Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.
A/N: Is it a boy or a girl? Read on and see for yourselves. As always, if you read, please review.
Enjoy!
Sons of Anarchy
Season 3
Episode 13 - "NS"
This Charming Life by Joan Armatrading
I wanna be with you all the time
Every day
Every night
You're my deja vu
Its sounds obsessive
But I think its fine
When you're gone all I do is to think of you
I live and love with you
This charming life
I live and love with you
This charming life
You know you came into the room alone
But when you left
Then I found that you took my heart
It sounds so corny yes I know it does
But truth is the shade that I choose to wear
I live and love with you
This charming life
I live and love with you
This charming life
Every government must pass down a law
That says the sun has to always shine
That everybody gets the chance to say
I live and love with you
This charming life
I live and love with you
This charming life
Every morning when I open my eyes
You're the first thing that I see
Lady luck she really took to me
Because
I live and love with you
This charming life
I live and love with you
This charming life
Jolene had long since resigned herself to feeling quite unsexy no matter what she was wearing. The oversized hospital gown currently draped over her like a circus tent wasn't doing much to boost her self-esteem either. The only person in the world she had ever stressed over looking good for was her old man, with today being particularly stressful for her as she was currently spread out on an examination table in one of Dr. Namid's consultation rooms like a beached whale.
Jax, however, didn't seem to notice, especially if the little detour they had made earlier to his Clubhouse dorm when they should have been on their way to her doctor's appointment was anything to go by. Jolene watched her old man with raised eyebrows as he gently massaged her naked and basketball-round belly in slow, wide circles with a look of intense concentration on his handsome face.
He looks like he's about to start chanting any second now,Jolene's choked snicker came out as a loud pig snort.
Jax lifted an eyebrow. "What's so funny, darlin'?"
"Nothing, baby." Jolene smiled. "I think you can stop now. The baby's not kicking around so much anymore."
Jax smiled as he came face-to-face with Jolene and dropped a lingering kiss on her mouth. "That had to be the freakiest shit I've ever seen in my life." He was slightly awestruck, referring to the way her otherwise rigid-looking bump had contorted as the baby wriggled around earlier. At one point, Jolene's belly had expanded sideways by what had to be one of the baby's limbs pushing against it.
"Yeah, I think it's getting a little cramped in there." Jolene lovingly ran her hand over Jax's bearded cheek before he grabbed it and kissed her palm. "Peanut's probably having as much trouble as me trying to find a comfortable position. Help me up, baby."
Jax quickly positioned himself so that Jolene could lean against him as he slid one arm around her shoulders and gently pushed her up into a sitting position on the examination table. "You look tired, Jo."
"That's because I am." Jolene replied and quickly covered Jax's mouth before he could start bitching at her. "You try getting some decent sleep while carrying a rambunctious Teller spawn who insists on ramming itself up under your ribs as it simultaneously sits on your bladder. It's perfectly normal for me to be having trouble sleeping, Jax, especially these last couple of months."
"Anything I can do, darlin'?" He asked earnestly and Jolene felt her heart about to explode in her chest. How she made it through one pregnancy without her old man doting over her, catering to her every whim and need, she'll never know.
The truth was Jax had always been an attentive and caring lover. And even though it almost drove her to drink during her first and second trimesters, it only made sense that he would be an attentive and caring father-to-be as well. Being the stubborn and independent cow that she was, however, Jolene would probably never admit out loud that she actually enjoyed having her old man take care of her. Especially since Gemma was quick to point out that the first few months of her pregnancy would have gone a lot smoother if Jolene had just given in to Jax's need to take care of her. After all, a hardcore, outlaw biker he may be, but in the world they lived in, a real man took care of what was his. And Jolene belonged to Jax heart, body, and soul.
"You already do enough for me, baby." Jolene smiled as Jax cradled her face in his hands and kissed her softly.
In spite of the fact that she felt as big as a house, after a few minor hitches here and there, this pregnancy was progressing far better than her first. Even Dr. Namid, who was most cautious in his evaluation concerning the baby's development, seemed to be very happy with the results to date.
And she had her SAMCRO family to thank for that. After all of the highs and lows she has shared with Jax over the years, Jolene couldn't remember a happier time in her life. Not only had this baby been conceived by two people madly in love with each other, but for the past 7½ months, it had been nurtured and doted on by the people Jolene loved most in the world. Whether it was a boy or a girl, this baby had no clue how lucky he or she was to have an extended, albeit dysfunctional family that already loved it unconditionally. If for that reason alone, Jolene could come to grips with her family's near-strangling love.
