A\N: sorry it took so long to make this one a lots been going on...enjoy
"This is all your fault!" Aemelia screamed in the parking lot of the burned down Salon. She was leaning on her bike she'd left at the Salon. They'd stopped to pick it up.
"ME!? How is this my fault?" Juice said looking up from his cell phone. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. It was the seventh time he tried Selena's number.
"It's your fault because she is YOUR sister! You just left us in the dust!" Aemelia paused… She realized the same time as Juice of what she'd said. "Us" That was the last straw for Juice.
"I wouldn't have left had I known all this shit was going to happen!! But I can't predict the fucking future! You have no right to accuse me of anything!"
WACK!.....She slapped him.
He looked back, she was right in his face.
"I have every right…"
His cheek was raw. "Aemelia…I…I'm…" He sighed.
"Forget it Juice, it was a million years ago…What we had is dead." She put on her helmet. "Come on, my bets are on she's back at the club." She zipped off.
He sighed and followed pursuit, in a way trying to leave the past behind him.
My arms were sore from gripping Jax's torso so hard when I finally let go getting off of his bike. We where in the club's parking lot now. He went so fast on his way back I worried I would have flown off had I done other wise. Jax seemed to be fuming with anger. I followed him into the bar. I middle aged woman with dark hair and blonde streaks was standing near the pool table holding baby Abel, trying to get his backwards shoes on the proper feet. She slipped on the last shoe and approached us.
"Glad to see you found your trouble maker." She addressed Jax. He snorted and raised his eyebrows before grabbing Abel. "Yeah!"
The woman looked at me now, she held out a hand. "I'm Gemma, Jax's mom." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Selena." I returned the gesture.
"We'll I gotta hand it to you Selena, you gotta have a lot of balls to do something like this to the Sons. But I suggest you don't do it again or my husband'll have your head." She said brushing my chin with her forefinger. I looked down ashamed.
"What the hell where you thinking?" Jax said from the bar. I walked over to him.
"I had to see her." I pleaded. "Haven't you ever done something crazy to protect your family?!"
His expression darkened. He could remember countless occasions. The Club was his family and he would do anything for them. He then looked to his son, whom he would protect at any cost. "Yeah…..I guess I have…."
Just then Clay kicked open the door. Aemelia was close behind him, Juice at her side. "Told ya she'd be here." She said.
"Gemma," Clay said. His voice sent chills down my spine. "Take the kid. Jax an Juice in Church NOW! Bring the girls!" He said turning away as he spoke. Gemma took her grandson. Jax and Juice did as ordered. Aemelia didn't look me in the eye she simply gazed forward. The door behind us shut with a loud bang. Tig was had come in as well and shut the door. I jumped a little. Clay sat down in his chair and motioned us to sit down. The boys did as well. He was silent for a few minuets which seamed hours. Finally.
"Would you mind telling me….why you ran off after being told to not to see your mother. When you were told that we could handle it? Then proceeded to lock the doors so we couldn't even assist you if we tried?!" He shook the table with his voice. I tried to search for the right answer.
"She is…was my mother. What did you expect me to do? I couldn't just let her die there alone!" I tried to remain fierce. "She was my family!"
"WE are your family now! The moment you walked into this bar looking for your brother, you became blood of a member, and that makes you family! We watch out for one another here! And we sure as hell don't lock each other up!"
I tried to speak but he quickly stopped me.
"If you ever try a stunt like that again, ya done! You will get no help from us! And I'll see fit you never so much as lay eyes on your brother again!" Clay pointed a finger at Juice. He had a pained look on his face. "Ya got me?! The both of ya!" We nodded.
"Now, you don't so much as set foot out side-a this place with out an escort. I'd have Juice be yours but seeings how he'd probly go along with just 'bout anything you'd say….I chose Jax as your personal escort and guard." Clay motioned towards Jax now. Jax and I both stood.
"Like hell I am!"
"What?!"
He continued as if we'd said nothing. "Juice your in charge if this little squeeze here." He pointed at Aemelia. This time she protested, while Juice sat quietly the pained look worsened.
"Over my dead body!" Aemelia growled.
"That's the way it is and that is final!"
