"You think he's going to need a lawyer?" Bobby asked, as they all watched the black Crown Vic pull off the lot with Clay cuffed in the backseat.

Jax imagined the answer to that question was a definite yes. The feds already had a raging hard-on for SAMCRO as it was, what with that weird guy following him at the hospital and chatting up V. And now that there were two of them, shit was only going to get worse. Especially since Agent Stahl seemed like a bigger ball buster than their other friend at ATF. Someone, somewhere wanted the club to go down, and they were going to milk this phone history shit for all it was worth.

"I don't know," he replied. "But we can't call Rosen, at least not yet. His retainer's out the ass and we already owe the Irish a shit ton. Plus he's busy negotiating our deal with the Niners. Old man's just going to have to sit tight and ride this out for a bit."

It wasn't the best plan, he had to admit, but Jax had bigger things to worry about. If ATF was picking them up, he knew there would be a raid in the near future. Which was a serious problem considering that, since the warehouse had burned down, they were now currently stashing upwards of about 100 AKs in the clubhouse. He had to figure out where to stash their latest shipment and fast.

"Nah," Tig said after a beat. "I have a better idea."

Jax raised an eyebrow at this, but gestured for him to take floor.

"Ronnie," he stated simply.

Jax didn't even pretend to think that one through. "Absolutely not."

"Oh come on Jax, we all know the two of you got your own shit, but it's the perfect solution," Tig pointed out. "She just graduated law school, she needs her first client, and who better than her old man? And since she's family, it's not like she's going to charge," he said before breaking out into a shit eating grin. "All you have to do is give her a call."

He knew Tig had a point. And since he was partially to blame for Clay being picked up, he should probably do something to help him out. But going to Veronica? He'd rather rot in jail for the rest of eternity than put himself in any type of position where he might be in her debt.

"How the hell are we going to call her?" Jax asked, hoping he could stall long enough to come up with a better solution. "Only one who knows her number just left in the back of a goddamn cop car."

"Yeah, but we all know where she is," he pointed out. "You announced it to the whole fucking room this morning."

Jax shook his head, unable to believe his luck. "Fine," Jax conceded, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere. "If this is how you want to handle it, be my guest. Go get Veronica."

At that, Tig's grin grew so wide Jax thought he was going to break his face. "Oh no, not me, brother. You're the one with the VP patch, the one who landed our Pres in deep shit," he pointed out. "Me thinks this one's on you."

Jax could have killed Tig at the moment, he really could have. He wasn't an idiot, he was well aware that everyone knew what had went down between him and V the night before. He also knew that Tig found enjoyment in these kinds of awkward situations. Guy was seriously a sick bastard, trying to push the two of them together. But, try as he might to deny it, Tig was right. This was on him.

Jax nodded and Tig let out a laugh as he turned to Chibs. "Come on, let's go figure out what the hell we're going to do with all these guns."

Letting out a sigh, Jax walked over to his bike, trying to come to terms with what he was about to do. It went against every fiber in his being, but it made sense. V was clearly the simplest answer to this particularly complicated problem. And as much as he didn't want to see her, he was probably the best person to send to convince her. After all, the way he saw it, she owed him more than a few favors for everything she had done.

Veronica had just gotten out of the shower when she heard another knock on the door. She found it kind of odd considering she hadn't heard a bike pull up and she didn't know anyone without one who would be paying her a visit. Then again, she had been in the shower, and she had left the TV blaring, so it was possible she just hadn't heard the visitor arrive.

Quickly pulling on a pair of shorts and an oversized tee, she made her way to the door. She figured it was probably her father, seeing as he had mentioned the possibility of taking her to dinner before he left earlier. She, of course, figured that was a long shot considering the phone call he took seemed pretty serious and serious club business didn't really follow a set time schedule.

However, when another loud, and rather angry sounding knock landed on the door again, she realized Clay was not the one on the other side. And if she was a betting woman, she'd probably stand to make a few bucks when it came to guessing who it really was.