Jolene broke away from their kiss as Dr. Namid chuckled after clearing his throat rather loudly upon entering the exam room. "It's good to see the both of you today. How are you feeling, Jolene?" He inquired.
"Well, in spite of the fact that I'm probably carrying about half my weight around my mid-section and I can't see my feet any more unless I'm laying down and Jax is holding them up in the air—" She stopped abruptly, her cheeks suddenly turning pink, prompting both Jax and the doctor to laugh.
"Darlin', I think that's more information than the Doc was bargaining for." Her old man teased.
Jolene cleared her throat. "Anywho, aside from being so grotesquely fat that I can't see my own feet, which in hindsight isn't such a bad thing because they're swollen and I can't wear any of my favorite boots anymore, I'm doing just fine." She grinned.
"My old lady is a woman who adheres to the philosophy of 'fashion over comfort', Dr. Namid." Jax smiled as his old lady gave him the stink eye. "If she could bend far enough to wedge her feet into her favorite Fendi boots, she would."
Jolene blinked. "How could you possibly know that?"
"You take care of those boots the way I take care of my leather. You just had them resoled, too. Babe, sometimes I think you love those boots more than me." Jax fake-pouted at his wife.
"I commiserate with you Mr. Teller." Dr. Namid said as he washed his hands at the sink near the door. "My own wife exhibits the same emotional attachment to her Jimmy Choos."
Jolene giggled. "I'm quite impressed that 'Jimmy Choo' would even be a part of your vocabulary, Doc." She teased.
Dr. Namid grinned as he sat on a stool to examine Jolene's feet. "My beautiful wife has trained me well and it's only taken her 21 years to get me just the way she wants me." Quickly changing the subject, the doctor noted, "Jolene, your ankles are swollen as well. How long has this been going on?"
At this Jax jumped in. "Since late last week. It was just her feet at first, but over the last couple of days the swelling seems to have travelled to her ankles and her lower legs."
The doctor re-examined the affected areas by gently pressing on them. "Have you been on your feet more than usual?" He asked sternly.
"No, doctor. I've been following your instructions. I conduct my classes while sitting and, more often than not, my butt's in a chair at home 95% of the time. My family won't tolerate anything less."
"That's good to hear. You might want to try elevating your legs when sitting to relieve the swelling and maybe try some roomier shoes with a smaller heel." The doctor advised. "I do have a bit of good news. Your measurements are on target for a woman your size and you are at the ideal weight for this stage of your pregnancy. Both your sonogram and the fetal heart monitor show that the baby is doing quite well. In fact, this time around, it wasn't so shy and we now know the sex."
Jolene's smile lit up her face as she eyed her old man. "Whadja think?"
Jax wasn't so sure. He was counting on a boy, not feeling ready to handle another pistol like Jolene. They had both been disappointed when the five-month sonogram had not revealed the sex of the baby, but with Jolene in the homestretch, Jax didn't feel the need to know right now anymore.
"I don't know, babe. I kinda like not knowing, anticipation and all that happy shit."
Jolene rolled her eyes. "Still afraid it's a girl, huh?" She teased.
"Uh, yeah," Jax rolled his eyes right back at her. "And I'm man enough to admit it, too."
"Well, Doc, it looks like we'll pass on knowing for now." Jolene replied. "As long as Peanut's doing well, that's all that really matters."
"Absolutely, Jolene. You can rest easy knowing that all tests indicate that the baby is developing normally. As a matter of fact, at this point, it looks like your little 'peanut' is well on its way to being a 6½, 7 pounder. Even though your son was born prematurely, I don't foresee any problems preventing you from carrying this pregnancy to term and you're right on schedule for a C-section by mid-February."
Jax, an expert at reading people, liked what he was hearing, but was also wary of what he wasn't. "Doc, I'm glad the baby's doing well, but why do I feel a big 'but' coming regarding my old lady?" He asked.
