship. It all culminated in Tara falling asleep in Jax's arms, and not returning home until early the next morning.

Jax would never forget the look on Sean Knowles' face when they pulled up in front of his house. He was sitting on the front porch in a pair of pajama pants and a wrinkled t-shirt, his hair disheveled and a bottle of whiskey in his lap. Though his words slurred together, his message was clear- Tara would never see Jax again. He wouldn't allow it. That started a battle of wills that was all too common between parents and teenagers- Tara demanding her independence and the right to make her own decisions, her father insisting she was still just a child. Tara did have a bit more solid ground to stand on than most rebellious teenagers, and she knew it. Most of the time, she was the adult in her home, taking care of her alcoholic father. What right did he have to pick and choose when he was going to parent?

Inevitably, it boiled down to the classic ultimatum, "As long as you're under my roof, you will live by my rules." Which was followed by the predictable, "Well then maybe I shouldn't live under your roof," and then a war of "fines," which Tara and her father both spat back and forth as she marched into the house and began throwing her clothes into a duffel bag. Jax was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to intrude on a private family matter, but there was no way he was going to let Tara's father hurt her. And the wild look in his eyes had Jax worried. So he stood nearby, quietly watching as Tara packed, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. What was he going to say to Gemma? She was warming up to Tara, but there was no way she'd let her move in with them. As Tara threw her bag over her shoulder and pushed past her father, a thought began forming in Jax's mind.

"Tara," Sean called after her, his voice breaking. Jax couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or genuine emotion making him bleary-eyed. Tara hesitated, just for a moment, but did not turn around. "No daughter of mine is going to be a biker whore. If you leave with him, now, you're dead to me. Don't ever come back." Jax clenched his jaw, balling his hands into fists and hoping he could control his temper. Tara closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. There was a sadness in it, but also something else- relief.

She opened her eyes and turned to Jax. "Let's go."

The sun was just starting to rise in the morning sky as Jax pulled into the SAMCRO lot. He was relieved when he saw Bobby's bike near the clubhouse door, although he wasn't sure what sort of state they'd find him in- drunk, high, half asleep, or all of the above.

Luckily, Bobby was wide awake and more than willing to help Jax and Tara with their situation. The club voted that morning to allow Tara to move into the apartment attached to the clubhouse. It went without saying that Jax would stay with her. It was a done deal before Gemma even found out about it. Jax let Clay break the news to her. He'd been trying like hell to win his future stepson over, and Jax wasn't above taking advantage of it.

Those first few days were rough- lots of yelling and threats from Gemma, lots of crying from Tara, and Jax feeling helpless, torn between the two women he loved. He didn't want to disappoint his mother, but there was no way he was going to let Tara down. She needed him. He was all she had. Eventually, things started to settle down. Tara began exploring her independence, and she and Jax were definitely enjoying playing house. Even Gemma came around, her motherly instincts getting the best of her. She would take Tara shopping, took her along to the salon a couple of times (under much protest from Tara), and even bought her a new bedspread and some household goods to make the apartment a little more homey and a little less skeezy.

Jax understood why Tara felt she owed Gemma, and he was very appreciative that his mother was so good to the girl he loved, especially after their rocky start. But he knew part of the reason Gemma was being so kind was to get back on his good side after the Clay bombshell. It was working, to an extent, but not enough to make Jax willing to attend their wedding. Gemma marrying Clay was a betrayal, pure and simple. And there was only one person Jax could imagine spending their wedding day with.

"See ya, Dad," he mumbled, throwing one last glance over his shoulder at his father's headstone. In the months immediately following John Teller's death, Jax couldn't even bear to look at the cemetery when he rode past it. But now it was a place of solace for him, the one place he could go when he needed to think, or to get away from his thoughts.

As he and Tara made their way to where his bike was parked, he waved to the woman sitting near the edge of the river, the only person who was ever at the cemetery as much as he was.

"Who's that?" Tara asked.