"I know you're in there Veronica, your fucking car's parked outside," a familiar voice bellowed. "Open the damn door."

Here goes nothing, she thought, throwing open the door, to find Jax Teller leaning against the frame. "What do you want, Jax?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I'm pretty sure you said all you needed to say last night so..."

Jax scoffed. "Baby, what I said last night doesn't even begin to cover it. But as much as I'd like to tell you everything I think about you right now, we've got bigger issues."

Hearing this, Veronica couldn't help but be at least a little intrigued. She figured Jax showing up at her door could only mean one thing. Round two. And not in the sexy fun way like it used to be, but in the boxing, last man standing kind of way. As to what else she and Jax might possibly have left to discuss, Veronica didn't have a clue.

"Okay, well how about you go ahead and get to the point then," she suggested, hoping she sounded sassier then she felt. Truth was, him being there, it hurt. But she wasn't about to let him know that.

Jax stood up straight and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Aren't you going to invite me in first?"

Against her better judgment, V stepped aside and let the biker into her temporary sanctuary. Even though she hated it, she caught herself admiring how good he looked. Obviously, she had noticed a few days ago that he had gotten deliciously broader since she left; she was a woman after all, and she had yet to meet a girl who was completely immune to the likes of Jax Teller. But she had done her best to ignore the blatant attraction that was still there. Tonight though, there was just something about his plaid shirt and kutte combo that caught her eye enough that she forgot to suppress it. Blue suited him, brought out his eyes, and the little bit of scruff he had going on made him look more mature. She couldn't deny it, he looked fucking hot.

But now was not the time to be thinking such things, not when he so clearly despised her and she had other things to worry about.

She stood back and watched him assess her humble hotel accommodations, wondering why in the hell he was even bothering with all the formalities. "Are you going to tell me what you want?" she asked, growing agitated. "Or are you too interested in cheap print art to bother?"

Call her crazy, but she could have sworn he shot her an amused smirk. Then again, maybe that was just wishful thinking, something the old Jax would have done. This harsh, new version in front of her, she didn't know if he had it in him to find her funny.

"I need your help," he admitted simply, although she could tell it took a lot out of him to do so.

"My help?" she asked in complete disbelief. "With what?"

He swallowed, his face maintaining the hateful glare she was slowly growing accustom to receiving. "Club business."

"Club business?" she repeated, starting to feel slightly like a parrot. Next thing she knew she'd be asking if Jaxy wanted a fucking cracker.

Jax ran his hand through his hair, a frustrated tick of his she knew meant he was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear. "We need a lawyer. Feds picked up your dad about 20 minutes ago, said they could link SAMCRO to a prison break out that left three dead out on 44."

Veronica tried to nod calmly, like hearing your dad being arrested was a normal everyday thing. And then she remembered it practically was an everyday thing. However, her being sought out as a saving grace of sorts? That one was new.

"And can they?"she asked.

Jax looked to his left for a second, signaling to her that the answer was a big fat resounding yes. "There's a possibility that Piney and I might have sold the guys who did it some guns this morning."

Veronica groaned inwardly. "Shit Jax, seriously?" she voiced, leaning back against the dresser. "So what you need money for the retainer or something? Because I'm sorry but I'm broke and in debt up to my eyeballs right now so..."

Jax shook his head. "I don't need money V, I need you."

"Me?" She asked, her mind going a thousand miles a minute trying to come up with scenarios where she could possibly be of assistance. "What the hell can I do?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You're a lawyer, right?"

Veronica paused as it dawned on her what exactly it was that he was suggesting. He wanted her to represent her father. Her, the girl who just barely passed the bar a month ago, represent her father, the three time imprisoned gun runner. Had he lost his ever flipping mind? Even if it wasn't a conflict of interest, it was still quite possibly the worst idea she'd ever heard. Clay would be better off representing himself.

"Are you crazy?" she asked, unable to come up with something else to say.

"Probably," he admitted. "I mean, I'm standing here asking you of all people for help, aren't I?"

