Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.
In spite of the cool Fall evening, Gemma and Luann were sitting in their customary spot at the picnic table watching the drunken antics of several members playing out on the lot in the midst of an after-Church party. Luann nudged Gemma in the ribs with her elbow, causing Gemma to nearly push her off the table.
"Look." Luann indicated toward the line of bikes near the Clubhouse.
Seeing her son practically chewing his girlfriend's tongue out of her mouth, Gemma shook her head.
This one's lasted longer than a pair of his boxers, which he's always misplacing. The little man-whore!
Finally pulling apart, Jax climbed on his bike, followed by Tara, and practically tore out of the parking lot.
"I betcha I know what they're heading off to do." Luann teased in a sing-song voice, knowing all too well Gemma's distaste for Jax's girlfriend.
"Aw shit," Gemma grumbled. "And for the sake of my son's health and the state of my furniture, they better not be heading to my house to do it in, either."
"Really? In your house?" Luann asked, swallowing the rest of her beer.
"If I know my Jax, he probably teleported home and is halfway done dragging that girl up to his room."
Luann snorted. "He sure has balls, that one."
"Yes, he does. I don't know how long he'll be able to hang onto them, though, especially with Jolene in the house tonight." Gemma smirked as she lit a cigarette.
Luann wrinkled her nose. "What happened to her sleepover at Donna's?"
"Canceled. Some unexpected houseguests dropped by for the weekend."
"And you didn't bother to share this bit of Intel with your son?"
"Why should I? He knows better than to bring his little fuck buddies into my house and, if he doesn't, he most certainly will know now."
"Oh, God." Luann squealed. Luann Delaney, Big Otto's wife, was just one of the many who was well aware of Jolene's infatuation with all things Jackson. "Jo is gonna lose her shit."
"Oh, most definitely." Gemma agreed, wickedly.
And I am so counting on it.
Jolene was about to fall off into dreamland when she heard a strange noise. Lying motionless and stiff as a board, her eyes wide and her ears open, she nearly fell out of her bed when she heard it again. As the noise got louder and louder, she realized with terror that someone was in the house with her.
Living alone with her father for so many years, Jolene had been accustomed to being home alone for certain periods of time. Clay would do his best to make sure that Jolene was never alone for an extended amount of time, but on the rare occasion she was, Jolene was never afraid or felt unsafe in their small home that was walking distance from the Clubhouse.
Now that Clay had married Gemma and had relocated their family into a huge house in an exclusive part of town, Jolene never liked being home alone. Although warm and inviting when crowded with the people she loved, the house was creepy and spooky when she was all alone in her room in the dark. Having honed her sixth sense to clue her in when something just didn't feel right while living with her mother that was exactly the feeling she was having right now.
Quickly slipping out of her bed, Jolene tried to remain calm as she contemplated her situation. She didn't have a phone in her room, so she couldn't call for help from there. Her parents' bedroom was on the opposite side of the stairs and she was afraid that she would never make it down the hallway to cross over the landing to their room without being heard. There was also the possibility that the thieves were already in there searching for valuables.
Jolene stripped off her nightgown and quickly pulled on the pair of cargo pants and oversized t-shirt that she had carelessly thrown on the chair in the corner of her bedroom. Opening her closet door, Jolene dug around until she felt the long wooden bat she kept from her days of playing softball and closed the door softly.
Standing at her doorway, which she always left open whenever she was alone in the house, the hallway was pitch dark, except for the moonlight that shone through the skylight that was at the opposite end of the hall, near the stairs. Creeping very slowly, Jolene headed towards the stairs.
If I can get downstairs to the back door, I can get to one of the neighbors for help, she thought.
Suddenly, Jolene stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the noises that had woken her up once again. What sounded like grunting and moaning was getting louder and louder. Jolene reasoned that the thieves must be lifting something heavy, but almost flew into a panic when she realized that they were going up the stairs, not down.
Without warning, two bodies came hurtling around the corner and, terrified, Jolene lifted her bat and started swinging. Narrowly missing the head of one of the intruders, Jolene started yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Get the hell out of my house, you low-life piece of shit! You don't mess with SAMCRO!"
Swinging the bat again, it crashed into one of Gemma's favorite vases, which shattered into a million pieces, the sound just adding to the chorus of screaming and cursing in the darkened hallway. Jolene managed to shove one of her attackers with her hip, sending them crashing into the wall before falling in a heap on the floor. As a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, Jolene threw her right arm up and her elbow connected solidly with someone's face, followed by a wet, crunchy sound. Pulling herself away from her attacker, who was screaming like a girl, by the way, Jolene whirled around and brought the bat up so that she could follow through with a blow that would hopefully crack their skull like a walnut.
"Oh, shit!. Wait! Wait, damn it!" A voice shouted in the darkness.
A very familiar voice.
"Who the fuck is that?" Jolene nearly screamed, the bat still up in the air.
"It's me, damn it! Jax!"
Jolene's feet nearly went out from under her as she dropped the bat. Staggering on her feet, Jolene dragged herself to the end of the hall and switched on the hall light.
