Sliver of Melody: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed :):)
MissTeller-Ortiz-Dixon: Thanks for the review :):) I obviously can't give away any details, but the answer to one of your questions can be found in this chapter ;P
Bamby
JPOV
It had been a few days since we got back from County. Scarlett was going to be released today, even though the doctors would prefer her to stay for a little while longer. But she wanted to come home, which made sense. Only there were a few problems... We hadn't told her that Caracara had been burnt down... Or that Luann was dead... or that Jax was going Nomad.
I just didn't know how to tell her. To tell her about Caracara... She'd really liked the job, we all knew that, and she'd put quite a bit of money into the business. It would crush her. Then there was the fact that Luann was dead- and that she'd been murdered. Luann was Otto's Old Lady, she'd been around when Scarlett had been a teen. She was family.
But the worst was Jax. Scarlett had came back to Charming to be with her brother. He was her best friend. The two were close... Closer than Jax was with some of the club. So how were we supposed to tell her that he was leaving... What would that do to her?
My train of thought was cut short as Tig walked up to me while I worked in the garage. By the look on his face, I knew he was still pissed that he'd caught Scarlett and I in the hospital the other day. The fact she wasn't here to save my ass now, did not make me feel too confident.
"We need to talk." he said simply before looking to everyone else in the garage. "Take a break boys." just like that, the place was cleared. "I need to know what's going on between you and Letti." he said, that calm look in his eyes. The one he'd get before he'd go bat-shit crazy.
"Tig-"
He shut me up, taking a step forward. "Don't play with me, Juice. She's like a daughter to me. So tell the truth."
Swallowing hard I nodded. "I don't know." he clenched his fists before I quickly added. "I mean, she said she didn't want to get me in trouble with the guys. So we tried to, you know... distance and stuff." I shrugged.
"Didn't look like there was any distance in that hospital room." he noted, still looking scarily calm.
"Well, yeah. I mean, she, uh... A lot of shit happened, the car blowing up, jail, and then her ex... I mean- I guess..." I was tripping over my words left right and centre. I felt like the biggest idiot.
"If you go there with her, no more side pussy. No sweet butts, porn-stars, hookers. No one. Nowhere. Doesn't matter if we're out of town. I find out your dick is in some other girl, I'll cut it off. Got it?"
I nodded frantically.
He turned around, heading to the bikes before he stopped, looking back over at me. "I suggest you tell Jax, before he finds out and kills you. He never did like the idea of his sister dating. Especially one of us." he noted before leaving.
I was so screwed.
SPOV
I smiled at my mum as she helped me walk down the halls of the hospital. I didn't need the assistance, but it was nice, having the support of a loved one. Especially after all the crap I'd been through. It was nice to know I had people there for me. I needed that. We didn't say much as we walked through the hospital. I understood that mum was busy, talking to all the nurses and doctors, making sure to get everything I might need- there were a number of pain killers and other medications I was on to help with swelling and such. But I didn't mind the silence.
I was so happy I was finally getting out. Almost happy enough to run home... almost. I was still pretty sore, but everything was good enough that the doctors had me out of critical and into general. For the last two days I had been stuck in a shared room with some old lady and a complaining pain-in-the-ass girl a little younger than me. To say I was relived to be out would be an understatement.
Exiting the building, I leaned against her a little more as we neared her car. "So, anything happen while I was out of the loop?"
She suddenly tensed, letting me go to open the car door, refusing to look at me. "Sweetie, we've got a lot to catch up on."
I frowned at her, wondering what was going on, but kept my mouth shut for the moment. She helped me in and closed the door before moving around to the driver's side. Putting my stuff in the back, she then got in and buckled up. I watched and waited until we were on the road before speaking up.
"What happened?"
She hesitated, looking at the road as she drove towards TM. "Luann was beaten to death by Georgie. Caracara burnt down. And Jax is going Nomad." she answered in one full hit.
It was like a punch to the stomach. My heart shattered. Turning away, I had to look out the window so she wouldn't see my eyes tear up.