Despite herself, she had to admit he had a bit of a point. After everything he had said to her the night before he was lucky she even opened the door for his sorry ass. And considering how she knew he felt about her, she was probably the last person on the planet he'd want to ask. So he was either crazy or desperate.

"Look, can you help or not?" He asked when she didn't respond.

Not sure how to break it to him, she turned and stared at the wall. Even if she wanted to, and that was still a big if, she couldn't. Her father was in some serious shit, and given his priors, an easy target. Plus, knowing what she knew about the club, there was no doubt in her mind he was guilty. No, Clay needed a well seasoned professional, not some little girl fresh from the law school boat.

Turning back to him, she shook her head. "No Jax, I don't think I can."

To say Jax was taken aback was a vast understatement. He had put his pride on the line, pushed aside all animosity...okay maybe not all...most of his animosity because Clay was her father and he owed the guy. Twenty minutes ago he would have sworn up and down it was going to be an easy sell. So for Veronica to stand there and tell him no, that shit straight up blew his mind.

"What do you mean, no," he asked slowly, praying to God he had misheard her. "He's your fucking father!"

"Oh really," she shot back in that smart-ass tone that made him want to strangle her. "Thanks for pointing that out."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," he said rubbing his face. "He's your father, you're a lawyer, what's the goddamn problem?"

"I'm not that kind of lawyer, Jax," she explained. "I studied family law."

"Family law?"

"You know, like divorces and custody cases?"

Jax knew what family law entailed. He was in the process of a divorce for God sakes. He'd only repeated it because he was admiring the poetic justice of it all. Girl who gives baby away without father's consent turns around and studies the very law she broke. The irony there was amazing.

"Well that's just perfect isn't it?" he shot at her with a dark chuckle. "Considering you know all about breaking up happy families."

Veronica's nostrils flared, her porcelain skin turning ever so slightly pink. She looked like she was about to fire back at him, and he was so ready for it. However, she caught her composure first, much to his dismay. She always did have a knack for being a bit of a tease.

"I'm going to do us both a favor and ignore that statement," she told him, "because I know you're angry at me, and me not being able to help you only agitates those feelings."

Jax scowled. "Don't do that," he told her. "Don't psychoanalysis me with your psychology bullshit . The mere thought of you agitates me right now. You not being able to help? That's just you being you, Darlin.'"

Jax went to leave, but Veronica stopped him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He turned and glared down at her. "It means that after all we've been through I'm getting kind of used to you letting me down."

He saw the hurt flash in her eyes as his words sunk in, but she hid it well. "What do you want me to do, Jax?" she asked, throwing her hands up. "You want me to march into the sheriff's office and bullshit my way through criminal law? You guys run a gun trafficking ring, that's up to 25 years in prison if you get caught. You need someone extremely well versed to handle that kind of shit, not me."

"I'm not asking you to take him to trial, V. I just need you to go and do what little bit of damage control you can while I figure out how to get the evidence out of SAMCRO's back yard."

Veronica closed her eyes and placed her hand on her forehead. "The evidence?" she questioned, opening her blue orbs. "As in a shit ton of AKs? My god, Jax, I can't believe I'm even having this conversation."

"Well baby," he began, aware he was about to make light of a bad situation. "You always wanted me to be more honest with you about club shit. This is just me I'm doing it."

"Well thanks for that, I truly appreciate it," she seethed, taking a seat on the bed.

"Look," Jax tried agian, taking a seat beside her. "I know you and I...well, we are where we are...and me coming out here demanding favors isn't something you're going to respond to, no matter how much I think it's the least you could do. I think we both know you doing this, it won't fix a goddamn thing between us," he admitted, surprised slightly that he still had her attention.

"But this ain't just about me," he continued, "it's about Clay. So if you won't do it for me, do it for him. Losing you back then, it almost killed him, so don't let some stupid ATF agent ruin this short time he has with you while you're in town."

Veronica scowled at him before standing up and walking over to the other bed where her bag was sitting. "I don't know whether to clap for that monumental load of bullshit, or kick my own ass because, despite your twisted reasons, you still managed to make a valid point."

