Jax hated hospitals. They reminded him of his little brother, who spent more time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit as a child than he did playing outside, and of his father, who languished in agony for three days following his accident before succumbing to his injuries. Jax avoided the sterile mausoleums whenever he could. But this trip was unavoidable.

He'd been sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chair for hours, holding vigil at his best friend's bedside. Everything from his tailbone down was completely numb, but he refused to budge. Not until Opie opened his eyes. Tara was in the waiting room with Donna, trying to keep her calm. She was so panicked and grief-stricken, the hospital staff had nearly sedated her earlier. Jax couldn't blame her, though. Opie was completely fucked. He was either going to wind up in the ground, or in prison. Jax wasn't sure which would be worse.

He was startled by the clanging of metal on metal as Opie jerked to life, his handcuffs slamming against the bed rails. His eyes flew open. Jax was by his side instantly.

"Ope, calm down. Relax. You're alright. I'm gonna go get the doctor." Opie shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. "Bro, you're hurt bad. You need a doctor."

"No," Opie groaned, his voice almost inaudible. "Not yet." Jax looked at his best friend, hooked up to all sorts of machines, shackled to his hospital bed, and his heart broke. He always knew the life could be dangerous, but Opie was still a goddamn prospect. This wasn't supposed to be happening to him, not now.

"Alright," Jax agreed. "What do you need?"

Opie's words were simple. "How bad?" Jax's answer would not be simple at all.

"They got Otto. Second degree murder and grand theft auto. Clay says the lawyers are doing everything they can, but it's not looking good." Tears formed in Opie's eyes and fell onto his pillow. Jax's voice trembled as he continued. "They charged you with being an accessory after the fact and GTA. Clay says the lawyer might be able to plead it down, but you're probably looking at a couple years inside, at least." Opie's breathing was ragged, his chin quivering. He pressed the tips of his fingers to the bandage on his torso. "Bullet went straight through," Jax explained. "Damaged your spleen, collapsed a lung, broke some ribs. They didn't know if you'd make it through surgery, you lost so much blood. But aside from a nasty scar, there shouldn't be any long term damage. They were just concerned about brain damage due to lack of oxygen, so thank God you're back. I was so fuckin' worried."

"Donna?" Opie's voice was louder, a bit stronger.

"She's here," Jax said. "She's a mess, but now that you're awake, I think she'll be alright." One of the machines monitoring Opie's vitals began beeping frantically. "Ope, I really need to go get a doctor." Without waiting for an answer, Jax headed for the door.

"Jax," Opie called after him. Jax turned around. "I need you to take care of them for me." Opie cleared his throat, trying to shake the gravel from it. "Donna and the baby. I need you to stay. Take care of them until I get out."

Jax's heart felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. "Of course, bro," he whispered.

"Promise me," Opie mumbled, the exertion wearing on him.

"I promise," Jax vowed.

Jax and Tara laid in bed, side by side, staring at the ceiling. They were both incapable of sleep, but neither had the strength to talk about what happened, or, more importantly, what it would mean for their future. Jax had been so close to escaping the life his mother built for him. He was just days away from leaving Charming, the club, and the ghost of his father behind. But now…

There was no way he could leave now. The club was a wreck. Otto was likely going away for life. Tig was facing five to ten, and Opie…he would probably be released from the hospital within a couple of days, and would go straight to jail. He was facing up to twenty five years if convicted on all charges. Even if the club's lawyers were able to work their magic, he'd be going away for at least a year or two. Jax's club needed him. His best friend needed him. He couldn't let them down.

"You have to stay, don't you?" Tara's voice rang out in the darkness, shattering the silence.

Jax exhaled slowly, letting the future he had planned with Tara go with it. "Yeah." He felt Tara tense up beside him, trying not to cry. "But you still have to go."

"No, Jax," she said quietly, calmly. "I won't go without you. I told you that already."

"Tara, you…"

"Ssshh." She placed two fingers on his lips, interrupting him. "Not tonight, okay? Let's just talk about it tomorrow." She burrowed into Jax's side, resting her head in the divet of his shoulder that was perfectly sized for her. They fit together so well, in every way possible. It was going to kill Jax to let her go. But he knew it had to be done.