And there, sitting on the floor was her stepbrother, and he wasn't alone. He had his arm around Tara Knowles, who was holding her nose as it spewed blood that was dripping through her fingers.
Holy shit!
"This is all your fuckin' fault." Clay Morrow pointed a ringed finger at his stepson, while Gemma grimly tried to wipe the blood off of Tara's face to better assess the damage.
"I already know that!" Jax retorted. "In spite of your need to say it ten times, I managed to catch it the first time around!"
The mood was grim in the Teller-Morrow dining room. Sitting at the table, a quietly sobbing Tara was being administered to by Gemma, a first aid kit lying open on the table between them. An angry Jax was sitting next to her, holding her hand, and doing his best to comfort his girlfriend. Directly across from them sat Jolene with her father standing at her side.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Gemma lied. "But I'm pretty sure your nose is broken."
That's my girl!
The phone call Gemma had received about half an hour ago at the Clubhouse had not been unexpected. Jax was agitated and Gemma just knew he was calling to report on the ugly scene that had taken place between him and his stepsister. But nothing, nothing, could have prepared Gemma for the epic beat down that had actually taken place.
Unfortunately, Gemma had been sitting with Clay when she got the call and now, she was going to have to do major damage control to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-scale brawl between her son and her new husband.
"Baby," Gemma turned to Clay. "I know you are upset—"
"You're damn right I'm upset." Clay nearly bellowed. "Your son and his ga—" Clay caught himself and then continued. "Friend scared the living shit out of my baby girl."
"That justifies her breaking my nose?" Tara was incredulous. "Look at me!"
"You're lucky she didn't kill you! Had she gotten that Glock like she wanted for Christmas, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now! You sneaking into my house justifies Jolene defending herself. She's not in the wrong here. This is all on you," Clay pointed to Tara. "And especially, you!" He barked at Jax.
Already feeling miserable for spooking Jolene, who in turn busted his girl's nose, Jax's temper flared. He leapt to his feet, fists clenched and, as Clay moved towards him, Gemma jumped up to stop the two from taking it further. "That's enough!"
As silence descended in the dining room, it took everything Jolene had not to jump out of her chair, pump her fist in the air, and let out a war whoop of victory over her sworn enemy.
Turning on the hallway light to see Tara lying on the floor practically bleeding out had been awesome. She only wished she could yell it from the rooftops and couldn't wait to get to the lot tomorrow so she could tell her Uncle Elvis.
Donna is going to shit a brick!
Turning back to the scene in the kitchen, Gemma had managed to get Jax to back off and return to his seat next to Tara. Putting her hand on her husband's shoulder, Gemma said, "I think we can agree that this was an unfortunate accident and that no one can really be held to blame for what happened." Stroking Clay's cheek, Gemma said, "Right, baby?"
Clay looked into his wife's eyes and looked down at Jolene, who seemed to be quite calm. Seeing that relaxed calmness finally brought down Clay's ire. "I guess so." He replied reluctantly. Putting an arm around Jolene's shoulder, he gave her a tender squeeze. "Are you sure you're okay, baby girl?"
Jolene smiled up at her father. "I'm fine, Daddy."
Looking at her husband, Gemma nodded at Tara. "Maybe you have something you might want to say?"
Clay sighed. This being a new family shit was going to kill me.
But Clay knew how fortunate he was that Gemma had allowed herself to find love for a second time and with him, no less. He knew his old lady wanted the situation resolved with as little bloodshed as possible. Lord knows, Jolene had shed enough blood for all of them. Although Clay was still extremely pissed, with his daughter whole, he saw no reason to take it any further.
Clay looked at Jax and Tara. "I'm sorry if I said anything out of line. I guess emotions are running a little high right now."
Jax nodded and got up from his end of the table and walked around to Clay. Holding out his hand, Jax said, "I'm very sorry that this happened, Clay. I didn't know Jo was home and I hope you realize that I would never deliberately put her in danger."
Looking at Jax's outstretched hand, Clay sighed softly. He had known Jax as a young boy and had watched him grow into the young man that was standing before him now. He knew JT's boy was a good kid, just as obsessed with getting laid as were most boys his age. Remembering the warm spot his baby girl had for both Teller boys, who had made her feel at home in Charming since day one, Clay decided to let bygones be bygones. Clay took Jax's hand and shook it, accepting his apology.
Jax then turned to Jolene. Squatting next to her, Jax rested on his haunches. Bringing his hand up to stroke the side of her face softly, he found his fingers drawn like a magnet to her long dark hair, which was as soft as silk to his touch.
"I'm really sorry, little darlin'. You have to know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?"
Looking at him with wide, doe eyes, Jolene trembled at Jax's touch and was barely able to reply as her heart soared in her chest. "I know you wouldn't." She said softly.
Seeing the obvious affection between the stepsiblings, Tara made an effort to be conciliatory. "I'm sorry as well." Directing her next comment to Jolene, "I never meant to scare you."
Breaking eye contact as Jax stood up, Jolene nodded but didn't reply.
Gemma's eyebrows quirked. "Jolene, don't you have something you want to say?"
Not really.