Jax caught himself smiling. "You could always do both."

Under normal circumstances, that would have been the perfect invitation for V to let her middle finger fly. And he couldn't help but notice that she did pause momentarily, like the thought had crossed her mind. Ultimately though, she decided against it and continued digging in her bag for whatever the hell it was she was looking for.

"I don't exactly have the right clothes for this," she muttered, pulling out a wrinkled pair of black pants she had worn two days prior. "But I guess this will just have to do."

Jax stood and walked over to where she was fiddling with the ironing board that came down out of the tiny closet. "So you'll do it then?"

She stopped halfway to the sink with iron in hand and stared at him. "Well I'm sure as hell not ironing my dirty clothes for fun," she answered. "Yes, I'll help you. But you have to tell me everything first. I'm not going in there blind."

As she pulled up in front of the sheriff's office, Veronica cursed herself. How the hell she let Jax talk her into this shit she didn't know. She was in over her head, like stuck at the bottom of a trench five miles under the sea over. Hell, she didn't even look the part, wearing a printed tee under her blazer. She'd be lucky if they didn't straight up laugh her out of the precinct.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and got out of the car. "Well here goes nothing," she said to herself, taking the first step.

As a kid, she used to love the clack, clack, clack of Gemma's heels hitting the pavement when she strutted around the lot. It was the weirdest thing, as big as a tomboy as she'd been, she'd still loved fancy heels and couldn't wait until she was old enough to have her own pair. Back then they had symbolized adulthood to her, the sign of a confident woman. But that must have just been Gemma's kick ass attitude she had spotted, because walking in her own pair at this moment, she didn't feel the slightest bit confident. She felt more like a little girl playing dress up.

Walking past a few officers and what she assumed to be some boys fresh out on bail, she realized she had some admirers as a few whistles flew thru the air. Which both boosted her lackluster confidence and took a shot at it at the same time. That was the thing about being a woman, catcalls and whistles were almost always a catch 22. Empowering yet repulsive. It was nice to know you looked good, but sometimes it would be nice to be noticed for something other than your body.

When she made it inside the door, she spotted a lady behind the welcome desk and made her way over to her. "I'm here to see Clay Morrow."

"Name?" the woman croaked without even looking up from her tabloid magazine.

"Veronica Morrow."

"Family is not allowed at this time unless you're posting bail."

"Um, actually I'm his lawyer."

The lady stopped what she was doing and moved her eyes to up. V almost smiled when she started giving her a once over. Then she remembered she was supposed to be a hard-ass criminal lawyer, not a sweet doting daughter, and immediately dropped it. She just prayed her resting bitch face game was as strong as she thought it was.

"They've got him in holding room one," the woman said, immediately moving her eyes back to her magazine.

"Right, thanks," V replied cordially, even though she kind of felt like she'd just wasted her breath.

She made her way through the precinct pretty easily. Then again, she had visited more than once in her younger years and it wasn't exactly huge. She knew holding room one was to the left at the end of the hall, and as she made her way to it, she spotted her father through the glass. However, when she went to enter the room, a young officer stopped her.

"You can't go in there miss," the obvious greehhorn informed her.

"Oh really?" she asked. "And how do think the information you get from him will hold up in court when I tell the judge you declined my client his council?"

As expected, the kid's eyes grew wide and he began apologizing profusely as he opened the door for her.

"I see you don't have a lawyer," the unflattering pantsuit wearing woman was saying.

"Actually," Veronica said stepping in, "he does. Veronica Morrow, attorney at law."

The agent ignored her outstretched hand and continued pacing the interrogation room while V took a seat. "Morrow huh?" she asked before turning her attention back to Clay. "A lawyer in the family, how convenient."

Clay shrugged. "It has its perks."

"You mean like when you've been aiding and abetting a murderer in a triple homicide?" the agent asked cockily.

"I don't know nothing about that crime or the guys that did it," her father answered.

"Home grown terrorists, über right-wing fanatics," she continued, taking a lap around them. "Eh, not the brightest figs in the Newton, but dangerous enough to clock a watch."

