A/N 9/30/2018: A bit of a shorter chapter, but since I did't have all that shit with Jax and Tara, the shootout in the pub with the Mayans, or most of the shit with Tara and Kohn, it got a bit shorter, and I found myself reaching for filler. Sorry. XD The next chapter, I hope won't be so dull. Enjoy! ~Angel

"Lovely," Cam said, coming back to speak with Tig and Clay with the duffel. "This will float the cause, keep SAMCRO and us in business. Glad we could work it out Clay."

"Me too, Camron," Clay said, as if it was no skin off his back, which, thanks to Izzy, was only halfway true.

"How is, uh, the cause going?" Tig asked, trying to make conversation.

"Like any good war- slow and steady," Cam said.

"Michael McKeevy," he said, raising his glass. "Good soldier, good friend."

"To a unified Ireland. It'll never happen through nonviolence," put in to the toast.

"Hear, hear," Tig said. They drank to their lost comrade, and to the cause.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Tig and Clay made it back to the clubhouse where Opie, Piney, Bobby, Juice, and Jax were waiting for them.

"Where's Chibs?" Clay asked. Jax got a shit eating smirk on his face.

"He's indisposed. And if I knew Izzy had a set of lungs on her like that, I would have snagged her first," he said, taking a swig of his beer. Clay nodded.

"We'll fill him in later, though I distinctly remember telling him to keep business and pussy separate. We're golden with the Irish. We have a new contact. Cameron Hayes."

"Where's McKeevy?" Jax asked.

"Dead. Port authority in Oakland decided to change the deal. Tried to get three times more than they were worth. McKeevy lost it, and Hefner's guys beat him to death," Clay said.

"Shit, man." Jax said.

"You hear from your mother?" Clay asked. "I haven't been able to reach her."

"Yeah, she's with the kid at the hospital." Clay nodded.

"Good. I'm going home. You all should as well. Be here in the morning. We have a vote to put forth."

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Tara entered her bedroom, thinking that it bay be time to leave Charming for good. She let her hair down and threw the clip onto her night stand, where she saw her ipod lay. The very ipod she was sure she just saw in it's dock. Turning, she confirmed there was an ipod on the speakers. She began to get up, when she saw Kohn enter the room. She gasped, knowing that according to Hale, he was supposed to have left the day before.

"No! No!" she yelled as he grabbed her around her neck and muffled her cries with his hand.

"Shh, shh," he soothed, but it did nothing more than creep her out. She began to scream and he tried to muffle the sounds with a pillow. Once she seemed to have calmed, he pulled the pillow away, only for her to start again. He placed his hand over her mouth and pulled a gun, placing it to her temple.

"No screaming. You understand?" he said. She nodded. He pulled his hand away from her mouth and she began gasping.

"You're hurting me," she said. The bastard was heavy.

"I'm sorry," he said helping her up. "I'm sorry. I had to do it this way, Tara. But I just- I needed five minutes, and I knew there was no other way."

"You're in a lot of trouble, Josh. Please, just leave. I won't say anything," she plead with him.

"Five minutes. I just need- I need five goddamn minutes!" he spoke as she did before raising his voice when she wouldn't let him speak.

"Okay," she said quickly as he slammed her bedroom door. "Sure. Five minutes."

"Let's start over. Okay?" he asked. He pulled a chair up. "Thank you for giving me this chance."

Kohn took Tara's hands in his own. "I know that my behavior has been less than chivalrous, and I apologize for that. Sometimes love- passion-" he corrected. "Inspires a man's baser instincts. He does things he's not proud of." Tara nodded, hoping that if she played along, he would go away.

"I'm sorry for those things. I never meant to scare you. But the restraining order, come on. That was so out of the blue. And it made me feel like some kind of psycho," he said. Tara just had the brains to hold in a snort, thinking that there was no feeling about it. He was a kind of psycho.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You and Teller. I've seen you with him. That can never happen, you know that, right? You know that's all wrong, don't you?" Tara nodded. "It's okay. Water under the bridge. All that matters is this moment right now. You and me, Tara. We have the chance to put it all on the table. Work it out. Build the foundation that this relationship needs."

