Six years. Six god damn years since he'd last seen her face and looking at her now had all but knocked the wind right out of him. He couldn't move. For a second there he swore he'd actually forgotten how to breathe. It was like he'd just received a good, swift punch in the gut. The worse part? He hadn't seen it coming and man, did it hurt like hell.
She looked different, time made apparent in her face and the way she carried herself, that adorable wide-eyed innocence of hers replaced by unashamed, blatant beauty. Gone was the tall gangly girl he used to look out for when they were kids. Standing in her place was a goddess with the kind of tight, feminine curves that would drive any man insane.
God, she looked good.
As the thought crossed his mind, Jax cursed himself. After everything that happened, after everything she had put him through, he still wanted her. He could try to deny it, and no doubt would, but deep down he knew he would give anything to have her back. And that simple realization made him hate her that much more.
"Holy shit, if it isn't little Ronnie Morrow," Tig proclaimed with wide spread arms. "The prodigal daughter has finally returned!"
Veronica released Clay and turned her attention to his Sergeant at Arms. "Well hello to you too, Tiggy," she greeted, her voice full of amusement as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
"Wait," Juice said, his eyes filled with confusion and disappointment. "Veronica? As in the Veronica?" he asked, stupidly looking over at Jax for conformation. "But…I…she's your sister?"
"Step-sister," Jax muttered, "we ain't related."
Juice still looked dumbfounded as his eyes panned from Jax to her and back again. "Sooo, there's just the one then?"
Veronica pulled back from Tig and shot him a questioning look. "You guys find a bunch of replacement Veronicas while I was gone?"
"Aw now doll, you know you're the only one." Tig said with a wink, "you know, unless there are others out there looking to get their puss…"
"Hey," Clay barked. "Not in front of my little girl."
"Aye, but she's not all that little anymore is she?" Chibs said making his way forward for his hug. "C'mere Lass, it's good to see ya."
"Doesn't matter if she's 60, she's still my little girl and she doesn't need to hear all the nasty shit that goes through that depraved bastard's head," Clay retorted.
"Hey, if me being honest is considered depravity, call me guilty."
"Guilty!" everyone else in the room called simultaneously.
Amused by all the antics, Veronica let out that melodious laugh of hers. The same laugh Jax had once stupidly admitted to her was his favorite sound. He could still recall the way she looked at him, the disbelief and embarrassment from his attention etched in her face. "Please," she replied with an eye roll. "Everyone knows the only sounds Jax Teller appreciates are the rumbling of an engine and the moans of a woman underneath him." He chuckled at her, her assessment ringing true. "Yeah," he drawled, shooting her a playful smirk, "but your laugh is definitely a solid third."
She didn't know that he'd spent hours trying to remember the exact rise and fall of the notes after she left. Or how often he tried to picture the way her eyes lit up just before the corners crinkled and she threw her head back in glee. It was beautiful. Yet seeing and hearing it now somehow left him feeling even more empty and angry.
"Despite Tiggy's eloquent way with words, I'm relieved," she said with a smile. "I was kind of concerned you guys had moved on without me."
"Couldn't have been too worried," Jax, who had finally found his voice, interrupted icily, "considering it took you six fucking years to even check in."
The room immediately grew silent, everyone stopping with the happy reunion chatter to turn to their attention to him. Well, everyone but Veronica that is, who had yet to even acknowledge his presence. He, on the other hand, hadn't been able to take his eyes off her, so he noticed the way her jaw tightened as she took a half of a beat longer than the rest to finally move her focus over to him. He had hit a nerve, just as he intended, even if she did try to hide it with a forced smile.
"Hello Jackson," she said tightly as their blue eyes met.
Jax let out an extremely half-hearted chuckle. "Hi? Really? That's all you have to say?" he asked in disbelief as he began stalking towards her. "You leave me a fucking note and disappear in the middle of the night for six years and all you have to say is 'hi?'"
"Whoa," Chibs, ever the eternal peace keeper, uttered as he stepped in front of him. "I think we should just be grateful the lass is back right now boyo, don't ya think? Give her some time before we start with the third degree?"