The two of them laid there in silence for another hour or so, still both wide awake, before Tara spoke again. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't bumped into each other in the hall that day? Like, if I'd been a minute earlier or you'd been a minute later, do you think we'd still be here right now?"

Jax thought about it for a moment. Tara was so much a part of who he was, he couldn't imagine his life without her. He wanted to think that even if they hadn't met that day, it would've happened eventually. They were so obviously meant to be. But what if it had never happened? Would they both be better off? Would Jax be willing to give up their three wonderful years together to avoid the hell awaiting him now, a life apart from her, knowing he'd broken her heart? He wasn't sure.

"I don't know," was all he said. Tara didn't press the issue.

The following morning, there was a knock at the door just as Jax was finally nodding off.

"Come in," he grumbled. Chibs opened the door, looking about as fucked up as Jax felt.

"Mornin', brotha," he said, his Scottish accent not nearly as chipper as Jax was used to.

"Hey," Jax sighed, sitting up in bed. Tara stirred beside him. "What's up?"

"They're getting ready to release Opie from the hospital," Chibs said. Jax knew what that meant. He would leave the hospital and go straight to jail. "We leave in five." Chibs tried to smile, but failed, and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Jax jumped out of bed and threw on the clothes that were in a heap on the floor. Tara sat up just as he was grabbing his keys off the dresser.

"Where are you going?" she asked sleepily.

"To see Ope," Jax said, slipping on his kutte.

"Now? Jax, we really need to talk."

He shook his head. "Later."

"Hey," Tara said, commanding his attention as he headed for the door. He turned around. "I love you." Her voice was soft, sincere.

"I love you too," Jax said reluctantly. He didn't want her getting the wrong idea.

By the time he reached the hospital, there were half a dozen police cars parked out front, and they weren't letting anybody in. He parked his bike and hurried to the entrance, where Clay and the rest of the club members were squabbling with the police.

"We ain't breaking any laws," Clay insisted. "We have a right to visit a patient in this hospital. If anybody's breaking the law right now, it's you, Officer." Two state troopers stood side by side, arms crossed, unimpressed by Clay's failed attempt at a show of force. Unser stood helplessly by, watching the drama unfold. He was a friend to the club, but in the presence of other law enforcement officials, he couldn't show it. Jax clenched his jaw, trying to hang back like a prospect should. Every member of SAMCRO was on edge, the last thing they needed was him flying off the handle, overstepping his bounds within the club.

Jax went sheet white when the hospital doors opened, and Opie was wheeled out in a wheelchair, his hands and feet shackled, an armed officer on each side of him. He had dark circles under his eyes, and a thick sheen of sweat covering his face and neck.

"Ope!" Jax yelled. His best friend slowly raised his head, his tired eyes finding Jax in the crowd. Jax smiled, hoping to reassure Opie, when all he really wanted to do was break down.

"Take care of my girls," Opie said, a sad smile spreading across his sunken in face.

"You have my word," Jax promised.

Jax took the backroads home from the hospital, hoping to clear his head. He had to turn off his heart, and think with his brain from now on. He was being pulled in a million different directions, but he knew that the most important thing was keeping his word to Opie. It so easily could have been him.

The two of them were together in Jax's garage that day, working on restoring JT's bike, when Otto and Tig pulled up.

"We've got a drop," Otto announced, not bothering to get off his bike. "Clay wants one of you to come along."

"I'll go," the prospects said in unison. They looked at each other, amused.

"I got this," Opie insisted. "Let me do it." Jax suspected Opie knew what he and Tara were up to. He wasn't stupid. They both knew Ope was the one whose future was with the club. The experience was more important for him. Jax nodded, then returned to working on his dad's bike, unwittingly sending his best friend to his doom.

He couldn't let such a hasty decision ruin Tara's future as well. She could fight it all she wanted, but she was moving to San Francisco, no matter what Jax had to do to get her there.

"August 1st," he said to himself, the wind stealing the words from his mouth as he rode. School started August 10th. If Tara hadn't left on her own by August 1st, Jax would resort to drastic measures to get her to go. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

When Jax returned that afternoon, he found Tara waiting for him in their apartment. She was methodically unpacking her boxes, putting all of her belongings back in their places.

