Chapter 11

To the Table

Playlist:

Hush: Hell Yeah

Stressed out: Twenty-One Pilots

A/N:

The past Haunts Chapter 11

Hey guys .first off thank you for all your continued support I'm sorry my updates aren't as frequent as I'd like them to be. I writer for a living and deadlines are a serious bitch. I'm still invested in this story. I'm going to try to post more frequently.

I wanted to give Opie a happy ending, and I really wanted to see more curvy brown gals represented, partially because I am one, and partially because as a writer my mission is to help diversify romance.

ItsLiz. Lol I didn't realize I outed myself. Yeap, that's me, and wow you've heard of me? Freaking small world. Thank you so much for your kind words and support in my original work and fanfiction.

Opie

Nervous doesn't begin to cover the way I fill as I nurse a beer at the bar and wait for the time to tick down for church. I'm bringing Jill and Leo to the table, and I'm not sure what the reaction will be. Everyone's so skittish and distrusting. Her reappearance is bad timing. Pop will vouch for her, though. As my best friend, I know Jax will too. The rest are anyone's guess.

"You doing okay, man?" Jax asks.

"Nervous. Shit is tense at the house. Ellie is giving Jill hell. Poor Kenny's torn between loyalty his sister and Donna, and the motherly affection and influence he craves and Jill doles out freely."

"It's a tough place to be in. How're they with Leo?"

"They love him. Feelings mutual too. The kid is amazing." I smile thinking of the kindhearted, intelligent young man I'm still getting to know a bit more each day. "I hate how many years I've lost with him. It's why I want to bring this out into the open. No more hiding. I'm proud to be his dad, and Jill deserves a break."

"What's going on there?" Jax asks.

I shake my head. "Hell if I know. The attraction is there. She's still sexy as fuck, and I'm not dead. We live in a small space."

"So what's the problem? Donna would've wanted you to be happy, and the kids need a stable female figure. Mary was a nightmare, and we both know Piney isn't up to raising them full time."

"I know." I sigh. My temples throb. These days I feel like I'm in an obstacle course. The minute I get past one problem, another is lurking just ahead, even more challenging.

"Once this shit gets cleared up the club can help," Jax says.

"Yeah? How? You got a how-to guide to fix this Maury Povich scenario I'm living?"

"Naw, dealing with that spitfire you have is on you. We can help with whatever you need monetarily. Bigger house. Counseling. We're there for you brother. I'm there."

I take another drink. The club and Pop have picked up my slack for long enough. It's time I get my ass in gear and be the man Donna thought I was when she married me. Bailing on my kids the way I did is embarrassing, but it was too much. I'd just reconnected with her and the kids before our world was ripped apart with bullets meant for me. A better man would've sent Jill and Leo away to keep them safe, but I'm weak and honest enough to know I need her.

She was always my rock, and she's slipped back into the role seamlessly.

"How's Jilly Bean handling everything?"

"Like a fucking champ. She takes Ellie's shit up to a point before she shuts her down gently if she crosses over into disrespectful territory. We're working on her. But really, her mom just died, so, of course, she's angry, confused, and bitter." I sigh. "You add that onto the fact that she's rolling into her preteens, and I'm in estrogen hell man."

Jax snorts. "Glad I got a boy."

"Yeah, the way you and Tara go at it, that could change soon enough."

Jax laughs. "Can't argue with that."

Clay walks in, and I sit up straighter.

"Church boys, playtime later," he calls.

Chairs scrape across the floor and women scoff as they're pushed aside. I walk in and take a seat, hoping I'm not about to get my ass chewed out and handed back to me.

I drift through the meeting. Not much has changed. I nod at the appropriate places and keep my facial expression stoic.

"So now that we've finished official business. Anyone want to speak?" Clay asks.

"Yeah. I got some changes in my house. The kids are back home, and I have someone helping me out. She's a friend of Samcro, but it's been awhile since she's been around and she- uh. Surprised me recently."

