Fighting Back

Chapter 5

Jax and Nicole spent a little more time together, talking about everything that had happened over the past few days, before she finally called Clay. Clay told her where to meet them.

When they arrive Clay, Juice, Happy, Opie and Chibs were already there standing with Laroy and some of his crew. Jax got of the bike first before turning back to help Nicole who he could was struggling.

They walked over to the rest of them. Everyone greeting each other with a mixture of handshakes and a nod of acknowledgement. Laroy only speaking when he came to Nicole.

Laroy was fond of the Samcro Princess, couldn't help it. How she took control in the meeting with himself, Henry and Clay impressed him. He was intrigued by her, she wasn't like the girls that hung around with his crew, she wasn't a damsel in distress type. She had been born into the biker world, brought up with that life, lived by the rules of the MC. He found it very compelling.

"You look like you've been in the wars." He said not liking seeing her skin tarnished with bruises.

"She's fine. Where's this guy of yours?" Jax asked stepping in front of Nicole, blocking her from Laroy's view.

"He's on his way."

Jax walked past Laroy to where the other guys were standing. Nicole goes to follow but stops by Laroy's side. She looks up at him and smiles sweetly, he winks at her. They both understood the silent thank you she was saying.

Thankfully they didn't have to wait long before the rest of Laroy's crew turned up with the guy who apparently had a lead.

Nicole hung back as the sons went over to question the guy who at this very moment was being man handled by Laroy's men.

"Tell them what you know." One of Laroy's men orders as he pushes the man towards the sons.

"I think I did some work for the Irish guy your looking for." The guy spoke nevrously.

"Is that him?" Juice questioned showing the man a picture of Cameron. The man leant forward to get a closer look.

"Yeah that's him."

"What kind of papers?" Clay asked.

"Irish passport, American travel visa."

"Means he's trying to leave the country." Chibs told them.

"What name's he usin?" Clay questioned him again.

"Timothy Odell, Belfast address."

"You do an ID for a baby?" Jax asked as he finally found his voice.

"No. No he came alone."

"That doesn't mean nothing brother." Opie said trying to reassure him. But Jax wasn't buying it.

"If he still had Abel he'd need a passport to get him out the country." Jax replied to Opie.

"Maybe Cameron's still local." He suggested, but Jax just shook his head.

"Or maybe he went somewhere else for Abel's ID." Bobby added.

Jax couldn't listen to any more bullshit, he knew they were all trying to help him, trying to think positive but he couldn't. He walked away from them back over to his bike, where he crouched down on the floor looking like he was to hurl any moment.

Clay looked at Jax before turning back to Nicole who was leaning against Laroy's car. He tilted his head in Jax's direction, silently instructing her to deal with him.

Nicole walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her.

"What did he say?"

"He did a passport for Cameron."

"And Abel?" Jax shook his head. "It doesn't mean anything. He could be using this guy. He could be trying to throw us off the scent, make us think he's left without Abel."

"You think?"

"He didn't go through all this shit just to dump Abel somewhere."

"You two come on." Clay shouted as he walked back to his own bike. Nicole looked over at Clay, before looking back at Jax.

"Come on I think that's our cue to leave."

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They headed over to the docks where they think Cameron had stored the boat he used to flee.

"Nobody gets passed here." Clay stated.

Happy and Juice took the post as guards at the top of the walkway leading to the boats. Jax stopped just by Happy unsure about going any further. Nicole came up behind him taking hold of his hand.

"Come you can do this." She whispered encouragingly. Before he could answer her Clay called over.

"You with us?" He asked staring back at Jax.

"Yeah." Jax replied unconvincingly.

Jax started to follow behind the rest of the guys as they headed over to the boat. Nicole followed behind him looking at Juice as she passed him, but he was purposely avoiding her gaze. She dropped her head low, she knew he was angry with her about what she had told him in the hospital about Ryan, she didn't blame him but it didn't mean it didn't hurt.

She walked over to the boat. Bobby and Chibs were already on board checking it over, but by the looks on their faces they came up with nothing. Jax started to look around when something caught his eye. He leant down and picked up the item that caught his eye. Nicole watched as he pulled something out of a pile of fishing nets. He turned to face everyone, showing them Abel's blue reaper hat that he had been wearing the day he was taken. Nicole's heart sank, she really thought they would find something.

Happy and Juice made their way over. Bobby and Chibs told them that they found nothing. Clay instructed them to put the boat out of commission. Opie took his gun and screwed on the silencer. He was about shoot when Clay noticed two young men walking towards the dock, he also notices that they were carrying something that looked very much like a container of fuel.

"Who are these fine dark fellows." Everybody turned to see what Clay was talking about. The two men in question started to back out of the docks.

"Check it out." Happy, Juice and Chibs went after the two men.

Bobby looked over at Jax who was resting against a boat, his head hung low. He looked broken.

"He's totally gone man."

"I'll go talk to him." Nicole went to walk over to him, but was stopped by Clay.

"No, I've got this princess." Clay took the gun from Opie.