"Probably because there is one." The doctor replied, quickly holding up his hand as both of the Tellers suddenly fixed wide eyes on him. "There's no need to get excited, but the swelling in Jolene's legs could be water retention or it could be sign she's having trouble with her circulation. All of her blood work has come back fine and the medication is still working—"
"But?" Jolene asked cautiously, afraid that history was about to repeat itself. A few weeks before she had gone into premature labor with Abel, swelling in her limbs had been issue, along with piercing headaches.
"Taking past history into consideration, I want to make sure that everything continues smoothly for you, Jolene. I'm sure that's what you and your husband want as well." Dr. Namid started.
"Of course we do, Doc. Just tell us what to do and we'll do it." Jax's voice brooked no argument.
"Good, I'm glad to hear that." The doctor gave them both a wide, encouraging smile. "I can always consult my obstetrics team, if you want a second opinion, but I am recommending that Jolene go on complete bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy."
Sitting in a leather chair, Donna Winston contemplated her BFF as she sat comfortably ensconced on the large leather sofa in Jolene's living room. Wearing a black maternity graphic tee that said "Foxy Mama" with a tattoo-like print of pregnant pin-up girl in a bikini and a pair of super-tiny fleece shorts, the soon-to-be new mother's face was glowing. Her ever-expressive eyes, however, were telling a different story and right now they were saying that Jolene was in a little bit of a funk. Although having resolved herself to her current situation, she wasn't exactly jumping over the moon about spending the past three weeks in lock down.
With several large pillows propping her up, a couple of comforters and the coffee table littered with all types of electronic devices, books, snacks and the like, the VP's old lady would have thought that the Acting Queen of Charming would be in a slightly better mood.
Who am I kidding? I was miserable too.
Donna, who had been on complete bed rest the last two weeks before the twins were born, knew exactly what Jolene was going through. With her nesting instinct having kicked in a few weeks ago, if Donna knew her Type-A friend, Jolene's head was probably about to explode with all the to-do lists she had floating around in there. It was up to Donna to distract her. Having taken the day off from work for just that purpose, Donna was on a mission to cheer up her girlfriend. Getting up from her seat, Donna plopped herself on the couch across from Jolene and kicked off her shoes.
"Comfy, are we?" Donna remarked as she covered herself with the other end of Jolene's comforter.
Jolene gave her friend a dead-eye stare. "Please tell me you're not gonna start with that annoying 'We' business, as if you can empathize with my feelings."
"Hell yeah! Have you forgotten the two melon heads I carried around for 38 weeks? Girl, you need to suck it up."
"What I need to do is put my foot up the next person's ass who tells me to suck it up." Jolene challenged.
Walking into the living room with Jolene's lunch on a tray, Neeta cleared a space on the coffee table and put it down. Turning to Donna, she snarked, "Is she complaining again? You wouldn't know that the woman was being treated like the Queen of Sheba, would ya?" Wagging her finger at the younger woman, Neeta continued. "And Donna's right on the money. You really need to suck it up and I'd like to see you try putting anything up my ass."
As Donna snorted with laughter, Jolene folded her arms under her engorged breasts as she eyed the older woman. "I really don't need this shit." She said sulkily.
"No, but as long as you keep whining, I've got plenty to say at your expense." Neeta made herself comfortable in the chair Donna had vacated. "And if you don't keep your whining down to a dull roar, your father is going to come out here and jump on your pregnant behind, too. He's a whole lot handier now that he's finally graduated to that fancy walker."
Jolene smiled suddenly as she considered her father. After over five months spent living in several casts, Clay Morrow had finally been liberated and was in an aggressive stage of rehab. Only using his motorized wheelchair when he was out and about in Charming, Clay was slowly learning how to walk again with his newly healed limbs and with the aid of a walker. With the progress he was making, doctors expected him to make a full recovery in another six months.
"I love my Dad, but please don't bring him in here." Jolene pleaded.
"Then maybe you need to stop complaining and eat what I put in front of you. I don't wanna have to tell Abel that you didn't finish your lunch again. You know how much he worries about his momma."
Gemma and Neeta have turned using Abel to keep Jolene in line into an art form, Donna sniggered to herself as Jolene quickly picked up half of the sandwich on her plate and began to chow down. The last thing Jolene wanted was to get her baby boy all worked up about her. All Abel had to do was waggle his little finger at her in imitation of his Papa and Jolene would fold like a house of cards.
Neeta continued with her chastising. "Why are you so damn crabby anyway?"