Seeing Gemma's eyes boring into hers, Jolene relented. Looking at Tara, she said, "I'm sorry, too."
Tara narrowed her eyes. No she isn't!
Jolene looked directly into Tara's eyes. No I'm not!
Jax wasn't in the best of moods as he parked his bike in his spot on the lot the following afternoon. Last night had been a comedy of errors, but no one was laughing, least of all him. He was angry with himself, feeling guilty that Tara had gotten hurt on his watch. He had never thought that the possibility existed that she would be attacked in his own home.
A Friday night gone down the drain because, instead of rocking her world in his bed, Jax had spent the early hours of Saturday morning holding Tara's hand as she waited her turn in St. Thomas' emergency room. The only bright spot had been that Tara's father had been working the overnight shift over at the industrial factory in Lodi, so the drunk bastard had no clue that his daughter had not spent the night in her bed. In retrospect, with her old man working two towns over, Jax realized that they should have chosen Tara's bedroom for their private party last night instead. It was what they usually did on nights like that, but this time Tara had insisted that she wanted to make love to him in his room.
As he entered the Clubhouse, he could tell from all the crooked grins on the faces of the Club members that word had spread on last night's main event at the Teller-Morrow residence.
He was in for it now.
Jax had barely cleared the Clubhouse entrance when a voice cried out from the pool table, "Hey, Jackie Boy! I guess ya mad at me for teaching our 'lil luvvie a couple of moves. I dinna think it would put such a crimp in your plans last night!"
Laughter filled the Clubhouse. But the jokes didn't stop there. "More like put a crimp on his dick! Good thing Doll Face stopped when she did, otherwise he'd be nutless for sure." Tig snarked.
Jax stood still as he was subject to insult after insult as each patch tore into him. And standing there with a pool cue in her hands, looking like she was begging the earth to open up and swallow her whole, was the bane of his existence, Jolene Morrow.
As the brothers continued to razz Jax, Jolene's heart tightened in her chest with each barb thrown at him. She was starting to feel awful, almost sick to her stomach, about ratting him out. Initially, her only intention had been to share the epic nose-smashing beat down with her Uncle Elvis. After all, he was her special confidant.
While Jolene knew that her father loved her dearly and would do anything for her, she had a special relationship with Bobby. She knew she could share anything and everything with her uncle and not only would he never tell a soul, but he would lovingly give her the best advice he could. He would listen to her as she blathered on and on about her dreams and aspirations, especially concerning a certain young blond biker. Even though Jolene was sure that he felt she was setting the bar pretty high, he never shot down her feelings, instead encouraging her to set goals and to work hard to achieve them.
It was late morning that Saturday when Jolene strolled into the Clubhouse to discover Uncle Elvis in a serious baking mood. He had just pulled her favorite blueberry muffins out from the oven. As they sat at a table, Jolene slathered butter on a warm muffin as her mouth ran a mile a minute, giving Bobby a dramatic blow-by-blow account of what she called her first "ho down." When Chibs and Tig entered the Clubhouse and tried to join the conversation, Jolene quickly pulled back in the telling. But as Tig and Chibs kept egging her on, Jolene got increasingly bolder. When the late-to-the-party stragglers, Piney and Big Otto showed up and started piling on the encouragement, Jolene finally lost control and had actually hammed up the storytelling until the entire Clubhouse was roaring with laughter.
Last night, Jax had felt true gut-wrenching remorse from having scared a home-alone Jolene half to death, but as he stood in the middle of the Main Room, seeing her biting her lip and practically shaking in her boots, it was obvious Jolene had been the one to drop the one ton dime on his ass. Suddenly, with his feelings of regret gone, all that remained was his anger.
Jax cut loose. "Yeah, whatever. She probably knew it was me all along. Who knew I was living with a bat-wielding, cock-blocking psycho brat!" The moment the words left his mouth, Jax regretted it, but it was too late.
The Clubhouse was suddenly silent as Jax's statement hung in the air.
Jolene felt the tears stinging the back of her eyes, but refused to cut them loose. Even though Jolene knew she was solely responsible for the ribbing Jax was getting, her pride wouldn't allow her to own up to it. Instead of apologizing, her wounded animal instinct kicked to the forefront and she bit back.
"I guess being the Prince means never having to own up to your mistakes, especially when there's a psycho brat around to pin them on." Jolene threw her pool cue down on the table and stomped out of the Clubhouse.
Bobby, carrying a pan of banana bread fresh out of the oven, entered the Main Room just in time to hear Jax flinging abuse at Jolene and Jolene kicking it right back. Dropping the pan on the bar, Bobby slowly walked up to him and put a hand still wearing an oven mitt on Jax's shoulder.
"Son, I suggest you go make that right with Kit before you have some serious issues in this Clubhouse."
Observing the grim faces of the brothers who had witnessed the ugly exchange, Jax sighed. Completely and thoroughly ashamed of himself, Jax nodded and walked out of the Clubhouse to find Jolene.
Finding her didn't take long at all because she was sitting on the picnic table right outside the Clubhouse. Wearing an oversized T-M work shirt, a pair of faded ripped jeans, and battered work boots, Jolene was doing her best to hide the fact that she was crying.