Jax shook his head in disbelief. "Fucking unbelievable," he muttered, taking a step back and throwing his hands up. "She deserts us then finally gets the nerve to come around and we're all just supposed to forgive and forget? Welcome the fucking princess back with open arms?"
"Jackie," Chibs tried again before Jax pushed past him to get in V's face.
"You got a hell of a lot of nerve showing up where you no longer belong, bitch," he spat, pushing an accusatory finger in her face.
"You better stop before you get out of line son," Clay warned, his arthritic fists clenching as he stepped in front of his daughter.
"Daddy don't," Veronica warned, pulling on Clay's arm. "Let it go."
Clay didn't move but continued to glare daggers at his stepson. "Baby, I can't just let this prick disrespect you like that, even if he is my VP."
"I'm not your little girl anymore daddy, you can't fight my battles for me. Besides," she said with a sigh, "Jax is right. After everything that went down, how I handled things, it makes sense that there would be some animosity. He has a right to be angry."
Upon hearing this, Jax felt a momentary twinge in his heart. Even after all this time, she was still backing him up, taking his side like she always had, even when she was the one he was tearing down. He couldn't decide whether hearing this made him feel guilty for coming at her so strong, or just more angry that she wasn't fighting back.
"God damn right I do," he spat, deciding on the latter.
"Regardless, it doesn't mean you get to be an ass to her in front of me and the rest of the club." Clay glared down at Jax, "if there is a problem between you and your old lady, you need to handle that shit on your own time."
Jax, who couldn't help but notice the way V flinched at being referred to as his old lady, tensed. "She ain't my old lady," he spat, his eyes stuck on Veronica, "and as far as I'm concerned we've got nothing to discuss."
"Good," Clay said with a puff of his cigar. "Then you won't mind giving me some time to catch up with my daughter, who, as far as I'm concerned, has every right to be here. And seeing as I'm still the god damn president of this club, I'm going to have the final word on the matter. You think you can get behind that, VP?"
Jax snarled. "Yeah, I can get behind that, Pres. As long as she," he paused pointing at the girl he once loved more than anything in the world, "stays the fuck out of my way."
"Well," Veronica deadpanned after Jax stormed out of the clubhouse, "that went about as well as expected."
"Eh, don't ya worry lass, he'll come 'round, just give 'em some time." Chibs said with a pat on the shoulder before heading behind the bar.
Call her skeptical, but Veronica seriously doubted she'd be receiving anything less than hatred and malice from the likes of Jackson Teller. Not that she didn't expect it. Despite his good heart, Jax had always had the capacity to be one of the most ruthless human beings she had ever met. It made sense after all; a wounded animal lashes out even when there is no real threat of harm, and, after what she had pulled, her showing up here today was all but backing him into the proverbial corner. So, as much as she would love for him to "come around," she knew him well enough to know that it wasn't going to happen. At least not in the short time she was going to be here.
But this visit wasn't about Jax. Therefore, what he did or didn't feel towards her might as well be irrelevant. She was here solely to reconnect with her father. Whether or not Jax wanted her here was a moot point.
"So Daddio," she said, determined to put her focus where it actually mattered. "You going to tell me what's knew with you, or are you just going to let me read about it in the Charming Daily like everyone else?"
Clay took a seat at one of the tables and took another long puff on his cigar. "That depends," he said on an exhaled cloud of smoke, "you going to sit your ass down and tell me what's brought you out of hiding after all this time?"
Veronica rolled her eyes. "You can't really classify it as hiding if all parties involved know where you are."
"Allow me to rephrase then," he responded in his deep monotone. "Why, pray tell, are you finally gracing us with your presence?"
She flashed a coy smile and took the seat across from him. "What? A girl can't pay a visit to her aging father without receiving the third degree?"
Clay leaned forward a bit and smirked back at his daughter. "Since I'm so glad you're here and not just the voice on the other end of the phone, I'm going to do us both a favor and ignore the aging comment." He paused momentarily and then took another puff of his cigar as he leaned back in his chair. "As far as the third degree goes, the answer is no, not when the girl has a tendency to up and move in the middle of the night without so much as a 'so long' to her old man. And I'm talking about the one that raised her, not the one she was sneaking off with behind my back."