"You look like a smart woman," Veronica interrupted, leaning forward slightly to assert some sort of dominance. "So I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that even you realize that a phone call doesn't automatically equal accessory to murder. For all you know someone at the garage didn't actually place that call. It could have been a customer who asked to use the phone, or perhaps a misdialed number."

"Perhaps," she replied without missing a beat. "But your father's...I mean, client's association with an organized crime syndicate and his rap sheet for gun running flags him as the source of their illegal AKs."

"The Sons of Anarchy is a motorcycle club," Veronica fired back, "Which, by the way, participates in and sometimes even sponsors charity runs and other events. In fact, just yesterday they hosted The Taste of Charming, a town wide picnic to raise money for the local middle school music program," she informed her. "Now, I don't know about you, but that hardly sounds like an organized crime syndicate to me. And," she continued, enjoying the roll she was on. "If you had done your job and taken the time to actually look at my client's rap sheet, instead of jumping to conclusions, you would have realized he has not been charged with a crime, gun related or otherwise, in over seven years."

"That's right," her father added for good measure. "I'm just a mechanic and a motorcycle enthusiast."

"You," she replied getting up in his face, making Veronica seriously want to slap a bitch, "are a criminal and a gun runner, and in my book you are responsible for the deaths of three innocent people."

"Fortunately for us and the rest of humanity, your book and the justice system are two very different things," Veronica voiced, tired of watching this woman act like she had it all figured out. Even if technically she did.

"Hmmm," the agent murmured. "Well, in a couple of hours I will have a warrant to search your garage and your little clubhouse and we'll see how enthusiastic you are then."

"In the mean time," Veronica butted in, grabbing her bag from the floor. "Since you clearly have no substantial evidence to charge my client with at this time, I see no grounds for you to keep him here."

"For now," she replied, opening the door and standing back so they could leave. "But I wouldn't bother going too far. I've already picked out a cell and put your name on it."

Veronica followed Clay's lead and rose to exit, fighting the urge to flip Ms. Agent the bird on her way out. Despite how much she wanted to give the lady a big "fuck you," she had to remain professional. After all she was an attorney, not a child. Even though the latter might have been more fun.

As the pair started making their way down the hall, she felt her father's big arm swing over her shoulder and give her a little squeeze. "You did good in there, kid."

"Thanks," she said, looking down to hide the big grin spreading across her face. She was definitely feeling a little more proud of herself than she cared to admit.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Clay asked suddenly, causing Veronica to look up just as they were passing by David Hale. Only to see another officer escorting her step-mother towards them in cuffs no less. "She's got nothing to do with this."

"She assaulted some girl, hit her in the face with a skateboard," Hale explained.

"What?" Clay asked, following after his wife and her escort as they passed. Hale, however, intercepted him at the end of the hallway and placed an arm up against the wall to keep him from going past.

Unable to move forward, her father settled for yelling. "What the hell did you do?"

"Same thing you did," Gemma yelled back. "Nailed some little tart from Nevada."

"Like I don't have enough shit oozing out of my ears, you gotta go and do this."

"You should have thought of that before your dick went on a cheerleader hunt."

"Hey, I didn't tell her to come here."

"But she's here!"

"That's not my fault."

"And it's not my pussy."

Veronica leaned her head back against the wall, and asked the gods above what she had done to end up here. As usual, she couldn't win for losing; one small victory and one huge embarrassment. There was nothing like having your parents' dirty laundry aired right out in the open.

"That's why I'm single," she heard Stahl say behind her.

"That's why I'm a fucked up mess," V muttered to herself, following her father back into the heart of the precinct to post bail.

Jax was busy helping the boys clean up the aftermath of the "surprise" ATF search and seizure bullshit. It had been a long, grueling day but he had managed to get the AKs out from under the feds noses just in time. And even though he'd spent about an hour cuffed with his face down on the hot asphalt, it was almost worth it to see the look on Kohn and Stahl's faces when they came up short. He only hoped Veronica had been as successful down at the sheriff's office with Clay.