Tara finally found her voice. "Yes. Right," she said with a furrowed brow.

"Why don't you- Why don't you start?" he said, moving to sit at her side on the bed. Tara looked at him, like he was crazy, but he obviously was too crazy to see it!

"Okay," she said, pulling her hair behind her ear. She gives a loud sigh. "I guess, I should talk about, uh, What do you want me to-"

"No- Oh, sweetie- This is about what you want. This is your opportunity to clear the air. Tell me everything that you think doesn't work in our relationship. Be straight with me- Brutally honest," he encouraged, with a mad glint in his eye.

"Okay. I guess, you know, I was concerned. Back in Chicago, you were very possessive."

"Yes. That's true. Yes."

"And I- I- I got-"

"Frightened. I know. Sometimes my energy can be very big. I'm an intense guy. And I-I- I own that," he said.

"Yes. Right. I got frightened. That's why I filed the restraining order."

"But you know now, that there was nothing to be afraid of, right?" Tara could only nod. "You just, uh, You weren't used to being loved...so deeply." He leaned in to kiss her but she flinched away.

"Oh! Relax," he chuckled. She gave a chuckle of her own but just wanted to run away. "Tar-Tar. My little worry wart. Is there anything else you- you need to tell me?" he asked. "Get off your conscience?"

Tara only looked at him, knowing he was going to bring it up. "Our baby? You don't want to mention that?"

She swallowed hard. "I had an abortion at six weeks," she said emotionlessly. "It was never a baby."

"That's right. You had an abortion. Didn't bother to ask me how I felt about it. It was my baby too."

"It was never a baby," she stated firmly. Kohn lost it and slapped her. Tara exclaimed as her head jerked to one side. She tried to run to the door, but he spun her and slammed her against it, stunning and winding her. He picked her up in a bridal carry and laid her on the bed.

"I know in my heart, this is the right thing," he said, picking up the ipod on her bedside table, and going to plug it into her speakers. "What I feel for you is- It's deep. It's- it's God given. This is our chance for a fresh start, Tara," he said as he undressed and she started to come around.

"To do it right this time," Kohn lit a candle and climbed onto the bed on top of her. She was just aware enough to see that he had laid his gun down, the safety strap undone. "Let me give you that gift." Taking her shirt, he ripped it open along the buttons.

"No! No, wait! Wait, Josh. Wait, please," she said trying to gain his attention. "Please. Not this way. It's- it's- it's a fresh start," she managed to say, though she wanted to throw up.

"Um, mmm, make love to me," she said in gasps. Now she really might vomit. "Gentle, like I know you can. Please, baby. I know you don't want to hurt me. I know you don't. I know you love me."

"I do love you," he whispered.

"Then love me." She gingerly kissed him, and he lightly returned it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you," he said, as he began to cry. But he fought back the tears. "I just- I'm in so much pain. When I think about you- Do you have any idea how this feels?"

"Shh, I know. I know, baby. But I'm with you now. Right? It's just you and me- Just Joshy and Tar-Tar. Together." She kissed him again, and he returned it with passion. She managed to flip them over, and she ended the kiss, getting off the bed, and taking off her pants and sweater.

"I love you so much," he said. She only smiled at him and got back on the bed kissing him on his torso like she knew he liked. He tried to kiss her, but she stopped him, turning his head to the right, and kissed his neck before his lips. She then kissed his eyelid.

That's when she went for the gun. It caught him off guard that when he went to grab it, he only grabbed the holster. Using that to her advantage she pulled the gun itself away, and shot him in the gut. It wouldn't kill him right way, but without treatment he would die. He got off the bed so it separated them.

"Oh, God," he said in pain as he looked at the wound in his stomach. "You stupid bitch!"