At that, Donna chortled. "Haven't you heard? Being on complete bed rest isn't as fun as it sounds. Jolene's not the only one on lock down, but so is her muffin."
"Well damn, girl! That certainly explains a whole helluva lot. If I was married to that tall blond brickhouse and couldn't get me some, I'd be pissed off too." Neeta smiled knowingly.
"Thank you D, for announcing my sex life—or lack thereof—to the world."
"Girl, I'm not the world. It's just me. And somebody needs to tell me shit so I know how to deal with your cranky ass." Neeta replied, reaching over to grab a handful of mixed nuts sitting in a bowl on the coffee table and popped a few into her mouth.
"Hey, I still get me some. Just because my old man can't lay no pipe, doesn't mean that I've gone cold turkey." Jolene wriggled her eyebrows wickedly.
Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, look who's talkin' shit now."
"Hey, all I'm saying is that tongue of his is good for so much more than just talking me into dropping my panties and we'll leave it at that." Jolene smirked.
"Jo, who you talking to? You're preaching to the choir. I have first-hand visual knowledge that Jax knows how to work that shit." Donna replied and she picked up a fashion magazine from the coffee table to fan herself energetically. "Damn, it just got all sorts of hot around here!"
"The hell you say!" Neeta said disbelievingly, her eyes wide. "You can't stop there! Dish it!"
"Uh, yeah, like when did that happen?" Jolene queried with a raised eyebrow.
"Wow, pregnancy brain is really hitting you hard if you've already forgotten how I crashed your little party the day I found out I was pregnant." Donna explained.
Finally remembering, Jolene hooted with laughter. "Girl, that was eight years ago and damn, I almost did forget! Oh my God, D! That was so totally twisted, too! I thought Jax was gonna kill ya that day."
"Well, don't keep it to yourself, Donna. Come on and share!" Neeta invited with a cackle.
The three women continued to laugh and reminisce as they talked about all of the good times they had experienced together over the years and it went a long way to taking Jolene's mind off of her situation.
While Jolene had resigned herself to the idea of not finishing the term with her students and being bedridden until her baby was born, with so much time on her hands all she could really do was think, which allowed her mind to go wandering down dangerous paths.
Worrying about the state of her body as well as the state of her marriage, Jolene's insecurities started revisiting her again after Dr. Namid had dropped the anvil about putting a hold on their sex life. While she had every confidence that her old man would never stray on her, Jolene's insecurities regarding her body and her current inability to properly take care of her husband's sexual needs were beginning to weigh her down.
If Donna only knew what was really at the root of Jolene's funk, she could put her mind at ease. According to Ope, all Jax did was brag to his brothers about how beautiful Jolene looked knocked up with his kid. Every time Donna saw him, Jax had his pre-pay in hand, taking snap shots of his old lady without her noticing. Catching him one day, Jolene had threatened to delete every single fat picture she could find if she ever got her hands on his phone.
But Jax wasn't having it. Those pictures meant far more to him than he could ever say. The only picture that he had of Jolene while pregnant was the one in the ATF's file that David Hale had "liberated" from June Stahl. The sight of his old lady so obviously ill and struggling while carrying several bags of groceries had broken his heart.
The difference between now and then was like day and night. Jolene was healthy and looking all pink-cheeked and happy, her beautiful midnight curls even more lustrous and thicker than ever and her skin had a permanent glow to it. Jax, however, was extremely happy for another pregnancy by-product that catered to the primal beast in him. As her perfectly round belly grew, so did her perfectly round and beautiful tits. Always an impressive asset, her rack had grown at least another cup-size, making Jax not only incredibly hot for his wife, but proud that he was married to the hottest pregnant old lady on the planet.
Suddenly feeling the baby give several kicks, Jolene put a hand over her belly.
"Oh, oh. The Mad Peanut strikes again, huh?" Neeta smiled.
Soon after Jax had seen her tummy move like aliens had taken over her body, Abel had re-christened his unborn sibling as the Mad Peanut after witnessing with wide eyes a similar flurry of activity. Jolene's belly had stretched in ways it never had with Abel as she was treated to a succession of kicks from its occupant.
Smiling, Jolene rubbed her belly. "Yeah, the Mad Pea has been quite active lately, which is a good thing. As long as he or she keeps moving, I'll know that everything will be okay." Jolene was about to continue when her pre-pay went off. Picking it up, she groaned as she saw the text message. "Oh boy."