Speak of the devil, or in this case think, he turned to see Clay's frame darkening the door. Immediately cheers and welcome backs erupted across the board, as the old man made his way over to the bar. It appeared as if V had come through after all, even if she hadn't originally felt up to the task.

"Jesus Christ," Clay uttered, taking in the shambles of the room. "I'm gone for a couple of hours and you knuckleheads throw a party without me," he joked. "How'd it go?"

"Damn Feds didn't find a thing, we got the guns out before they got here," Tig informed him.

"Actually, Jackie Boy got the guns out," Chibs clarified.

Clay turned to him and clasped his shoulder. "Seems I owe my VP for several things after today then, seeing as I hear he's the one that hired my new lawyer."

"That one was actually on Tig," Jax, said, passing the buck. "I just made sure she got there."

"Regardless, it was a smart move. My little girl did a hell of a job, told that bitch Stahl what was what like it was second nature."

Jax smiled, wishing he had been there to see it himself. V had a lot of talents, but that girl's knack for arguing was top notch. He'd always said she was a born to be a lawyer, seeing as she was such a pain in the ass, and from the sound of it, she had proven his point beautifully. Now if she could just get over her anxiety and self-doubt, he knew she'd be kick ass.

"Where is the lass?" Chibs asked.

"Yeah, where's our little Ronnie?" Tig chimed in. "We still need to plan her Welcome Home shindig."

"She decided to call it a night, but says to tell you asswipes hello, her words not mine," Clay relayed. "Said she might stop by tomorrow around lunch time."

"And Mom?" Jax asked, still enjoying the fact that his own mother had been picked up for assaulting that Nevada Sweet Butt.

"She wouldn't let me post bail." Clay replied sheepishly.

Laughter broke out. "Shiiiit," Jax exclaimed with a grin. "She is pissed."

"To say the least," Clay scoffed. "So what exactly went down today?"

The guys laughed at his admission and then jumped into a retelling of all the action Clay had missed. Jax, on the other hand, took the opportunity to slip out for a smoke. As much as he loved the praise, and that was sarcasm there, he was done hashing out the details of this whirlwind of a day. He was so tired he was beginning to think he needed a vacation, or at the very least a little piece and quiet.

Walking over toward the TM office and seeing who was standing outside, he realized that a life of leisure would never be in his cards. For leaning against that beautiful black muscle car of hers, which was basking in the glow of the flood lights, was Veronica, looking like a grown man's wet dream in tight trouser pants and black stilettos. Apparently she had not left, as Clay had guessed, but had stayed just long enough to smoke a cigarette of her own. Great minds he thought, great and extremely troubled.

He considered turning and going back into the clubhouse. Or maybe even walking past and paying her no mind at all. But like a bug to a headlight on a night ride, he found his feet moving straight towards her.

As he neared closer, he noticed she was on the phone. "I planned on staying for the week but I might have to extend my trip for a couple days depending on how my father's situation pans out," she was saying to whoever was on the other line. Sensing him, she looked up and met his eyes. "Uh huh... I understand...well thank you for that...talk to you soon."

As she hung up, Jax couldn't help but press for information. "Important call?" he asked, a strange feeling washing over him.

"Huh?" she responded looking slightly confused. "Oh, yeah, I guess. Just the firm I applied for wanting to do a follow up interview."

Jax nodded and took a drag of his cig. "Guess you can add today's adventures to your resume then," he said, exhaling and looking up at the sky.

He didn't know why he cared. Didn't know why he was even out there talking to her for that matter. He was pissed at her beyond belief and was seriously trying to figure out how to undo the wrong she had done against him. Yet, he still felt the urge to thank her for stepping up for him today.

"Old man said you did beautifully," he added gazing over at her.

She stared at the ground as she flicked some ash. "I don't know that beautiful would be the word."

"Either way you got him out."

"For now," she added, her skepticism ringing loud and clear.