Jax climbed onto the table and sat down next to her, their denim clad legs touching. Not saying anything as Jolene delicately sniffed, he dug into the pocket of his leather motorcycle jacket. Pulling out a blue bandana, he handed it to her. Not making eye contact with Jax, Jolene took it from him, wiped her eyes and blew her nose loudly, several times and tried handing it back to him.
"You don't really think I want that back do you?" Jax teased, causing Jolene to snort.
Reaching over, Jax put his arm around her shoulders. Pulling her into him so that she rested in the crook of his arm, he kissed Jolene softly on the frontal lobe.
"I'm sorry, little darlin'. That was completely uncalled for."
Desperately trying to recover from the shock of practically being in Jax's arms, never mind him kissing her, Jolene breathlessly replied, "It sure was."
Not really noticing the effect he was having on her, Jax asked incredulously, "And what about you, huh? Was it fair telling everyone in the Clubhouse what happened last night?"
Finally breathing normally, Jolene knew the answer to that and decided to own up to it. "No, it wasn't. I'm sorry, too." Jolene held out a hand. "Truce?"
"Truce." Jax took her hand in his and squeezed it gently before releasing it. Then, using his right hand, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Keeping his left arm wrapped around her, Jax managed to light a smoke with one hand. She watched him with wide eyes, in complete awe and extremely delighted to still be practically snuggled in her man's arms.
God, wait until I tell D!
Turning back to the matter at hand, Jolene pointed to Jax's cigarette. "When did you start doing that?"
"A while now."
"You better not let Gemma catch you." Jolene said, getting a little breathless again as she realized that his perfectly-shaped lips were a breath away from her face.
"Don't you worry," Jax smiled. "I can handle my mom."
Jolene rolled her eyes. "So how's your girlfriend?" She asked in a conciliatory tone.
"She's got a broken nose, so she's not exactly happy with me right now, especially now that her dad's seen her. He's not too thrilled with me either, so it looks like we'll be on hiatus for a little while, until things calm down."
In fact, Tara had gone ballistic when the doctor confirmed that her nose had been broken and now they were on the outs, which was part of the reason why Jax had lost his mud in the Clubhouse with Jolene. She had been an easy target, which made Jax feel even shittier.
Jolene nodded solemnly at Jax's explanation, but her heart gave a little leap of joy. Finally! If the end result of last night's events was that Jax split up with 'Miss Perfect and Boring,' Jolene would take her lumps and then do a happy dance all the way down Main Street.
Holding Jolene like this feels nice, Jax mused as they sat in comfortable silence watching the controlled chaos of a Saturday afternoon at the garage. Almost too nice.
Taking a puff from his cigarette, Jax looked at Jolene out of the corner of his eye. At thirteen, she was all long limbs with a boyish figure, but Jax could see the potential for great beauty in the delicate bone structure of her face. One day, he realized, when puberty finally decided to knock on her door and she finally grew into her beautifully wide green eyes, Jolene Morrow was gonna be a real heartbreaker. Even he had to admit that he loved her hair. Her long mane of midnight-colored curls was so thick and silky, he almost couldn't help himself from reaching out to run strands through his fingers.
Jax felt Jolene shiver slightly and, misinterpreting it as a reaction to the slight chill in the air, he pulled her in closer as he smoked his cigarette. In reality, Jax was sending shivers down her spine as he unconsciously played with one of her loose curls, gently twirling it around his index finger and rubbing it with his thumb.
With her poker face firmly in place, Jolene wondered, if by sitting this close, Jax could hear her rapidly beating heart because she couldn't hear anything but. Thinking that he must have a least a slight clue as to her feelings about him, Jolene strained her eyeballs to get a look at his face, afraid that any movement on her part would cause his arm to drop from her shoulders.
He looked deep in thought and as beautiful as ever. Jolene sighed and, in a daring move, laid her head against his shoulder. Jax half-smiled as he finished his smoke and flicked the butt halfway into the parking lot.
Jax knew exactly how she felt about him and, in spite of the age difference and their now-close relation, he didn't have the heart to discourage her. But still, maybe getting this close wasn't such a great idea. Ever since he started seeing Tara, Jolene had been all bent out of shape and even though they had been close as kids, Jolene had to understand that he was in love with Tara.
After last night, the tension between the two girls was bound to increase and that was a recipe for disaster. Living under the same roof with Jolene while still seeing Tara would not be easy going forward. That's why the sooner he was asked to prospect, the better because hopefully patching in would allow him to move into the Clubhouse so that he would have a place of his own to be with his girl.
Maybe what happened last night was for the best after all.
Taking a break from Tara was a good thing for now, as it gave Jax the time to focus solely on the Club. Neither Gemma nor Jolene realized that, instead of tearing the couple apart, the events of last night had actually started the ball rolling in solidifying their relationship.
Someone's bound to get their heart broken, Jax contemplated, the thought that it would be his never crossing his mind.
"D, it was a thing of beauty!" Jolene leaned back in her chair. Putting her hands behind her head, Jolene sighed as she rocked her chair back and forth. "I only wish I could have seen the initial impact. I bet the blood shot out of her nose like a freaking geyser."