Luann had been family since I was a little girl. I remember the day I found out she and Otto were an item. Before she'd just been a hang around, a sweet-butt, a crow-eater. I hadn't really thought much about her, because she was like all the others. But when Otto- uncle Otto- introduced her to me, it was like a curtain was pulled back and everything changed. She was the one to teach me how to put on makeup, how to tell if a guy liked you. She'd been a friend before I'd started working with her. Being by her side at Caracara, it hadn't felt like a job. Not when I had so much fun with her.
Hearing that Caracara was gone as well... I didn't care about the money, I had more of that. I cared about the girls that now had no work. The families- like Lyla's- that would go without now that the women had no jobs. Hell, even the men. Where were they supposed to go now? To Georgie? That was not an option. He was a pig, a scumbag, and if he really was responsible for Luann's death then he wouldn't be around for much longer...
But in all honesty, it was hearing about Jax that hurt the most...
"Nomad?" I wiped the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. "What about Abel? Tara? What about us? Why is he going? What happened?"
She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know, sweetheart. I just know, things are getting worse and worse every day."
I rested my head back, closing my eyes. "It's Zobelle, isn't it?" I sighed. "The bastard came and visited me-"
Mum slammed her foot on the brakes. "What?!"
Catching my breath from the shock of her sudden brake, I turned to her. "He came in to talk."
"What did he want?" she drilled, fear laced in her words.
"He didn't say. I told him to get out, or I'd have him and his daughter killed for what they did to you. So he left." I kept it vague, not needing her to know I was lying. I knew if she found out the truth, she'd suddenly think I was in danger.
Driving again, my's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she tried to calm herself. "Why didn't you call someone? What if he hurt you?"
"In a public hospital? I doubt he's got enough power and money to get away with that, mum."
...
As mum parked outside the garage, I watched as Bobby, Tig and Jax head over to the car. Tig and Bobby were smiling as I got out of the car. But I didn't return the smile. The moment my eyes landed on my brother, I felt an anger begin to boil inside me. How dare he think he can just leave us.
"Letti!" Bobby smiled.
Tig opened his arms up for a hug. "Lett!"
Ignoring them both, I walked past them all, heading for my idiot brother.
Jax frowned, seeing how pissed I was. "Scar-"
Before he could say anything else, I stopped in front of him, lifted my hand, and slapped him across the face, right in front of everyone. "That's for not tell me about Luann or Caracara." I slapped him again, so hard the crack echoed and my hand ached. "And that's for not telling me you're going Nomad." I snapped, pushing past him as I made my way over to the club house.
"Scarlett." he turned, following me as the others stayed back. "Scar, listen to me."
I stopped in my tracks, spinning around to look at him. "Don't, 'Scar, listen to me', me. My whole life, I have looked up to you. Wanted nothing more than to be even the slightest bit like you. Someone as good and smart. Behind all of the shit the club deals with, I know you are a great guy. I know it." I shook my head at him. "But a great guy does not abandon his family, or his duties."
"Scar, don't be like-"
I raised my hand, shutting him up. "I don't want to hear it!" I told him, turning to head into the clubhouse. But I stopped before either of us really moved, looking to him one last time. "Oh and by the way, I've been fucking Juice." I snapped, seeing his eyes go from sorry, to pissed. "Thought you should know before you leave."
JPOV
I'd been busy and hadn't realised Scarlett was back, but I knew now. As we sat in church, Jax wouldn't stop glaring at me. Apparently he and Scarlett had fought outside. I wasn't sure what she'd said, but I had a feeling it wasn't good. Chances were, our secret was out...
"We know what's on the table." Clay started. "Nomad charter accepted Jax. Redwood, has to vote to release." the whole room was dead silent as we listened to him. Speaking to Jax, he asked, "You wanna say anything?"
"This is the best thing for Samcro." was all Jax said, leaving it at that.
The silence in the room was heavy. None of us wanted this. We all knew that this was not the best thing for any of us. Going Nomad? That meant leaving everything. Family, friends. Jax was a father. A brother. A son. He meant a lot, to a lot of people. If he left, it wouldn't just damage the club, it would hurt others. Scarlett included. I wasn't sure if I could let that happen.
Clay lifted his hand, the first to vote. "Yea. I got Tig's proxy to yea."
Jax nodded. "Yea."
Bobby sighed, looking to Jax. "Yea."