Jax clears his throat to cover up his choked laughter.

"You going to tell us who this mystery woman is?" Clay asks.

"My ex-girlfriend, Jillian. We have a boy together, Leo, who's sixteen now."

"Holy shit. What? Damn." Voices blend and blur. Clay's jaw drops, and his eyes nearly bug out of his head.

"We talking bout that chocolate dime piece with the nice rack?" Clay asks holding out his hands.

"Yeah, that's the one." I grind my teeth together to keep from snapping at him.

"Shit. You sure it's yours?" Clay asks.

'I am," Piney says.

"You been keeping secrets, old man?" Clay asks.

"She didn't want to cause undue drama. My boy and Donna were happy, and we were nearing the end of the war. Wasn't safe for her and the boy to come back when he was firstborn. After we got everything under control, too much time had passed."

"You're vouching for this gash?" Clay asks.

"Not a gash. She's a good girl who's worked hard to take care of my grandson. I'm the one who called her here. Opie needed help and she needed to come clean," Pop booms.

His defense makes me smile.

"Damn, look at you matchmaking," Clay says with a shake of his head. " I want her checked out thoroughly. If she's clean, then it's your business what you do, brother. Bring her around for the next family dinner so Gemma doesn't have my balls on a platter."

"I can do that."

"Jesus Opie. You must have some potent sperm. You had three before you hit twenty-five," Chibs says.

"Looks like," I agree. I like Chibs. He was kind to Jill, and he's great with kids. I want his support. I know Clay well enough to know what he says is all surface. If he see's something about Jillian's past he doesn't like he'll poke and proud behind the scenes. I see why he pisses Jax off. He's got an air of insincerity about him.

He knows his time to reign is coming to an end, and he's not about to go quietly. I usually keep my head down and do my part, but the shit with Donna opened my eyes in a major way. I'll be six feet under before I let anything else happen to my family because of Samcro or otherwise. I chose this life and brought them into it. I need to make good on my promise to Donna that I'll keep them safe. I know I failed you, but I sure as hell won't do the same with them.

"It's pretty fucked up that she kept it from you," Juice says.

"I'm not happy about it. But I get where she's coming from," I say.

"Things were real ugly back then. Not a place for brown to be hanging out. That girl had been through enough as it was," Tig says.

I see Juices eyes grow wide. It's not every day that Tig has anything nice to say for a woman who isn't Gemma.

"What happened to her?" Juice asks.

"She got into some trouble with a Mayan," I say quietly staring him down. Last thing I want to do tonight is go back down memory lane.

"She was always down for the club. I don't anticipate you finding anything funny on her, but I got to check," Clay says.

He's being nice and trying to save face. After the shit with Donna. I know how the games played. I glance over at my Dad and see his slight nod. I'll go with it.

"I understand," I say.

"Anything other bombs you want to drop on us?" Bobby asks.

"No, I don't want to steal your spot for secrets kids and ex-wives," I drawl.

The brothers laugh, and the tensions breaks. We finish up the meeting, and I walked out lighter than I'd been a week ago. Now we could stop being cloistered in the home bursting at the seams.

"You hanging around?" Jax asks.

"Naw man, I need to get back to my family."

"Is Jilly included in that?"

I tilt my head. "Why you riding me so hard about this?"

"Cause if you don't declare her off limits I can count five brothers that will be all over her like that." He snaps his fingers.

I clench my jaw. "Over my dead body."

"Make sure you tell them that, and you might want to run it by Jilly 'cause she's not the type to just accept shit because someone says so."

I massage my head through my beanie. "Yeah, you're right on that." We've been going through the motions the past few weeks. It's time we sit down and have a hard conversation.

"Good luck."

Jax pats my shoulder and flick him off as I stroll out of the club house ignoring the Croweaters trying to catch my eye. There's nothing they have to offer I want.