Sitting at the table across from her friend, Donna giggled at the word picture Jolene had painted. "God, little 'Miss Butter-Wouldn't-Melt-in-her-Mouth' must have had a fit."
"Oh, she thought about it, but Dad put her in her place real quick. Jax later told me that she really lost her shit at St. Thomas, though. As far as I'm concerned, she deserved everything she got." Jolene declared. Bending forward conspiratorially even though there was no one around to hear, Jolene whispered. "The noises she was making nearly scared the shit out of me. If what I heard were the sounds of passion, then I'm surprised a moose didn't show up after hearing it's mating call!"
"Shut up! You heard them?" Donna's eyes rolled around in her head.
"Girl, the whole neighborhood heard them." Jolene exaggerated. "It was disgusting. Come to think of it, it sounded more like the mating call of the wildebeest."
Sitting at a table in the corner of the Reference Section of Charming's Public Library, Jolene gave her BFF the 411 on the weekend's events. Donna, who had been occupied all weekend long with visiting relatives, had to wait until Monday afternoon before she could get the full scoop on her very first "ho down."
And for some reason I'm sure it won't be Jo's last.
Jolene smiled in what, in Donna's mind, was a very sexy and knowing way for her age. "And that's not all that happened either."
"What? Tell me, what?" Donna exclaimed excitedly.
"Ssh!"
Jolene and Donna turned as Miss McGillicuddy, the elderly spinster Head Librarian, shook her head at the two noisy young girls.
"God," Jolene groused. "What is she fussing for? There's nobody in the whole damn place but you and me."
"Because she can, but forget her and get back to the good stuff." Donna ordered.
Jolene quickly remembered where she left off in their conversation. Getting butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it, she leaned over the old wooden table.
Jolene whispered. "He touched me."
"Oh, get the hell out!" Donna yelped, and then slapped her hands over her mouth.
"Twice!" Jolene let out a breathless sigh. "And then he kissed me."
"Say what?" Donna's voice squeaked.
At that point, Miss McGillicuddy realized that any hope of the two girls keeping their discussion down to a dull roar was non-existent. Throwing her hands in the air, the old librarian decided to go to the bathroom to readjust her support pantyhose.
Bubbling with excitement, Jolene quickly related her moment with Jax at the dining room table after the beat down and at the picnic table outside the Clubhouse.
Damn, maybe I need to get me a table. Pushing aside her secret thoughts about a certain brownish red-headed biker, Donna listened as Jolene extolled the sexiness of one Jax Teller.
"And guess what?"
Donna sighed dramatically. "What else could have happened?"
"My Dad decided that he didn't like the thought of me being trapped in my room without being able to call for help. Soooo . . . . I'm getting my own phone in my room!" Jolene exclaimed gleefully.
"Shut up!" Donna fell back on her chair. "Okay, its official. You have arrived, girlfriend. Welcome to the world, baby girl. You are officially a teenager. You lucky bitch! I'm 15 and I can't even use the phone without permission. You're probably the only person I know who would get rewarded for beating the shit out of someone." Donna rested her hand under her chin. "Just think. If Auntie Irma and Uncle Joe hadn't shown up from Mobile, Alabama on Friday night, you would have been with me and missed out on breaking NP's nose and getting your own phone!" Donna exclaimed.
Jolene, who was leaning back on the back legs of her chair, brought the chair down with a thump. "Damn, I never even thought about that shit. Well, then thank God for thoughtless relatives who show up unannounced. Friday night was probably the best night of my life since coming to Charming." Jolene said emphatically. A sudden thought popping in her head, Jolene giggled.
"What?" Donna asked as Jolene nearly rolled around laughing.
Suddenly as sober as a preacher, Jolene lamented as she shook her head slightly. "Poor Jackson. I was the only one that got to 'bang' his heifer Friday night."
Both girls slapped their hands over their mouths, stifling their laughter as Miss McGillicuddy made her way back to her seat.
After her gab-session with Donna at the library, Jolene was in an extremely good mood as she strolled onto the T-M lot. Entering the peacefully silent Clubhouse, the smell of Bobby's famous Chili and jalapeno cornbread wafting through the Main Room nearly knocked her off her feet. Throwing her backpack onto the pool table, Jolene ran into the kitchen and spotted a large bubbling pot sitting unattended on the stove. Quickly washing her hands, Jolene found a large cereal bowl and started to dish up the spicy Chili.
"Damn, where's the cornbread?"
"Kit, the cornbread ain't ready yet."
With a yelp, Jolene whirled around to see her Uncle Elvis standing in the doorway. Making a face at him, Jolene replied, "Then this will have to do. I'm starving today."
"You're starving every day." He kidded.
Walking past her uncle, Jolene rose on her tippy toes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before propping herself on a bar stool and diving face first into her bowl of Chili.
"So how was school?"
"It was okay." Jolene said around a mouthful. Swallowing, she continued, "I managed to finish my homework in study hall, so I'm free to work on a job today. Is Lowell around?"