"Let me guess. Gemma's on her way back?" Donna asked.
"Uh huh. From the printers in Stockton. She'll be back in thirty minutes and wants us to be ready for her arrival." Jolene used her index finger and thumb to rub the bridge of her nose.
"Aw shit, you know what that means. She's gonna have us all busy stuffing envelopes for the SAMCRO baby shower to end all baby showers." Donna warned.
"Girl, I almost feel sorry for ya." Neeta shook her head sympathetically.
Jolene covered her face and groaned. "Tell me about it. It's going to be worse than the wedding."
"Is that even possible?" Donna paled slightly.
"Hell's yeah, it is! This is Gemma Teller-Morrow we're talking about here. And I can't even have any wine or tequila to knock my ass unconscious." Jolene complained half-heartedly.
With the baby shower scheduled for the next month, about two weeks before Jolene's scheduled delivery date, Gemma was now in full party-planning mode. With Jolene on permanent grounding, party central was the Teller home and Gemma wanted Jolene involved in every step of the way. And the fact was that Jolene was truly excited because she didn't get to have a shower for Abel.
With Jolene suddenly smiling to herself like a mental patient, Donna and Neeta exchanged perplexed looks. If there ever was a reason for SAMCRO to throw a party, as far as Jolene was concerned, celebrating the impending birth of the life she and Jax had created was certainly it.
After wading through acres of shit—a turncoat patch, separation, incarceration, junkie ex-wives, porn stars, vindictive whack-job ATF agents, accidents, injuries, and whatnot—in just a few short weeks, the Teller family would be complete.
Jolene smiled as she ran her hand through Jax's rapidly growing hair. Lying on their California king-sized bed, Jax had his ear gently pressed against her bare belly as he softly spoke to the baby.
"Let me know if the baby talks back." She teased, close to tears and trying really hard not to show it.
"Nah, he's not much of a talker," Jax sat up and rubbed the right side of his chin as he looked down at Jolene. "Has a helluva left hook, though."
Jolene giggled, but suddenly stopped, giving her husband the stink eye as he removed his cut and made himself comfortable. "Uh, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like, darlin'?" He flashed her that famous panty-dropping grin of his.
"Jax, stop looking at me like that and get your ass over to the Clubhouse already, will ya? I'm fine. No, I'm better than fine, I'm perfectly fine. Now go." Jolene ordered mulishly as she sat up in bed. When it looked like he had no intention of budging, she continued. "Baby, tonight's a big deal. It's Dad's first Church at the actual table. After months confined to this house, he finally gets to go back to the Clubhouse and be with his brothers. It's a biggie and you know it. There's no reason to sit around watching me. I feel like you're waiting for me to lay an egg."
"Can you really blame me?" Jax said quietly as he reached out and wrapped several tendrils of his old lady's silky hair around his fingers.
"No, I guess not." Jolene softened a little, knowing just how important it was for him to be around, not only in case she needed him, but simply to share in the experience. He had even broken down and watched the full video of a C-section birth without passing out either. But she knew that her old man needed to let off a little steam with his brothers and tonight was as good a time as any.
Jolene had roped her father into seeing that Jax relaxed and had a good time. The crusty old biker would do anything for his daughter and had no problem being tasked with getting his son-in-law to loosen up.
"A few hands of poker, baby girl and a bottle or two of Jack will set him straight." Clay had grinned at her earlier that day when she hit him up with her plan.
"Geez, Dad, I want him still capable of walking, you know." Jolene ordered. "And keep him away from the pussy buffet, please."
"Hey, I've been through a war and over 40 years as a Son. I ain't about to be taken out by no pregnant broad." He had joked.
Sitting up, Jax kissed her. Unable to resist, Jolene balled her hand in his hair as his mouth wrecked havoc on hers. Smiling at Jolene with the devil in his eyes, Jax moved on to nuzzling her neck, making her moan.
"Jackson! Why are you starting shit you know we can't finish, baby?" Jolene was pretty close to whining because she didn't want him to stop.
"Mmmm," Jax continued working her neck, one hand finding its way under her shirt to gently squeeze her breast. "You smell good, baby."
"That's cuz I farted," Jolene kidded as she tried pushing him away. "Now stop."
Jax fell back on the bed and rubbed both hands over his face. Looking up into Jolene's wide and worried eyes, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Sorry, darlin'. I got carried away." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I just really, really miss being with you."