"Clay this isn't fair, we need a vote from the group!" Jax said his teeth grinding together. "We already took a vote." He chuckled lightly. "Group agrees." He smiled and got up leaving the room, pausing just as he reached the door. "Not a foot Miss Ortiz."
Jax punched a wall then walked out of the room. Aemelia chewed on her snake bite piercings before giving me a quick glance then quickly left the room. I looked at my brother.
"I…" I racked my brain for an explanation.
"I get why you did it. But Clay is right. This is your family now." He said as he walked up then out.
It took Aemelia and I a day to make up, but there was still some lingering tension. More of that tension was angled towards Juice. I got why she hated him, but it seemed like there was something more. Quite often they would stare or glare at the other till one looked then would quickly pretend to be doing something else. It was borderline childish.
Jax on the other hand, probly out of fear of Clay, followed me around like some puppy on an invisible leash. Not only to the stores and back but around the bar and bike shop. He would sit and keep an eye, most likely making sure I wasn't going to do any window hopping soon. He didn't speak much, he just observed.
When he had Abel with him quite often when he had his back turned I would be fixing small mistakes he would make; wrong shoes on wrong feet, backwards diaper, miss buttoned onezies. It was obvious he was a single parent. One day while the crew was in Church, and Aemelia was asleep, Gemma explained to me what had happened. She told me that Abel's real mother was some druggie whore who was in rehab, and Jax just had a girl he was in love with leave him for a job. He had to raise this child alone. So Gemma tried to help as much as she could, but she could only do so much.
"May I see him?" I asked reaching out.
"Sure." She smiled and handed him off.
"He's a bit big to be drinking from a bottle all the time." I said looking at his round cheeks. He looked back up at me.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to buy Jax some baby food but a friend of mine has got cancer and it seems a lot lately I've been driving him to the hospital and then taking care of things at home, there just hasn't been enough time. Once in a while I slip him some mashed potatoes or carrots at dinner, but…" She smiled and put a hand to her grandsons cheek.
"A growing boy needs his nutrition." I said. Gemma nodded. "Why don't you go to the store now, I can watch the baby." I suggested. She shot me a dark untrustworthy look.
"I have a baby in my hands, where the hell can I go?" I laughed. She exhaled giving up.
"Fine…" She pointed a sharp fingernail at me. "But you'd better not go anywhere!" I nodded. "And he'd better not have a scratch on him…." She turned to leave. "He'd better not even have the hic-ups!"
I smiled. "Just go!" She paused, and then closed the door.
I bounced the boy around on my knee for a while; he started to fuss so I sung a little. Thank god the church door had been closed. Then they finally opened. Clay, as usual was first one out, followed by Tig, Jax, and so on. Prospect came up to me to make sounds to the baby. "So what went on in there?" I asked trying to whisper. He smiled his innocent smile. "You don't need to know everything!" I glared at him. Jax looked around the room then quickly ran up to me.
"Where's the hell is my mom?"
"Getting your son a proper meal." I smiled not looking at him but making faces at Abel. Prospect could sense a fight brewing and quickly left.
"And she left you…."
"Ah-huh" I nodded.
"Alone….?" He looked like he was about to snatch Abel from my hands.
"Relax babysitter, I can handle being alone for a few minuets."
He went to speak but a voice bellowed.
"Sweet'n' Low!" I looked across the bar at Clay. He seemed to be talking to me. Excuse me. I thought to myself.
"Bring me my grandson." He laughed. I stuck my tongue out at Jax and danced the baby to Clay.
"What did you just call me?" I said.
"Relax Toots; it's a term of interment." He puffed smoke from his cigar.
"And it's a reference of my height." I glared.
"You are kinda short heh heh." Bobby laughed from behind the bar. I smiled passing Clay Abel and taking his cigar and set it in an ash tray away from the child.
"Don't get confused with some SweetButt!" I said putting a hand on my hip. "This mamma-cita isn't afraid to walk all up an down your old ass!" Bobby stopped washing the glass in his hand, Tig stopped tormenting the Prospect, all waited for Clay's response……His face was stern.
"Ya alright kid, ya got spark, even if you are a midget haha." The wrinkles around his eyes creased as he laughed.
"If I'm a midget then…..That means you get a Senior Citizens discount then, Pops!" I retorted.
The Crew laughed as well, except Jax who was staring into his glass.