They turned to me, waiting for my answer. I thought about the club. About how bad thing were going to go once Jax left. How we would all spiral. He played a big part in keeping the club going, keeping up on the right path. I thought about Scarlett. About everything she'd been through lately and how much she needed her brother right now. The way she'd help onto him that night in the hospital. He meant more to her than people realised.
But I knew saying no wasn't an option. If Jax stayed, things with him and Clay would only get worse, and that wasn't good for the club either. It wasn't good for the club, the town or anyone.
So, with a deep breath, I nodded. "Yea."
Piney stood, eyes set in disappointment. "Yea." he answered before walking out.
"Yea." Ope couldn't even look at Jax as he answered.
We fell silent, for what felt like the longest moment as we waited for Chibs to answer. Yet he stayed sitting there, staring down at the table.
He'd come back mere moments before church started. He hadn't had time to do anything other than come to chapel. Filling him in on the way had been hard. He was pissed with Jax, and had every right to be. Jax was like a son to him, so the idea of him leaving probably hurt as much as it hurt Scarlett.
"Chibs?" Clay pressed.
Slowly, Chibs looked up at Jax. "Is his what you want, Jackie boy? For real?" Jax nodded causing Chibs to shake his head and look away. "Jesus. Yea."
Clay lifted the gavel. "Unanimous." he hit the gavel on the table before dropping it and turning his back to Jax. "Free to transfer."
Jax nodded, standing up and taking his cut off. "I'll let Quinn know." we sat there, watching as he ripped his charter patches off, throwing them down in front of Clay.
SPOV
A knock on my door had me roll over on my bed, sighing with frustration at whoever was on the other side of the door. Grudgingly I got up, opening it to see mum standing there with an expression I hardly saw on her... fear.
"What's wrong?"
"You think you can come with me to mine? I need to talk to Clay and Jax, and I need you there with me."
Forgetting about my anger towards Jax, I nodded, grabbing my jacket and pulling it on. "Yeah, of course."
She grabbed my hand, needing the support as we walked out of the clubhouse, eyes following us as we did so. Getting in her car, I watched her carefully, with worry and complete love, as she drove out of the lot.
...
I walked into the house, Clay and mum close behind. Knowing that Jax and Tara were inside, I didn't exactly want to be in the middle of whatever crap was going on between the two men. So as I walked in, I just moved right to the table sitting down as I fidgeted nervously. The moment Clay and Jax locked eyes on each other I swear I thought the walls were going to crumble and fall with the tension between those two.
"Sit down. Both of you." mum told the two of them, coming to sit next to me with a sigh. When Tara began to walk off, she stopped her. "You too, sweetheart. Sit." Tara looked over at my mum with question in her eyes. "You know what it is I have to tell them."
We waited for her to come sit with the rest of us as Clay turned to mum confused. "What is this?"
I grabbed mum's hand, seeing her shake and struggle to say what she needed to. Nodding encouragingly, I tried to give her as much comfort and support as I could.
Taking a deep breath, she started. "The night of Bobby's party... I didn't get into an accident driving home. I was attacked." she paused, trying to collect herself. "Minivan pulls up behind me. A girl jumps out in a panic. Says her baby's choking. That girl was very convincing. It was a goddamn doll in the car seat. She hit me over the head with a, you know, a blackjack. Something. I came to... handcuffed to a chain link. Utility house out by the access road. They wore masks. There were three of them. When he spoke, I... I knew his voice. Tat on his throat. Zobelle's right hand, Weston." Jax shook his head, hatred and rage filling him. "Told me to deliver a message to you. 'Stop selling guns to colour.' Said if I- if I didn't tell you... that he'd find me and do it again." she looked to me and I nodded, squeezing her hand. "They raped me. All three of them. More than once." she finished.
Clay looked down at the table, absolutely crushed and shocked, while Jax fumed with anger.
He slammed his hand down on the table, causing mum, Tara and I to jump. One look at mum and he was on his feet, walking over to stand by her. Crouching down and reaching for her hands, he lifted them to his lips, kissing them. When he stood he moved to stand behind Clay, laying a hand on his shoulder, a sign that all was forgiven. Mum need both of them, and because of that, they would forget their issues. After all, that's what you do for family.
Bamby