Jolene swallowed hard. "I know," She nodded her head. "I miss it, too."
Narrowing his eyes, Jax suddenly sat up again and looked her straight in the eyes. "Stop it, Jo."
"Stop what?" She asked innocently, her eyes falling to her hands resting on her belly.
"I can almost hear your thoughts." Jax smiled. Using his index finger to raise her chin, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. "It's not just the sex I'm craving, babe. It's my old lady I want."
Jolene felt the corners of her mouth curl up in spite of herself. "Really? This fat blob of baby? Is that what you want?"
"Every night, all night, darlin'." Jax wriggled his eyebrows at her lecherously.
Jolene laughed. "You'd better go before I say to hell with Dr. Namid and his cock-blocking."
"All right," Jax pressed a long hard kiss on his old lady's upturned lips before jumping out of bed. "But I'll be back in a few hours. Be good." He said, slipping into his cut.
"I always am." Watching him walk out the door, Jolene winced slightly as she tried to get comfortable.
Standing at the head of the table, Jax grinned at the noise his brothers were making as they escorted the former SAMCRO President into the Chapel. The shit-eating grin on his father-in-law's face was evidence of just how happy he was to be home. It was good to see him upright and wearing his cut proudly.
Leaving his walker in the trunk of Gemma's SUV, Clay maneuvered his way into the room with the aid of a bad-ass custom-made black-lacquered cane with the head of the Reaper in sterling silver, a gift from his baby girl. There was no way he was going to be seen walking into the Club with that POS walker like some old geezer.
"Hey, it's Crippled Fuck Walkin'!" Piney joked as he threw back a shot and laughed. "Come and take a seat down here, brother. This is the old school section, reserved for the sick and infirm." He said with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up before I put my size fourteens straight up your ass." Clay shot back.
With much back-slapping and snarky comments flying all over the room, the group of brothers finally managed to get settled around the Redwood table.
Sitting at the opposite end from Jax, Clay grinned. It was so good to be in the Clubhouse again. As he eyed his son-in-law, Clay realized that he had been right all along. Jax looked pretty good, confident even, in his position at the head of the table, much like his father JT had.
After all of the chatter had died down and Jax had made a short speech welcoming Clay back, the AP called the meeting to order. It would be some time before Clay was officially back at the table with the power to cast a vote on Club business, but it was still good to be there all the same.
As Jax took the lead, with Bobby reading off minutes from the last meeting and going over the Club's current finances, Clay was impressed with how Jax handled himself and the Club. Clay had never doubted his decision to put Jax in charge while he recuperated, but seeing him in action at the head of the table, instead of the Tellers' living room, really brought home to Clay just how much Jax had grown as a patch and as a leader over the years. He was obviously born to lead and, judging from the way he handled his shit, handing out commendations, refereeing when the Brothers Grim got out of hand, delegating tasks and putting forth scenarios regarding the business, Clay knew that he would always be a more than competent leader for the Club.
At almost eight months, Jolene found that whatever ease of mobility she had was long gone. Twisting around a bit, Jolene groaned as she felt another dull, annoying ache in her lower back.
"Probably just another Braxton-Hicks contraction." Jolene said out loud, trying to convince herself.
Several weeks ago, Jolene had felt the pangs of what she had feared was pre-term labor. It had happened a few hours before dawn and Jolene remembered being alarmed enough that she had been forced to wake Jax up. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled her old man's panicked struggle to get out of the bed as he got caught in the sheets and fell in a heap on the floor.
Barely managing to calm him down, they both waited anxiously while Jax held a stop watch in one hand with the other on her belly as they waited for the next contraction.
It never came.
Having convinced her husband that they should go back to sleep, Jax had taken her to St. Thomas later that morning. Dr. Namid provided the calming influence that they had both needed as he reassured them that it had been false labor and that Abel's "Mad Peanut" wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
But as she lay on her bed waiting for Neeta to come upstairs for an impromptu movie night, Jolene started to get anxious as the pain in her lower back continued to intensify persistently with every breath she took.
Neeta walked out of the kitchen, followed by Filthy Phil holding a large tray heavy with movie-watching snacks, and headed towards the stairs when the front door opened and Gemma blew in.
"It's about damn time! I know it doesn't take that long to drop my baby boy off at Donna's."