"What are you doing?" Jax asked, without so much as a hello.

"What does it look like, Jax?" Tara sounded tired, but combative. She was ready for the fight they both knew was coming. Jax sighed, taking a seat on the bed.

"Tara, we talked about this."

"No," she said sharply. "We said we would talk about it later, and then you left for the whole damn day. But it's okay, because there's really nothing to talk about. I'm staying, and that's the end of it."

"I can't let you do that," Jax argued.

Tara shook her head. "It's not your call. It's my future. My decision."

"Tara, don't make this harder than it needs to be. I love you. I don't want to hurt you. But this isn't happening." She turned to him, her eyes filled with tears.

"If you love me, don't push me away, Jax. I heard some of the guys talking while I was in the kitchen making dinner. They said Opie might be out within a year or two. We can put off leaving. We'll stay here, help Donna and Ellie together, and then when Ope gets out, we'll leave together." Tara sat beside Jax on the bed, but was careful not to touch him.

"A year or two is the best case scenario, Tara. He could get twenty five. And who knows how long the trial will take. I can't let you put your life on hold, waiting for something that may not happen."

Tara crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. "Look at me, Jax," she insisted. His sad eyes met hers. The pain in her face was almost unbearable. "I am not going anywhere," she said softly, trying to reassure him. Her words had the opposite effect. Jax pushed himself up off the bed, and began throwing his things into one of the boxes Tara had emptied.

"What are you doing?" she asked frantically, trying to stand between him and the dresser where he kept his clothes. He picked her up by her elbows and moved her aside. "Jax, what are you doing?"

"I'm movin' out," he said. "If you're staying in Charming, it won't be for me. We're done, Tara."

"Jax," Tara laughed, not believing him. He glared at her with cold, emotionless eyes.

"It's over," he assured her. With enough stuff to get him through a few days, he hefted the box into his arms and left, slamming the door behind him.

In the weeks that followed, Jax avoided Tara at all costs. He moved into the spare room in Chibs' apartment. He didn't bother asking why it was decorated like a little girl's bedroom. As far as he knew, Chibs didn't have a family. He ignored Tara's calls, got a new pager and didn't give her the number, and made sure that anytime he was at the clubhouse or TM, he was surrounded by club members so that Tara couldn't get anywhere near him. He expected his mother to be furious with him for being so disrespectful to his girl, but to his surprise, she supported him fully. She even kicked Tara out of the clubhouse apartment after a time, forcing her to move in with Donna.

It tore Jax apart inside, but the more time went on, the better he got at ignoring his emotions. He could almost feel his heart turning to stone. He was so numb by the time August 1st arrived, that it was easier than he thought it would be for him to go through with his plan. He expected to feel guilty, and feared that he wouldn't have the stomach to actually do it when it came down to it. But as he picked up the phone and dialed her number, he felt nothing at all.

"Hello?" Her voice stirred something inside him, but he pretended not to notice. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, Tara, it's Jax."

"Jax?" She sounded like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said curtly. "I just, uh…I found something of yours when I was cleaning the apartment the other day. An old necklace." Jax's stomach twisted at his lie. He'd purposely taken Tara's mother's locket the day he left, knowing he might need it for this very purpose.

"My locket?" Tara was relieved. Jax knew how much it meant to her. She'd probably been sick thinking she lost it.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "That's it. Anyway, it's up in the office at TM. You should probably come get it today, if you can. You know what kind of traffic runs through there."

Tara sounded like she was crying, or trying very hard not to. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll head that way in a little bit. Will you be there in about an hour? Maybe we could talk?"

Jax bit his lip. The longer their conversation went on, the harder it was for him to block out his feelings. "Uhh…no. No, I'm headed out. But Bobby will be in the shop for a while, it's his late night."

"Oh. Alright." She was definitely crying now. Without even a goodbye, Jax hung up the phone in the clubhouse kitchen. He looked out the window at his bike, which was parked where he knew Tara would see it. He inhaled sharply, holding his breath for as long as he could. When he exhaled, he tried to expel what was left of his conscience with it. He grabbed a bottle of Vodka from under the bar and headed back toward the apartment, where an already tipsy Wendy Case was waiting for him.