"Yeah, he's rotating some tires right now." Bobby pulled away from the bar and headed towards the kitchen. "I'm going to check on the cornbread. If you slow down a minute, I'll bring you a piece to finish off your Chili."
Jolene laughed. "No need to slow down. There's plenty of Chili."
Jolene was thoroughly engrossed in the contents of her bowl. It wasn't until she felt the tiny hairs stand up on the back of her neck that she realized she wasn't alone.
"Good. I thought I might find you here."
Jolene slowly put down her spoon and swung around in her seat. Standing several feet away from her was Tara Knowles.
Jolene folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head to the side as she got a good look at her victim. But Jolene was so shocked at Tara's wardrobe choices that it took a minute before she could focus on her face.
What the hell happened to Miss Perfect and Boring?
The tight fire-engine-red spandex mini-skirt that Tara was wearing stopped mid-thigh and fully accented her curves. Her legs looked long and shapely in the 4-inch leopard print open-toed mules, with a matching leopard print shoulder bag. The barely one-step away from a hooker outfit was finished off with a tightly fitted black tank with a plunging neckline exposing Tara's full and creamy C-cups and a black leather jacket.
My God, she looks like a freaking croweater! And this is what Jax thinks is old lady material?
Finally, Jolene looked up from the plunging neckline to get a good look at the damage she had caused. Tara's nose was swollen to about twice its normal size. The small piece of white adhesive tape across its center accentuated the discoloration of her pale white skin, which had turned several shades of yellow, blue, and brown. Jolene looked in surprise at the discoloration that also reached Tara's right eye, which was also partially shut.
Jax forgot to mention that, Jolene thought gleefully.
And if the expression that shot through Tara's dark eyes like a laser beam was anything to go by, she was not at all happy.
"Well, you found me." Jolene said quietly. "What's up?"
"What's up?" Tara demanded. "I would have thought it was obvious." Pointing to her face, Tara said, "This is all your fault."
Jolene slid off of the stool and walked towards her. "Actually, I thought we all agreed that what happened wasn't anyone's fault. Besides, isn't that all water under the bridge now?"
"Not to me it isn't." Tara boldly strode up to Jolene so that she was almost in her face. "I think it's time that we came to an understanding."
Jolene felt her tongue go numb, a sure indication that she was about to lose her shit.
God, if this heifer doesn't get out of my face, she's gonna end up with a broken arm to go with her nose.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Jolene replied, "And what understanding would that be?"
"That I am Jax's girlfriend. You are nothing but his stepsister. It must have been cute at one time, you following him around like a lovesick puppy, but it's getting really old and really sad, really fast."
"Really?" Jolene asked sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest to keep herself from grabbing onto a handful of Tara's hair, which was swept to the side and over one shoulder.
"Really. I've tried to be nice and civil to you, but I'm done. You are nothing but a spoiled, bitchy little brat who's used to getting her way around here, but you confuse me for someone who cares because I don't play by SAMCRO rules. I've tolerated you because everybody seems to treat you like some little grease monkey princess, but you've gotten in my way one too many times. You kept me away from Jax all summer with your stupid little games and I don't believe for one minute that you didn't have a clue as to what was going on Friday night. You're just trying to ruin what Jax and I have and your little act is transparent and pathetic and I can't believe that Jax even puts up with you. He may have to because God knows he has to toe the line if he ever wants to be a member of this godforsaken MC, but I don't. Jax is mine, so it is in your best interest to stay out of my way. Is that clear enough for you?"
Jolene looked at Tara's dark and stormy eyes. While Jolene would never admit that she took advantage of Gemma's edict to keep Jax calm and rested by keeping Tara away from him during his recovery, it royally pissed her off that NP thought she had deliberately attacked the couple out of malice. Jolene was a hair-trigger away from going ape-shit, but during Tara's little tirade, Jolene had an epiphany.
I know it's my destiny to be with Jackson Teller, but destiny doesn't need my help. Every time I try to make it happen in my own timeframe, shit happens. The best thing I can do is to let this shit between Jax and Tara run its course to its bitter and ugly end. I'll have to suffer through it and, in the end, so will Jax, but eventually, I know he will be mine.
Jolene looked at Tara with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, it's clear, alright. Absolutely crystal. Are we done?" Without waiting for an answer, Jolene walked back to her Chili and paid no attention as Tara sashayed out of the Clubhouse, while her Uncle Elvis watched from the kitchen.
Thanking Lowell for dropping her off in the tow truck, Jolene sauntered into the Teller-Morrow house. Slinging her backpack on the dining room table, she headed to the fridge. Pulling the door open and perusing the contents, Jolene settled on a can of soda.
Slamming the door shut, Jolene let out a screech as Gemma, who was standing hidden behind the door of the refrigerator, smiled. "Damn it, Gemma, what are you doing? Testing me to see if potty training took?"
"Sorry, Jolene. I thought you heard me come in." Gemma lied. Sitting down at her usual spot at the dining room table, Gemma crossed her long legs. "And how was school today?"