"So, I took the opportunity to discuss the shower with her for a few minutes. Don't get your granny panties in a knot now." Gemma snarked. Looking at the young Prospect who had been ordered by his President to stay behind in case his old lady needed anything, Gemma grinned. "Besides, you had Tiny Tim for company, and it's not like I was gonna miss anything exciting except a Ryan Gosling movie marathon."
Suddenly, the three individuals were rocked to their core as they heard a terrified scream come from upstairs.
"NEETA!"
"HOLY SHIT!" The woman gasped as Phil nearly dropped the tray. "Jolene!"
Shoving each other in their haste, Gemma and Neeta, with Phil bringing up the rear, ran up the stairs to the master bedroom. Gemma was literally shaking in her stiletto boots as Neeta flew blindly into the room.
Jolene was lying on her side in her bed, the heavy wine-colored covers thrown back. Wearing nothing but a long-sleeve night gown, Gemma could see that both Jolene and the bed were soaked as she clutched her belly.
"Oh my God." Gemma practically whispered to herself as her hand flew to her mouth.
Neeta hurried around the bed to get to Jolene. "Shit! Shit! Shit, Girl! What in the hell happened?"
"I—I don't know," Jolene trembled like she had palsy as the older woman put her arm around her. "My back was aching and suddenly I felt two or three sharp pains and, the next thing I knew, my water broke." She explained in a shaky voice. "Neeta, please, this can't be happening, not again. It's too early." Jolene clutched Neeta's shoulder as the woman tried her best to comfort her.
"Okay, do not panic." Filthy Phil ordered confidently as he leapt into action. "Gemma, grab the hospital go-bag, it should be in that closet over there. Neeta, change Mrs. T into something dry and get some clean blankets while I get her a bottle of water." Grabbing Jolene's cell phone off the nightstand, Phil hit the speed dial as he had been trained by his President as he headed for the master bedroom doors. "I'm calling 9-1-1, Dr. Namid and the midwife. Then I'll call the Pres." Phil's voice cracked at the last statement. "Let's move it people!"
The barely-legal-to-drink Prospect stood stupefied at the bar as he listened to the outraged voice barking orders at him over phone.
"I don't care that the fuckin' door's closed, asshole! Get your thumb outta your ass and walk on over there because sure as shit your patch is hangin' on whether or not you do what the fuck I say! NOW!"
Hearing the sounds of what had to be a siren in the background, the new Prospect swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Alright, alright. I'll do it." He managed to reply a second before Filthy Phil hung up.
Placing the phone down on its cradle, the Prospect hurried over to the Chapel doors, but hesitated to knock. While some of the hang-arounds were alternating between shooting pool and watching a couple of sweetbutts working the pole, a couple of the more savvy ones watched avidly as the Prospect gingerly tapped on the door.
Hearing no response, he took a deep breath and banged his fist on the door.
Suddenly the Prospect heard a very faint and muffled shout. "Get the fuck away from the door!"
Either way, I'm fucked.
Banging again, the Prospect was startled when one of the doors flew open and he was looking straight into the crazy blue-eyed stare of the mother charter's SAA.
Oh, shit. It had to be the crazy bastard.
"Uh . . . uh . . ." He stammered.
"Uh . . . what, dipshit?" Tig demanded.
"Uh, I have to speak to the Pres."
"Shithead, we're at the table!" Tig yelled.
"I know, I know, but—" The Prospect got no further when Tig suddenly grabbed him by the front of his prospect cut and flung him into the room. The Prospect slumped onto the floor, and seriously considered staying there, after this head slammed into the back of the chair currently occupied by the patch who spoke like he had a mouth full of marbles.
"What. Do. You. Want?" The low growl came from the head of the table.
Rapidly blinking his eyes to clear his vision, the Prospect jumped to his feet, and finally focused on the man who was Acting President.
"Uh, sir, you just got a call." He said and fell silent as every patch shifted to glare simultaneously at him.
"You risked your life coming in here to tell him that?" Bobby snarked. "Did your momma drop you on your head cuz I don't think you're too bright."
"I thought we had already scraped the bottom of the barrel with this one." Clay snarked as he pointed at Juice. "AP, please tell me that the quality of the pricks prospecting hasn't gone down the shitter since I've stepped down."
The Prospect tried yet again, just as Jax was lighting another cigarette. "Filthy Phil just called. He says he's on the way to the hospital."