Jax shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. I see her around town sometimes. I think she's homeless. Spends a lot of time here for some reason. I figure she's probably got a loved one here that she just can't bear to be apart from for too long."

"Hmm." Tara watched the woman curiously as she climbed onto the back of Jax's bike. He smiled, remembering how apprehensive she used to be about his motorcycle. Now riding was second nature to her. Pretty much everything about club life was second nature to her. It made Jax both proud and sad. He felt like he'd stolen her innocence.

"Where are we headed?" he asked as Tara wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You sure you don't want to go to the reception?" Her lips brushed against his neck as she spoke. Jax's manhood pulsed and his thoughts went fuzzy. He almost caved, just to make her happy. But then the reality that his mother was now married to Clay Morrow stabbed him in the gut once more.

"I can't do it," he said. "I just can't." Jax knew he would have to come to terms with things at some point, but he wasn't ready yet. "You know, with everyone else at the reception, the clubhouse is completely empty right now. We wouldn't even have to be quiet…"

Tara giggled. "Well in that case…let's go home." Home. The clubhouse had always been like Jax's second home, but having Tara there turned it into something else entirely. He knew he was at an age where he should be sewing his wild oats, enjoying his youth, but he wanted nothing more than to settle down and make Tara his wife. Maybe it was in part because the family he'd always loved and valued so much had been cut in half, and then invaded by a usurper, and he was desperately trying to get that feeling of family back somehow. But it was more than that. Tara was the one. Jax could feel it in every fiber of his being.

Jax's anticipation mounted, the closer they got to the SAMCRO compound. He couldn't wait to get Tara into their room, rip her clothes off, and take her on the bed- if they even made it that far. The way she nibbled on his neck as they rode assured him that they were on the same page.

"Ohhhhhhh no," Tara moaned, almost too quietly for Jax to hear, as he pulled into his usual parking spot. Sitting at the picnic table near the clubhouse entrance was a very pregnant Donna Lerner, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

"Jesus Christ," Jax muttered, parking the bike and taking off his helmet. "What now?" While his and Tara's relationship had only grown stronger over the past several months, Opie and Donna's was falling apart. Her parents blamed him for the pregnancy, his dad blamed her. Opie wanted Donna to "take care of it" when he first found out, Donna wanted Opie to marry her and raise their child with her. They fought constantly. Lately, there had been rumors that Opie was sleeping with one of the crow eaters. Jax was pretty sure they were true, but Opie wasn't talking, so Jax wasn't going to ask.

"I have no idea what's going on," Tara said, handing Jax her helmet and rushing to the aid of her friend. By the time Jax reached them, Tara had her arm around Donna, who was crying into Tara's shoulder.

"Everything alright?" he asked, hoping Tara would signal for him to go inside and leave them alone to talk.

"Did you know?" Donna sobbed, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand. Jax raised an eyebrow, confused. "Did you know about Opie and Sara?" she demanded.

"Aw, shit," Jax breathed.

"Jax!" Tara was pissed. This was exactly why he hated that she and Donna had become such close friends. Even when things were good between him and Tara, which was most of the time, they were always right in the middle of Opie and Donna's shit, taking sides, getting involved.

"I didn't know," he insisted. "I mean, I heard…but I didn't know. No." Tara looked relieved, albeit still a little skeptical. Donna was too wrapped up in her own heartbreak to care much about Jax. "I'm sorry, Donna."

"I hate him," Donna sneered. "I hate him…so…much." Her breathing hitched between words, and Tara rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

Jax hung his head. He was so used to being part of a world where women were objectified and men were unfaithful, he rarely gave much thought to what it did to the women. It made him feel like shit. He could never imagine hurting Tara like that, but he knew it was expected that he would, at least once. Crow eaters didn't hang around the club for nothing. He vowed to himself, right then and there, that he would be different. His love and respect for Tara would always come before anything else.

