Charlie sat in the grass in the backyard at Gemma's, her head pressed between her knees as she tried to calm her breathing. Dinner had been quite an ordeal and it was all because she had come home, all because she wanted a chance.

-A few hours earlier-

Charlie waited for Jax to get off his bike before she got off. She could still smell the leather of his cut from her cheek being pressed against it as they rode. It was a smell that she had never forgotten and often missed while in Virginia. Once they were both off the Dyna their hands suddenly became linked and they walked inside the very noisy house. Charlie was greeted by several different people before she was even through the main room of the house. "Come on everyone let her at least get through the door" Jax said with a smirk, his hand now resting on her lower back. "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere" she said with a chuckle and quickly made her rounds, making sure that she spent a little more time on her uncles. After being shot down to help Gemma in the kitchen Charlie came back with two beers and sat down on Jax's lap. She handed one to him and sipped hers, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she looked around at the people around her.

Jax was happy, really happy, and she had only been back for less than 12 hours. He wasn't sure what that meant, he wasn't sure what any of it meant really. They haven't had a chance to talk at all; all they did was kiss and fuck, but Jax was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard Charlie sigh. He leaned up slightly and kept his hand on her upper thigh protectively, his mouth getting closer to her ear so that she could hear him without him yelling. "You alright babe?" he asked as he moved his fingers slowly. Charlie looked down at him and smiled "Frighteningly so" She admitted "I haven't felt like this in a long time Jackson…" She said using his whole name, making sure that he knew she was being serious. Jax smiled up at her and pressed his lips against hers. Charlie returned the soft kiss, completely ignoring the teasing sounds that the guys were making around them. "GET A ROOM" she heard Tig yell jokingly, before they finally pulled away.

"Dinner's ready! Get your asses out here!" Gemma yelled to everyone and slowly everyone made their way to the large dining table that was immersed with food. Clay was head of the table followed by Gemma on the left then Jax, Abel in the car seat behind him, and then Charlie. On the other side of Charlie was Opie then Donna, her parents had taken Kenny and Ellie for the weekend which Charlie knew was the only reason Opie could talk her into coming for dinner. Donna didn't like the kids being around the Family even though it was exactly that. At the other end of the table was Piney who was followed by Tig, Chibs, Half-sack Juice, and Bobby. The whole family was here. Before everyone could start eating Piney stood up and held up his beer "Clay, I know this is your house and your table so I hope I don't offend you by making a toast" he said looking at his President. "Nah of course not old man, just make it quick I'm starving." Clay replied with a smirk.

All eyes were on Piney as he spoke "I just wanted to say that I am so happy to have my baby girl back. Even though I wanted her to get as far away from this life as she possibly could, I'm glad to have her back. She is one of the smartest, most beautiful—inside and out—person that I have ever been blessed to know, and even more blessed to call her my daughter." Charlie looked up at her dad, her eyes glossed over with tears "dad…" she whispered and got up and walked to him, giving him the biggest hug. Piney returned the hug and leaned in close to her ear "I love you bean." He said softly "I love you too daddy." She whispered in his ear in return. Everyone smiled and clapped their hands "ALRIGHT LETS EAT" Clay announced and everyone started to dig in.

Everyone was halfway through dinner when Charlie and a few others needed a refill on beer. Charlie offered to get up and get it, but once she was halfway to the kitchen there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." She said and looked at Gemma, who nodded and sat back down. Charlie walked over to the door and opened it, seeing a girl she didn't recognize "Can I help you?" Charlie asked politely as the girl pushed her way inside the house. Jax stood up and didn't have a happy look on his face "Wendy, what the fuck are you doing here?" He asked, walking away from the table. Wendy? This was Abel's mother. Charlie could feel the bile building up in her throat. "I need to talk to you Jax, could we go in the other room? Or outside?" Jax stood between her and Charlie, and could tell by the look on her face that she was not happy about Wendy just popping up out of nowhere. "No, whatever you need to say to me you can say it in front of everyone." He said and watched Wendy play with the bottom piece of her shirt "Well, I don't leave for sober living until the end of next week, and I was wondering if I could stay at your place, this way I could spend some time with Abel before I left…" She said, her eyes never leaving Jax's.