Jolene nearly rolled her eyes at the beautiful woman. She was still not used to the idea of having a stepmother. While she wouldn't compare Gemma to the wicked step-bitches from the fairy tales, the jury was still out on their new relationship. The fact remained that Jolene had been a daddy's girl from the moment she set foot in Charming and while she was mature in some ways, she was still a teenager and still found it difficult sharing her father with the new woman in his life.
Imitating her stepmother, Jolene sat down at the table across from Gemma and crossed her legs. Popping the top on the soda, Jolene took a deep long pull. Letting out an indelicate burp, she placed the can on the table. "It was okay."
"Well, I bet you and your BFF had a lot to talk about." Jolene raised her eyebrows as Gemma continued. "The Friday night smack down."
"Oh, that." Jolene replied languidly. "I'm not really sure. We talk about so many things, you know."
"Tell me, what do you think of her?"
"Of who?" Jolene decided to play dumb.
"Who do you think? Cindy Crawford?"
Jolene tried but couldn't stop the snort from exiting her nose. "Oh, you mean NP."
"NP?" Gemma asked quizzically.
Jolene considered not explaining the reference. After all, some adults tend to wig out when their teenage children used profanity, but Jolene figured that it was better to be real with Gemma than not.
"New Pussy. I try not to learn the names of Jax's new whores. He changes them so often, it would be a complete waste of my time and energy."
It took all Gemma had not to let out a snort herself.
This one sure has a set.
"That certainly is true, but this one's been around for a while now. Besides, I think it would be kind of hard to forget her. After all, you did break her damn nose."
"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." Jolene said nonchalantly. Thinking about her earlier run-in with Tara at the Clubhouse, Jolene almost chuckled. "One thing's for sure, though. She'll never forget my name."
"You don't think much of her, do you?"
"No, not really."
"Any particular reason?"
"I could probably come up with a few dozen reasons, all personal, but it all boils down to one reason that Jax doesn't see." Jolene looked her stepmother in the eye. "Tara Knowles is simply not cut out for the Life. The Life will eat her alive."
Gemma took a good long look at Jolene. Seeing the serious and determined expression on her young face, gave Gemma pause. The fact was, Gemma felt exactly the same way about Tara.
"Go on," Gemma prodded.
Realizing that Gemma was actually interested in her input, Jolene straightened up in her chair and folded her hands on the table.
"I don't think she's a bad person. Hell, considering some of the other ho-bags Jax has banged in the past, she's somewhat normal. But, she's just too damn needy, always in need of rescuing. How many times has Jax run out of here in the middle of the night because her father came home drunk and made her cry? Jesus, if only I had a dollar for each time! And she wants out of Charming. She's buying a one-way ticket out of here as soon as she can, I can tell by just looking at her. She thinks she's too good for this town, for its people, maybe even too good for Jax. She hates the MC. She's gonna try to change him and I can see her trying to pull Jax away."
"That'll never happen." Gemma replied determinedly.
Jolene quirked an eyebrow at Gemma. "You absolutely sure about that? He's been with her longer than anyone, ever. He's more connected to her than anybody I've seen him with before and she is different, I'll give her that much."
Knowing how close Jax and Jolene have been through the years, Gemma contemplated what Jolene was saying. "You think Jax sees her as old lady material?"
"Old lady material? No." He can't because he belongs to me. He just doesn't know it yet. "And if he does, he's in for a rude awakening. Once he gets patched, NP will be nothing more than a bad memory."
"You think so?" Gemma smiled.
"I know so."
"You may have a point," Gemma said, humoring her. "But you do realize that there's no guarantee that Jax will be asked to prospect."
"Oh, but he will be. He has to. Jax is SAMCRO. He's destined to do great things for the Club, but only with the right old lady by his side supporting him. You'll see, one of these days, Jax is gonna have a choice to make, and I know it will be the right one."
As Jolene got up to go to her room, Gemma reached for her cell phone. Gemma started dialing her husband's pre-pay, but stopped and reconsidered. Her relationship with Clay was still in the honeymoon stage.
No need to rock that boat just yet.
Jolene was definitely on the right track. Gemma decided to give Bobby a call instead to see where his head was at. If Jax's destiny was indeed SAMCRO, and she believed it was as much as, if not more than, Jolene did, then it was time to get the ball rolling.
Jax was leaning against the entrance of the greenhouse door, watching his mother, who was in the midst of repotting one of her favorite plants, an African Violet. The young man had always known that his mother was a beautiful woman, but it seemed like she became even more so as she got older and more comfortable in her own skin.
At 37, Gemma was vibrant, sexy, and sparkled with life. It had been a hard bone to swallow when she decided to remarry. Jax had barely turned sixteen and was still trying to adjust to life without one of his parents and had grown quite possessive of his mother. Knowing how much his parents had loved each other, Jax had thought it unlikely that Gemma would ever want to marry again.
Still mourning the death of her youngest son only three years before, the weight of the grief over losing her husband so soon was threatening to crush the otherwise strong-willed and determined woman. So when Clay Morrow had entered the picture six months after his father had died, Jax was stunned that Gemma had accepted his advances. The man who had replaced his father at the head of the Redwood table was looking to replace him in the heart of his widow as well.