They stood together, with him not knowing what else to say and her not offering any conversation pieces either. Six years ago it wouldn't have bothered him, he would have been comfortable in her presence. Now he felt like he either need to talk or leave. Being around her was dangerous, for him and her both.

"Yeah, well thanks or whatever," he offered lamely, moving to walk away.

Her voice calling after him stopped him, however, before he got very far. "You realize what I did today could've cost me my career."

He looked back at her. "Guess it's a good thing you pulled it off then," he replied, moving again.

"Yeah, that's not going to be enough for me," she said, stopping him in his tracks once more. "I'm going to need something in return."

He knew she was head strong, but the audacity of her to ask him for anything was astonishing. Girl was either stupid or had some serious guts, thinking he would do anything for her after what she had done.

"You can't be fucking serious," he spat, turning on his heel.

"As a heart attack," she replied.

He let out a dark chuckle and clenched his fists, completely at a loss. "I guess it is true what they say. Once a selfish bitch, always a selfish bitch."

Veronica pushed away from the car and moved to stand in front of him. "If that's what you want to call it. But it's not like I'm asking you to kill someone," she countered, her words dripping with venom, "that would be too easy."

Jax immediately tensed and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check. "Oh really, you think that much of me, huh? Well darlin, what else could a monster like me possibly do for such a moral upstanding citizen like yourself?" He asked, arms opened wide, daring her to come at him.

She looked pensive, as if weighing her options, but didn't show any sign of backing down. "I want to talk to you about Hannah."

Hearing his daughter's name filled him with emotions. Anger at Veronica, for keeping her from him. Anger at himself for letting her. Deep sadness for the life he hadn't had the pleasure of being a part of. And worry for what Veronica was going to say next. "What about her?"

Veronica stared up at him with her chin pushed forward in determination. "I know you well enough to realize that you're already trying to figure out a way to get her back, Jackson."

"You're goddamn right I am," he replied forthrightly.

"Wow, you're not even going to bother to deny it?"

"Yeah well," he began, "unlike some people I don't much see the point in lying where my daughter's concerned."

"Clearly," she deadpanned. "No need though, I can practically see the wheels turning from a mile away."

Jax crossed his arm and jutted out his chin as a challenge. "What's your point? You can't actually think you can stop me?"

"No," she replied shaking her head. "I doubt anyone in the world is stupid enough to believe that me begging you not to do it will do any good. I think we all know I'm the last person on earth right now you would ever consider doing anything for, especially when it comes to our daughter."

Jax jumped in, anger clouding his mind. "Yeah, but see she's not our daughter anymore is she, because you gave her away."

Veronica didn't blink. "You're right, I did and she's not and as far as I'm concerned you can hate me for it until the end of time. I would if I were you, and I expect nothing less," she told him nonchalantly. "But before you do whatever it is your about to do, you need to take a step back and realize that this isn't about getting back at me."

Jax could feel his insides bubble as his temperature rose. "You don't think I know that?"

"No Jax, I don't think you do," she answered. "I think you're letting your anger and regret cloud your judgment and that your need to retaliate against me is so strong right now that you can't think about anything else."

Deep down, he knew she had a point. It seemed like all he could think about since she got into town was how much he wanted to hurt her the way she hurt him. Even more so after he found out about Hannah. It killed him though to admit it to himself, that he was so jaded he would want to do that to a person he had once loved. But more than that, it annoyed him that she still knew him better than he knew himself, that she still had the ability to predict his next move without even trying.

"But," she continued. "You have to realize that your next move isn't going to hurt me, Jax. At the end of the day it's not even going to affect me at all. The only person you're going to hurt is Hannah."

Jax swallowed and continued boring holes in her smug little face. "I would never hurt her."

"Not intentionally, no," she agreed. "But Jax, if you start this thing, if you fight for rights and take this to trial, you're going to disrupt her entire world and turn it upside down if you win. Which, by the way, given your record, is going to be nearly impossible."

He shot her a sarcastic smile. "Conveniently for you, huh?"