Charlie looked up at Jax and she could see that he was considering it. "Really Jax? This is the woman who put your son's life on the line and you're just going to let her walk back in and possibly do it again?!" Charlie was angry; however she wasn't sure where the emotion came from. Wendy looked at the girl and moved closer to her "And who the fuck are you? I didn't know they let sweet butts in on family dinners now." She ground out as she got into Charlie's face. Charlie didn't even notice it was her fist flying into Wendy's face until she felt a throbbing pain on her hand. "OW FUCK! Jax she fucking hit me! Do something." Wendy cried as she held her hand up to her nose that was now bleeding profusely. Everyone had started to get out of their seats, but clay signaled them to sit down, they knew this was something that was going to have to happen at some point.

Jax looked at Charlie who was now shaking out her hand trying to get rid of the pain "What are you doing Char? I can handle this." He said to her, confusion written all over his face "She insulted me and you're going to defend her?!" Charlie said her jaw locking. "You're such a fucking pussy, you can't even tell the bitch you want nothing to do with her, instead you're going to lead her on and think that she might even have a chance of getting her family back." She said pushing his chest lightly, the anger coming from her in fumes now. Jax stood his ground and was now in her face "WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO" he yelled out, not even realizing that Opie was now in between them pulling them apart. "Who the fuck do you think YOU ARE talking to?! I'm the princess of fucking SAMCRO. And most importantly I'm the girl you just fucked less than four hours ago! Oh wait, that doesn't mean anything to you does it? You're just going to go back to the fucking crank whore anyway!" She screamed back at him.

Jax clenched his jaw and pushed Opie away "Well seems like I have a thing for whores then." He said before he knew what he was saying. He immediately regretted saying it, but he regretted it even more when Charlie slapped him in the face, and seeing the tears pooling in her eyes. Charlie pulled away from everyone who tried to stop her from running out back, the tears running down her cheeks. Once she made it outside she sat down on the grass and pulled her head down between her knees, something her brother had taught her to do when she felt like she was going to be sick. Opie looked at Jax then at Wendy then back at Jax "If you're going to let that Gash stay with you, stay the fuck away from my sister." He said before shoving him against the wall and making his way out back to comfort Charlie.

Jax could feel all the eyes on him, including Piney and Bobby's who were digging into him like a cut glass. "Wendy, get the fuck out of here." He said and handed her several bills "Get a hotel room and stay the hell away from my family" He ground out before pretty much shoving her out the door.

-Present Time—

Charlie finally got her breathing under control, but the pain in her hand and her heart didn't go away. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't hear someone come outside and sit down beside her until they wrapped their arms around her. She looked up and saw her brother, her head going against his chest. Opie rubbed his hand up and down her arm "He didn't mean it Charlie; you know he talks out of his ass when he gets pissed." He said softly. She looked up at her brother and was about to say something when someone cleared their throat behind them. Charlie turned her head and saw Jax standing there, obviously distraught. Opie looked down at her, his way of asking if it was okay, she nodded and stood up with her brother.

After being reamed by his mom Jax made his way outside to apologize to Charlie. He knew he fucked up and he was going to tell her that granted her brother, his best friend, didn't punch him again. Opie kissed his sister's head "I'll be inside with the others if you need me" He said and walked past Jax and into the house. Charlie made her way over to the swings and sat down, and Jax followed her lead sitting in the other one beside her. "I'm sorry Charlie." He said after a moment of silence between the two of them "I'm not a whore" she whispered, keeping her eyes on her shoes that were playing in the dirt "Baby I know you're not. I was just taken back by Wendy…." He said and trailed off, shaking his head "There's no excuse for me acting like that…I know that." He said and looked at her, and felt a little better when she looked back up at him. "Then why did you?" she asked, chewing on the inside of her lip.

Jax looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. This was the girl who he loved, he had never stopped loving. "Because whenever I look at Wendy, I see a girl that should have never been in my life. She shouldn't have been the one to give me a son; she shouldn't have been the first one to wear my crow… " He had already lost her once by not telling her the truth, he couldn't do it again. He looked up at Charlie and took her hand in his. "It makes me so mad at myself that I didn't tell you this before. And I'm sorry that I took it out on you, I never meant too." He said and took a deep breath once again. "I love you Charlie. I've always loved you…" He said trailing off, watching her face as it sunk in. Charlie's eyes locked on his, trying to read them. "You love me…" she whispered.