It was almost too much for Jax to take in all at once. He was still grieving for his brother and father and couldn't help but resent the blossoming relationship between his mother and the new SAMCRO President. Had it not been for Bobby, Jax would have gone off the deep end. Knowing how his mother felt about him, Jax had been willing to manipulate her in order to get her away from Clay. It had taken a long talk with Bobby over a shared joint to open Jax's eyes. Despite his feelings of angst concerning the new man in her life, Jax could see that, for the first time in a long time, his mother was really happy. It was obvious that Gemma had a better handle on her own love life than he had on his.
"So, are you going to keep holding up the doorframe or are you going to come in and talk to me?" Gemma called out without turning her back.
Jax smiled as he swaggered into the greenhouse. The fact that Clay had it built from the ground up on the acreage of their new home just because Gemma had asked him to proved to Jax how totally enamored Clay was of his mother.
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Jax gave his mother a little squeeze and then leaned against the table to watch her work.
"You got eyes on the back of your head?" Jax asked her, not for the first time in his life.
"They sprouted the day you were born, shithead." Gemma shot back with her standard reply. Gently pressing the last bit of dirt around the newly repotted plant, she took off her dirt covered work gloves and set them on the table. Reaching out, she tucked a stray hair behind his ear.
God, he looks so much like John, she thought tenderly.
"So what's today's life-threatening dilemma in your teenage universe?" She asked snarkily.
"Why do you always assume that I'm in the shit?" Jax retorted.
"Because I know my son, and I know that look on your face in particular. That's the young angry man look most teenage boys get when their pussy starts acting up on them, so just go ahead and spill it."
What the hell? Did she call the Psychic Hot Line?
Jax rubbed his face with both hands and sighed, deciding to give into his mother's bullying tactics. "It's Tara."
"Well, no shit, Sherlock. I gathered that much. What is it specifically?"
"After what happened last weekend, we decided to cool it down a little. Tara's dad wasn't happy about what happened." He didn't tell Gemma that Tara had told her father a modified version of events regarding where and what she was doing at the time of the incident, but Jax had a feeling that he saw through the deception, and that he really didn't give a shit anyway.
Michael Knowles was a functioning alcoholic and when he wasn't working, he spent most of his time down at the Hairy Dog drinking away his paycheck, instead of seeing to the needs of his only daughter.
"Yeah, I thought I hadn't seen her around the Clubhouse lately." Gemma commented.
Apparently, the beat down had more than just a few silver linings, Gemma smirked to herself.
"Well, actually she did come down on Monday afternoon to see Jolene." Jax said grimly. "She wanted to lay down the law after what happened."
Gemma rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms underneath her impressive rack. "And Tara is still alive?"
I can't believe the little heifer didn't tell me about this when we talked.
Jax grinned a little. "Actually, I'm surprised about that myself. Jolene's not really known for containing her mud."
"So how did you find out?"
"Bobby. He was in the kitchen and heard the whole thing. He was more than a little pissed and after what he told me, so was I. Jolene may be busting her chops a little, but that was no excuse to go off on her like that. Tara's older and smart. She should have handled the situation better. Jolene's family and only family has the right to put a foot up your ass when needed."
After being pulled aside by Bobby, Jax roared off the lot peeling tires to get to Tara's house. He didn't know or really understand where this anger had come from, but he was pissed. He was determined to make it clear that, even though she was his girl, Tara was still an outsider. She did not have the right to dictate what went on whether in or out of the Clubhouse or to take it upon herself to chastise his family. He was so intent on planning on what to say, he was literally speechless when Tara opened the door.
Seeing her in what was definitely a wardrobe don't, Jax had quickly pushed her inside before anybody could see the hooker standing on her doorstep. In no uncertain terms, Jax made it clear that he wasn't happy at all, not just with her attack on his stepsister, but with her current croweater get up.
Although Tara was shocked at how angry, abrasive, and unkind Jax was with his hot angry glare and flared nostrils, she came to a stunning conclusion.
An angry Jax is a hot Jax.
Thinking that she could talk him off the ledge, Tara quickly jumped him. It had taken her a few minutes to get him to join the party, but once he did, and they headed to her room, she was sure that she had things back in hand.
Jax on the other hand, was not feeling at all good about the situation. He had allowed his penis to call the shots. Again. He shared the entire episode with his mother, with the exception of their marathon make-up session.
It didn't matter as Gemma could read what happened right on his face. The hickies that were poorly hidden by the collar of his jacket were a dead giveaway too.
Poor baby. Two steps forward, one step back. When is he going to get a clue that this girl is just not for him?
Therefore, Gemma was surprised when Jax confessed that he was thinking along the same lines. "Mom, I really care about her, but sometimes I wonder if me and Tara are a good thing."
Tell me something I don't know.
Gemma decided to try a little reverse psychology. "Baby, I would be the last person to try and tell you what to do," She started and the fact that she managed to say it with a straight face caused Jax to snort out loud. "The girl has a lot going for her. She's pretty and has a nice figure. But just remember one thing, baby." Gemma wrapped her arm around her son as she led him out of the greenhouse. "Not everything that glitters is gold."