Kohn lost his footing against the en suit door and slid down, exclaiming in pain. Tara kept his gun pointed at him, not knowing what to do. "Call an ambulance!" he demanded. "I'll bleed out. "

Tara began inching her way out of the room. Kohn tries once more to gain her attention. "Tara- Tara, I'm sorry. Don't let me die. Please, don't let me die. Please? I'm- I'm- I'm sorry. I'm-"

Instead she goes to her phone on the dresser and dials Jax. It rings once before she gets an alert, saying the number she had called wasn't available. That son of a bitch blocked her! She tried dialing his house. At least she got the voicemail.

"I need you at my place when you get this. Please, Jax. It's urgent! I need you here," she begged before she hung up.

Kohn laughed. "Jax Teller. That's your solution? You stupid pathetic whore. Once a biker bitch, always a biker bitch," he bit out. Tara put another in the chamber in her anger but didn't fire. It was then he remembered his back up piece in his ankle holster. Angling his body so she couldn't see what he was reaching for, which was difficult because of her height advantage, he pulled the small gun out. If he was going to bleed to death, he might as well take her with him.

Turning to her, get gave her, the most pathetic, puppy eyes he could manage. "Tara... Tar-Tar," he said in barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I love you, and I'm so sorry."

Moving with the reflexes of a trained A.T.F. agent, he brought the small 9mm up and fired, just as her eyes widened at what he was doing and fired the round she had in the chamber.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Angela was the only one still at the hospital when Jax walked back in. "I would have thought you'd be home by now?" Angela said in surprise.

"Are you kidding. Now that I've been able to hold the little guy, I can't stay away. He's become the center of my world even more so than before." Angela laughed and handed him a sleeping Abel, but stayed close, helping Jax adjust his hold just a little for better support.

"He was fussy earlier, but I convinced one of the nurses to give me a bottle to feed him," she said. .

Jax looked down at his son in his arms. "Making your own connections to the good shit already? That's definitely the Teller blood. You'll be charming everyone by the time you're out of here."

Angela chuckled lowly, and placed a hand on the infant's beanie covered head. "Already sporting the bad boy look with that SOA wear. And we all know, a girl can't get enough of bad boys."

Jax looked up at Angela. "Do you include yourself in that?" he asked her.

"If I said yes?" she said, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Then I happen to know a certain biker who would love nothing more than to bring you deeper into the life of an outlaw. I bet your old man would really be blue in the face for that," he smirked, and leaned a bit forward himself.

"I don't think he could handle a girl raised by a holy man. Like Bella said, I have so many inventive ideas running through my head." Angela challenged. Jax gave a low growl and surged forward, kissing her hard and passionately, minding the sleeping baby in his arms, until she whimpered a little. Thinking he hurt her, he began to back off a bit. That was until she slapped one hand behind his head and held him there, giving as good as she got. Oh yeah, he was definitely up for the challenge.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Gemma had still been at the hospital as well, talking to Dr. Namid about when her grandson might finally go home. Getting a call from Clay, saying that Jax was most likely there as well, she headed to the nursery. She then stopped and looked through the observation glass to see Jax holding Abel...and kissing Angela. She was a little surprised, and then again, not so much. Jax had yet to have a normal healthy relationship. He was too dependent on Tara, the little bitch. And Wendy was a rebound that became a thorn in her side. Stupid junkie bitch.

Both had been from the town and were affiliated with the club in one form or another. And both had been major sluts. Tara was just better at hiding it so she could get her perfect job. Maybe it was time to get radical in finding the perfect girl for Jax. And you couldn't get more radical than a reverend's daughter. Thankfully, she had some experience in the life. Otherwise, Gemma would be giving the phrase 'all holy hell' a new meaning.

Deciding to leave the two to their own devices to see how this shit would go down, she decided that she wasn't tired enough to go to bed, so she would make her way to Jax's place and finish the clean up, and work on the nursery some more. She wanted everything to be as perfect as possible for her grandson.

Letting herself in, she walked to Abel's room and got to work. The carpet had been changed and the crib and changing table were where they should be. She then brought back in the rocking chair, and started filling the drawers of the changing table with diapers an onsies. About an hour into her work, Gemma heard the phone ring. Going into the living room, where the phone was located, she could see on the caller id that it was Tara. Jax had said he had gotten her off Abel's case at the hospital and had blocked her number. She guessed he hadn't gotten around to doing so with his home number. She let it go to voicemail.