"Clay go easy on him." She pleaded. Clay ignored here.

When the two men realised that some of Samcro were following them they started running. Happy, Juice and Chibs sprint after them.

Clay walked over to Jax snatching Abel's hat from his hand.

"What you doing?" Clay pushed the gun towards him.

"Lets make sure he doesn't take any more boat rides." Jax accepted the gun.

He walks over to the boat and empties the bullets into the engine. He turns back to Clay giving him the gun back.

"Give me the hat."

"You get it back when we find him." Jax shook his head. "We are going to find him. You hear me?" Jax didn't get a chance to reply as the sound of screeching tyres echoed through the dock.

When Clay looked back Bobby and Opie were already heading towards their bikes. Nicole walks over to them.

"You two go."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Come on, you and I both know I'm in no fit state to go on a high speed chase, I really don't think I can handle it."

"Call Jury. Him and Needles are at the clubhouse get one of them to pick you up, now." Clay orders. Nicole pulled out her cell.

"Already dialling."

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Back at the clubhouse Nicole, Jury and Needles were waiting for everybody to return hoping that they would bring good news with them.

"How you holding up?" Needles asked handing her and Jury a cup of coffee, before taking a seat with them on the leather sofa.

"Not sure really. Since I woke up everything's been moving so quickly I've barely had a second to think." She answered honestly.

"Yeah, tell us about it. Why is it bad shit is always followed by more bad shit."

"That's the MC life I guess." She took a sip of her coffee. "Look if you've got things you need to deal with Nevada, you can go. I don't need babysitting, I already have plenty."

"I know baby girl, but we just want to make sure your al'right." Jury reassured her.

"Ryan's in hospital he's going nowhere. And it's not like before, everyone knows the situation, no more secrets."

"I took my eye of the ball with you last time, I don't want to make the same mistake again." Jury stated.

"Your not." There was a silence as the two smiled at one another. "Jury there something I need to talk to about." She looked over nervously at Needles.

"You to talk, I'm sure I'm needed somewhere." He winked at her before leaving. Jury waited until Needles was out of the clubhouse before he spoke.

"What's wrong?"

"It's about the money you gave me. I want you to have it back."

"Nicole it's okay I don..."

"Jury I don't know how you got that money, don't need to, but I'm sure it wasn't easy for you and I don't want you or the club to be affected by this." She grabbed her bag and pulled out a set of keys, handing them to Jury. "These are the keys to Clay's house. The money is stashed in a duffel bag under my bed. It will be easy to find."

Jury didn't get a chance to reply to Nicole as they were interrupted by Clay and the others return. Nicole was on her feet and over by Clay's side within seconds.

"You get anything?"

"Nah, nothing. They saw Cameron but nothing about Abel."

"Shit." Nicole looked around realising that Jax wasn't there. "Where's Jay?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Princess."

"What do you mean?"

"He took off." Nicole turned to face Opie who answered her. She realised that everyone was gathered around.

"And you just let him." She asked looking around. Her question was directed to everyone.

"I'm not his keeper." Clay snapped.

"His head ain't in the right place, he could go and do something stupid Clay."

"You don't need to tell me that shit." He shouted at her. "I don't have time to help him wallow in his self pity. I have other things to do, like find Abel, make sure Gemma doesn't get arrested, organise Half Sack's wake and look after you."

Nicole was taken aback by his rant, she wasn't expecting it, and looking around at the guys, they to seemed a little shocked by his outburst to.

"Will someone give me a lift?" Nicole asked.

"I'll take ya." Piney offered as he entered the bar from the kitchen.

"Thanks." She walked past the guys and headed outside.

"Where you going?" Clay called after her. He knew his outburst was a little uncalled for.

"To find my cousin, and try and help him. Someone needs to."

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"You sure he'll be here?" Piney asked pulling into the cemetery.

"Yeah." She answers pointing ahead. Piney looked to where she pointing, he smiled to himself when his eyes landed on Jax's motorbike. These two really did know each other inside out.

"You want me to wait?"

"Nah I'll come back with Jay. Thanks for this Piney."

"Anytime sweetheart."

It didn't take long for her to locate Jax, he was at John's grave just like she had expected. He was slumped against the gravestone crying. Nicole went straight to him.

She sat next to him placing her hand on his shoulder, not saying a word as she just lets him cry, she knew he needed it, just like she had a few months ago when it was her sobbing in this very same cemetery.

"What am I gonna do Nic." Jax wiped his tears finally composing himself. "I keep trying to find a balance. Trying to do the right thing by everyone, but every time I think I have it I end up in a place I never knew could be this bad. What did I do Nic, what did I do to deserve this." Nicole took his hand in hers.

"Nothing. Your a good man, a good father."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. And your gonna prove that by doing everything you can to get your son back. You are not going to give up, you hear me?"

He nodded his head in agreement, but if he was honest he didn't know how much longer he could do this. Every lead had been a dead end and he was starting to believe that they would never find Abel, and that was killing him, eating away at any fight he had. He could feel himself slowly breaking.