Ignoring the dig at her sordid past with Jax, which she imagined would always be a bit of a sore spot where her father was concerned, Veronica pretended to ponder his words. "I'm pretty sure it's not a tendency if it only happened once," she mused.
Clay shook his head. "I see your tendency for being a smartass hasn't changed."
"Well, I did learn from the best, didn't I?" she countered with a smile. "Would you believe me if I said I missed you?"
Her father didn't respond, but continued to eye her skeptically.
"Because I did, you know. Weekly phone calls haven't really been doing the trick lately," she continued. "Plus, I totally needed a vacation. Seattle's kind of blah after awhile, what with all the rain."
"That reminds me," Tig said appearing behind her and handing her a Bud Light before he and Chibs joined them at the table. "What the hell is in Seattle that could have possibly made it more appealing then this lovely shit hole?"
"Uhh, the space needle," she replied cheekily. "Obviously."
Another one of Tig's infamous shit eating grins spread across his face. "Well damn doll, if all you wanted was to see a giant lit up tower all you had to do was buy some Christmas lights," he said motioning towards his crotch without missing a beat.
"Gross," Veronica spat while Clay smacked Tig upside the head.
"You do realize that's his daughter, right?" the cute guy she'd met her in the parking lot asked from his spot at the bar.
"Ah geez Juice, is she really?" Tig countered like an asshole. "All these years and I never would've guessed."
"So how long you staying?" her father asked.
Veronica shrugged. "I don't know, a couple of days. A week maybe."
"Hot damn! Just enough time to throw a kick ass welcome home party and still recover before your going away shin-dig," Tig proclaimed.
Veronica looked to her father for a moment and then back to Tig. "Yeaaaaahhhh, I'm not sure that's the best idea, Uncle Tig."
"And why the fuck not? Because Jax has his fuckin' panties up his ass crack about you being here?" he asked nonchalantly. "You know what I say to that? Fuck him! Oh no, wait… you already did that."
Veronica just blinked at Tig in disbelief while Clay glared at him and Chibs took his turn with the smacking.
"What the hell was that for?" Tig bellowed.
"For being an arse," Chibs replied.
"Like the rest of you weren't thinking it," Tig said before turning his attention back to Veronica. "Point is, you're here and we need to celebrate."
"I know. And I appreciate the thought, I really do. But I'm not trying to rock the boat anymore than I already have."
"Look here doll, whatever happened between you and him is between you and him, no one else gives a damn. We all know you did what you had to do. But he wasn't the only one you left that day and he isn't the only one that missed you," Tig explained. "So I say to hell with the prince, you're going to spend some god damn time with your family because you deserve it and we deserve it."
Veronica smiled. "You know, for a dirty old bastard that was almost a heartfelt sentiment, Tig."
"I have my moments," he replied before taking a swig of beer. "Besides, I wouldn't worry too much about Jax anyway. Here lately he's been so busy trying to balance that doctor pussy and his sick kid he hasn't had much time to deal with anything else."
Veronica nodded in agreement before his words really sank in. "Wait, did you just say Jax has a kid?"
"Yeah, a son. Born last week. Crazy ass junkie ex-wife of his was using after she got knocked up. Kid was born with half a gut and a hole in his heart."
Veronica turned an excusing eye towards her father. "You never told me Jax got married."
Clay shrugged. "Didn't think it was relevant."
Veronica considered informing him that Jax was still technically part of her family, even if their past relationship had pretty much derailed any notion of brother and sisterly companionship. Therefore she had a right to know what was going one in his life. However, she knew pointing that out wouldn't do anything but misconstrue her intentions for being there.
"How is he?" She asked before catching herself. "The baby, I mean."
"He's doing just fine," an unmistakable voice said from the door way behind her. "Although I must admit, I'm surprised that you, of all people, are asking."
Turning, Veronica came face to face with the only person she had been dreading to see more than Jax. The one person who could possibly hate her more than anyone she had left in her wake six years ago. The ever protective mama bear herself, Gemma Teller-Morrow.