Here Donna was, about to give birth to her first baby in a few weeks, and Opie was putting her through hell. And for what? A little piece on the side? Sara? She'd already slept with half the club. It wasn't like she was anything special.

"Is there anything I can do?" Jax asked, his words sincere. Donna sniffled and cleared her throat, determined to stop crying.

"Yes," she said, her voice strong. "You can find that piece of shit best friend of yours and you can give him a message for me. You can tell him that it's over, we're done, and I never want to see his fucking face again. Tell him I hope that slut was worth it, because he will never know his son."

"Donna," Tara interrupted. "You don't mean that."

Donna was enraged. "Yes, I do!" she screamed. Tara was taken aback, but quickly shook it off. She knew Donna wasn't upset with her. "He didn't want this baby anyway, and he obviously doesn't want me. I'm done."

"Fair enough," Tara agreed, not sounding like she meant it. "Now you need to calm down. All this stress isn't good for the baby. How about we go inside, put on a movie, and Jax will bring us back some ice cream after he goes and finds Opie. Sound good?" Donna nodded, her eyes tearing up again. "Good," Tara smiled. Donna stood up from the picnic table and started inside without another word. Tara followed, but paused to give Jax a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you, babe."

Jax sighed. "No problem," he said, not hiding his disappointment in the turn of events their night had taken.

Tara frowned. "I'm sorry. Donna needs me."

"I need you," Jax reminded her.

Tara grinned. "I promise I'll make it up to you later." Jax wrapped her in a quick embrace, running his hands down her back, to her waist. He slid them under her shirt and let them settle on her bare hipbones.

"Promise?" he asked, kissing her softly.

"I promise," she assured him, biting his lower lip as he pulled away. "I love you, Teller."

"Love you back, Knowles."

Despite his frustration, Jax was all smiles as he headed toward his bike. Tara was constantly surprising him. She was such a good, compassionate, selfless person. She'd spent her entire day at his mother's wedding, no doubt listening to nonstop shit about what an asshole Jax was for not being there. And now she was willing to spend her entire evening tending to Donna, cleaning up a mess Jax's best friend had made. She did so much for him, and spent so much of her time taking care of the people he cared about. She'd inserted herself effortlessly into his life, and filled a void he hadn't even known existed. She was his center. His true north. And he was lucky as hell to have her.

Just as Jax started his bike, Tara came running out of the clubhouse, waving her hands. Jax smiled, thinking maybe she just needed one more kiss- or wanted to add to her ice cream order. But the look of sheer panic on her face as she got closer said otherwise.

"Jax!" she yelled as he turned off the engine. She was out of breath, frantic.

"Babe, what is it?"

"Donna," she gasped, still breathing hard. "The baby. We have to get her to the hospital." Tara caught a second wind and raced back toward the clubhouse, Jax on her heels. He froze when he saw Donna. She was lying on the ground, barely conscious, her face pale and covered with sweat. Blood was pooling around her, soaking her jeans and the floor below her.

"My baby," she repeated over and over, her voice faint. Tara was at her side, trying to calm her, not at all fazed by the blood that was getting all over her own hands and clothes. Jax's heart was pounding too loudly in his ears to hear what she was saying.

"Oh my God," he murmured. The room began to dip and sway before him, and it took him a minute to realize that Tara was screaming his name.

"Jax!" He swallowed hard and turned to her. "Jax, call 911! Now!"

Within minutes, an ambulance arrived. Donna was completely incoherent as they loaded her onto the stretcher. Tara was frightened, but calm. Jax was simply trying not to pass out. He'd never seen so much blood.

"Hey," Tara said, putting a bloody hand on his shoulder. He looked at her as if she'd just set him on fire. Only then did she notice the blood. She quickly pulled her hand away. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

Jax shook his head. "I don't know." Tara smiled sympathetically. How the fuck was she staying so cool?

"I'm going to ride in the ambulance with Donna. The hospital's calling her parents now."

"What should I do?" Jax asked.

"Find Opie."