"I need you at my place when you get this. Please, Jax. It's urgent! I need you here." Gemma heard the terror in Tara's voice. If Jax heard such a message, he would rush to Tara's aid. It didn't matter if they were or were not on speaking terms. That's just who the boy was. He had a bit of a soft heart for someone in an MC. But she wouldn't change him.

Staring at the machine, that had a blinking number one on the indicator, Gemma made her decision. She held down the button until she heard, Message Deleted. She'd like to see that tramp try to get to Jax now. Gemma sighed a breath of contentment, before she went to find her handbag. She could used a rest now. Perhaps she was tired enough to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Bella woke up to Chibs tracing designs on her shoulder as she cuddled into his side. "What's with your new found fascination with that part of me?" she asked with a smile. Chibs's fingers stall before continuing their movements.

"I just find it a beautiful spot, lass," he replied, giving a kiss to that very spot.

"Uh huh," she said skeptically. "Now tell me honestly." Chibs chuckled, then hesitated.

"I'm hoping you will consent to getting my crow… if you do decide you love me." Bella's breath hitched.

"Filip… are you sure? I told you before that if you or anyone wanted such a thing, they needed to be sure. I couldn't survive such treatment again."

Chibs shook his head. "I've never been more sure of anything, mo ghràdh. Other than knowing that I would do anything for my daughter when she was born, this is the most solid decision I've ever come to."

Bella studied him. "Trust me, lass. And, if for whatever reason, God Almighty forbid, that we don't work, I would never hold you down and torch it off you. There are less traumatic and painful ways to remove a tattoo."

Thinking for a moment, Bella sighed. "Yes, Filip. Once I figure out my feelings, if I find I do love you, I will wear your crow."

Chibs smiled widely, before bringing her up and giving her an exultant kiss.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, everyone gathered around the table to discuss Darby's offer of peace.

"I'm putting it to a vote. Continue our beef with Darby, or allow him his two new cook shops on the boarder in exchange for the information he's given us on the A.T.F." Clay said to the others.

"He may be short a few screws for cooking at all, but he didn't need to bring this information to us. Considering his interesting relationship with the Mayans, he could have just as easily started another war between the two of us by taking the info to Alverez. And we all know it wouldn't take much to convince that asshole to come in here guns blazing and attempt to kill anyone and everyone. Clay and I at the top of their list," Jax said.

"Nah, man. The shit he's been starting and stirring up these past few months? No, I say this is the perfect time to send a message. Clay, let me go, pop this wannabe Nazi shit breath. One shot to his skull, one shot to the head of his V.P. Our problems with him are over," Tig said.

"Then that would start a war with the Nords. They may not be big, but those white supremacists are known in certain circles. Circles that could see Charming flooded with more, even worse, Neo-Nazi scum," Clay put in.

"I say, we make the deal. It would at the very least get the bugger off your arse for a while, Clay. Before he starts poking at the walls of Charming again for a way in," Chibs says.

"Let's vote. Those in favor," Clay asked. Everyone bar Tig, Juice, and surprisingly, Opie, raised their hands. "Majority rule. Vote passes," he said, hitting the gavel against the table. Eveyone got up to leave, when Clay pulled Chibs aside.

"I thought I warned you to keep pleasure and business separate?" Clay demanded.

"What now?" Chibs asked confused.

"You weren't here when I got back last night. McKeevy's dead," Clay tells him.

"Dead?! How?" Chibs asked.

"Beat to death by the port authority. We have a new contact. Cameron Hayes. Michael's cousin."

Chibs nodded. "Cam is an honest man. As good as if not better for us than Michael was."

"That would have been something I would have liked to know last night, Chibs. I'll warn you again. Keep your focus."

Chibs nodded. "Aye. I'll be sure to ask from now on if you be needin' me."

Clay walked out of the back room they use for church, Chibs looking after him.