Veronica gawked at him incredulously. "Jesus Christ, you're really not getting this are you? The Aldermans are the only parents she has known, and dragging them through the mud so you can rip her from them is going to cause some serious damage. It's going to confuse the hell out of her, Jax, make her question everything she knows and cause some serious emotional wounds," she explained. "Not to mention the fact that you're going to be taking her from a healthy, loving, and stable environment and throwing her into the cluster fuck of a life that comes with SAMCRO."

"So what? You think I'm going to be an unfit father because of the club. That my family, your family, is so bad that we can't provide and love our children," he asked, practically yelling at her. "What's next, you going to try and take Abel from me too?"

"Damnit, that's not what I'm saying and you know it," she yelled back.

Catching herself, she let out an exasperated sigh and tried to calm down. "I know you're more than capable of loving and providing for that little girl," she admitted, looking up at him the way she used to, back when there was nothing but love in her eyes. "I know that you would do everything in your power to provide for her and give her the best life that you could."

Jax wanted to ask what the problem was. Wanted to know why, if she knew all these things, she was fighting him. Why she left him in the first place.

"But," she continued, "I don't think that's going to be enough in this situation. Fact is you're a good man who lives a dangerous and very violent life at times, and there is a difference in being raised SAMCRO and being thrown into it. A person can't just go from a nonviolent and quiet environment to the chaos that you and I grew up in without major repercussions. And you can't take a six year old out of the suburbs and expect her to just come to terms with her new life and run to you with open arms. It's not going to work because, as far as she knows, you're just a stranger swooping in and tearing her life apart."

"And who's fucking fault is that?" he shot back at her, tears threatening to form in his eyes.

V gazed back at him solemnly. "Mine, and I'm sorry for that," she said, her eyes watering as well. "God, you'll never know how sorry I am for how much I've hurt you."

She moved as if she was going to reach out and touch his face, but he pulled back. He had nothing left to say to her, nothing left to feel. She had officially taken everything from him and the last thing he wanted was any affection from her. Her pity and halfhearted apologies weren't worth a damn. The damage had been done.

He watched as she lowered her hand and placed it tentatively at her side before taking a slow step back. "If you really care about your daughter the way you say you do, the way I think you do, you will see that, despite what you think about me, I have a point and what I'm saying is true. And whatever you decide, I'm not going to stop you, Jax. I have no right to. So by all means, do whatever it is you need to do. But please, before you go in with guns half-cocked, try to consider what's best for Hannah, because she's really the only one that matters."

Jax couldn't look at her, couldn't stand to hear her rationale right now. Her saying she wasn't going to stand in his way was utter bullshit! He knew she would fight him with everything she had. Bitch would probably serve as council for the other side, if it came down to that.

That was what killed him, that this girl, a girl who was once the love of his life, would think so lowly of him. That she would think their child would have a better life without him. That he had said and done things in his past to make her believe those things at all.

"I'm going to go now, Jax," she said softly, pulling his gaze back to her. "Please think about what I said."

He nodded and watched as she got into her car \before making his way back into the clubhouse. He needed a drink, needed to get out of his mind for an hour or two. So that's what he was going to do, dull the senses. And he had just about made it to the bar when Juice stopped.

"Hey man, you still want me to get that info for you?"

Jax stopped reaching for the bottle and turned towards his brother. This was it, the first decision in a line of many that could drastically change his life. The perfect time to heed Veronica's warning and stop before he even started. Or...not.

"Yeah," he said, still unsure which direction he was going to go. "See what you can find."

And that, Lovely Readers, was the latest installment of Heat Rising. As always, hope you enjoyed and are left wanting more. I figure I should probably take some time to warn you that, since I'm following the major plot line of Season One for the most part, the next chapter will include some Tara and Jax moments. For those who are like me and aren't the biggest Tara fans, I apologize, but you knew I had to do it.

Also, please, please, please feel free to review and leave any comments or suggestions. I love reading what everyone has to say and always appreciate hearing thoughts and critiques. Although I've got a pretty good idea where I'm headed, I'm always open to new ideas.

Until next time.