Excuses are like assholes, everyone's got them and I'm no different. So we'll blame this lackluster chapter on real life. Its moving closer to some real action, just looking for that damn bridge to connect the beginning and the end. Hang in there...MKAngelus

OLODL CH8

Opie didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Wyatt was still wet in his arms fussing now that he was more awake, Abel was having a full on nuclear meltdown, Ellie was concerned about Kenny, Chuckie was so confused and upset he didn't know which way was up, Jax was looking murderous and to top off the blood soaked office and leaking garage, now his son was sick. "Well, that about sums up the morning so far", he said to no one in particular. "Ellie honey, will you please change Wyatt and put him back in the play pen for me?"

She nodded and took the baby from his arms, "Jax, gonna go clean up some puke, then we'll figure out what to do." He stood and grabbed a handful of rags from the bucket that Chuckie was using behind the counter when the wild rumpus started. Jax merely grunted, deftly avoiding the tiny swinging fists of his son as he tried to get his shirt back on. Chuckie took the brief lull in activity to go into the kitchen and warm up a bottle, he also put a pop tart on to cook knowing full well that Abel was going to want something to eat once he settled back down and from the way the morning was going, he didn't want to even think about trying to cook. At this rate the clubhouse was apt to catch fire or something.

After Opie had gotten the puke cleaned up, he set Piper and Ellie in front of the TV and called the school to let them know that Kenny wouldn't be there for the day, it was days like this that he felt Donnas loss the most. He knew the basics, but couldn't tell if there was a fever just by putting his hand on his forehead like a mom could, and the clubhouse apartment wasn't really outfitted with children's thermometers. He figured the best he could do was keep him home and see if he got better. After calling the school, he dialed another number on his phone.

"Hi baby, what's up?" Lila answered; surprisingly awake for such an early call.

"That's a loaded question babe, it's turning into quite a circus over here." He paused, "Listen, Kenny just threw up, so should I give him some aspirin or something?"

Lila smiled against the phone, big, strong and tough, Opie turned into a typical man where the kids were concerned, she told him what to do and he smiled gratefully. "Thanks babe, see you tonight." He started to hang up and said, "Wait, why are you awake so early anyway?"

"Tara and I are going to Glitter with some of the club for breakfast and a show then we're going shopping and we wanted to beat the heat. Why?"

"No reason love, see you tonight." He said.

"Goodbye Ope, good luck with the kids and kiss Piper for me." She smiled into the phone and hung up. As he pocketed the phone and started to pull a blanket up over Kenny, Opie paused, Glitter? Glitter was a 24 hour strip joint where most of the crow eaters associated with the Vegas charter had worked at one time or another. He didn't even know they had a breakfast show.

Making his way back into the main room, he pulled one of Jax's too tight t-shirts on and tossed his jacket and cut onto the pool table, Abel was slowly pulling apart his pop tart in front of the TV and Wyatt was happily working his bottle towards empty. Jax had a cigarette lit and was staring out the window towards the garage. "You ready brother?" Opie asked, snaking a pop tart from the box. Jax half turned and looked at him, "Not really, I'm wondering what else is going to happen. Maybe we should drive by Gemma's house and drop the kids off first."

"We'll check it out and if it's necessary, then that's the plan. C'mon." Opie shoved the rest of the tart in his mouth and the two of them made their way to the stream of blood under the garage door. The sun had fully announced itself as master of the sky and they wanted to get this figured out before Dog and the prospects showed up. Opie pulled the garage door open as Jax stood with his pistol drawn, supporting the gun with both hands, knees bent as he waited for who knows what to spring out of the open bay door.

"Huh, I didn't see that coming did you?" Jax said dropping his hands and putting the pistol in his pocket.

"No, I fully expected there to be some dumb naked dead bitch laying here. What the fuck is going on Jax?" Opie turned away from the gutted pig carcass that was laying on the concrete floor, the last of its blood slowing as it dried.

Jax ran his hand over his face and into his hair and said, "I dunno man, this is the weirdest week I've ever had in my life." Just then the prospects arrived, and Jax turned to waive as they parked. Walking over, he held up his hand before they could speak and said, "Clean this shit up and keep your mouths closed. Got it?" The two of them nodded and headed into the garage to get the grisly job started, Opie added to the directive with, "Clean the office too." Another nod and then Opie and Jax walked over to the picnic table and sat down.

"So we have a bloody office, a dead pig, and Wendy's truck. A bunch of faked pictures, no idea who's doing what and nowhere to start." Jax said as they sat on the table, his white sneakers resting lightly on the bench.

"Not to mention a sick kid, two babies and I've got to leave to take Ellie and Piper to school. No idea where Gemma is, a two fingered psychopath in charge and our old ladies are coming home tonight, I think that just about sums it up." Opie said sarcastically, watching the prospects struggle to get the gutted pig onto a tarp. "So, who is behind this and what the hell is the point?" He continued.

"I don't know man, I don't fucking know." Jax was looking at the truck and trying to take a mental inventory of what he thought Wendy might try to see Abel. Opie got off the table and told Jax he was going to take the kids to school, he'd be back and they'd figure it out then. Jax nodded absent mindedly and continued to look at the truck. Opie and the two kids had just pulled out of the lot when Jax received a phone call. "Lo." He said, still preoccupied with the truck.

"What?"

"Who is this?"

"Mom?" He could barely understand the woman on the other end, there was a ton of static and the call kept fading in and out.

"Jackson, you have to…"

"MOM?" he yelled and the phone went dead, when he dialed her number again it went straight to voicemail. Frustrated he started to throw the phone against the wall but held tight, this was his personal phone not a prepay and he didn't need to deal with no phone on top of everything. He called Opie and told him about the call and that he was heading over to Gemma's house. Opie agreed to meet him there.

Jax went into the clubhouse and Chuckie was cleaning up after the kids, Kenny was still lying on the couch watching TV half awake and Abel was stacking blocks under the pool table. Wyatt had gone back to sleep and Jax knew that he couldn't take them all. Telling Chuck that he'd be right back after going to Gemma's house, he started to leave when Abel jumped up and ran over to him. "Wanna go Daddy."

Jax knelt in front of his son, "Not right now buddy, you stay here with Kenny and Wyatt and Chuck, I'll be right back."

"WANNA GO WANNA GO WANNA GO!" Each phrase was louder than the one before it and both Wyatt and Kenny started to stir. Jax took a deep breath and looked up, his mouth in a grim line he picked up Abel and made his way to the door. Completely silent he just glared as Chuckie started to speak, wisely Chuck stopped his sentence before it started and watched Jax carry the boy to the truck, Abel looking over his shoulder with a sunny grin on his face.