"Why? Are they gonna pump the fat bastard's stomach?" Happy said amidst shouts of laughter.
But Jax was suddenly frozen in his chair. "What the fuck did you say?" He growled.
"Uh, Phil said . . . he said your old lady's water broke and that they're on the way—"
The Prospect never got to finish as with a roar of fury Jax leapt to his feet and nearly trampled him. Slamming the Prospect into the wall, Jax took off at a dead run for the Clubhouse door, his VP and brothers—including his gimpy father-in-law—following behind him in hot pursuit.
Jolene had been at the hospital all of ten minutes before Jax tore out of the elevator and into St. Thomas' maternity ward. Stopping abruptly in the middle of the floor by the Nurses Station, Jax looked around wildly, causing several staff members and a couple of patients to step back and give the menacing looking biker room.
"Jax!" Spinning around, Jax saw Neeta beckoning him down the hall.
"Is she in there?" Jax asked, pointing to the door directly across the small group standing in the hallway consisting of his mother, Neeta, and Filthy Phil.
"Yeah, baby." Gemma approached her son, smoothing his somewhat wild hair back. "The midwife's with her now."
Jax let out the breath he felt like he had been holding since he left the Clubhouse. The fact that Jolene was in a birthing room and not on her way to the OR was a relief. Gemma could almost read his thoughts by the look in his deep blue eyes as he clenched and unclenched his fists at his side.
"You can do this, baby." Gemma almost whispered. Jax nodded as his mother placed a kiss on his cheek.
Slowly opening the door to the birthing room, the first sound Jax could hear was the "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" of a fetal heart monitor. Stepping into the room, not knowing what to expect, his heart soften as he saw his beautiful old lady sitting up in bed. Her eyes instantly rounded and welled up with tears the moment she spotted him. Holding her arms out to him, Jax quickly crossed the room and embraced the one thing he loved most in the world, bar none.
"They can't stop the contractions because my water broke, Jax." She said, her voice filled with the unshed tears she was desperately trying to control. "I'm so sorry I couldn't bring our baby to term."
Jax pulled away slightly as he shook his head. "Don't, baby." He ran his hands through her hair before cradling her face. "It's not your fault." He assured her.
"Nope, it's not," Said the woman in purple scrubs from clear across the room as she wrote numbers into Jolene's chart.
Realizing for the first time that they weren't alone, Jax turned to face the woman he recognized as Jolene's midwife Peggy.
"Sweetheart, babies come when they're good and ready. They decide, not you." Peggy continued as she approached Jolene's bed.
"But I'm five weeks premature. It's not supposed to happen yet."
Peggy nodded. "True, but babies are considered full-term at 37 weeks. You're less than two weeks shy of that, Jolene. Every test imaginable has been done and all the results indicate that you are having a healthy baby." The midwife assured her kindly. "We will do everything in our power to make sure that all goes well, but you need to stop stressing. It's not good for you or the baby."
"Is Dr. Namid here?" Jax asked.
"Not yet. I spoke to him as soon as I got word that Jolene was on her way." Peggy started. "It seems that Dr. Namid was on his way to Napa for the weekend, but he made a quick turnaround and is on his way back."
"So she's in labor now?" Jax asked, his hand gripping Jolene's ice cold one.
"She's in what's called Active Labor, meaning Jolene's six centimeters dilated with 75% effacement." Peggy explained. "How far apart were your contractions and when was your last one?"
Looking at her watch, Jolene replied. "They were about fifteen minutes apart and the last one was about ten minutes ago." And as if on cue, Jolene gasped and gripped her belly as another set of contractions hit her.
Jax watched her with wide eyes as Jolene tried to fight through the pain by breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.
Peggy quickly pulled out a stop watch. "Let me know when it passes."
The seconds seemed to drag on for minutes and Jax was unsure if Jolene had heard Peggy asking to let her know when it was over. Suddenly, Jolene fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes. "Okay, it stopped, but Jesus! That was a long one."
"A minute and ten seconds." Peggy said, pulling up a stool at the foot of Jolene's bed. "That was a long one. Let's time these suckers."
With Jax rooted to the floor by Jolene's side, no one spoke as they waited in anticipation. They didn't have to wait long.
"Aaaaah, SHIT!" Jolene grabbed at her belly again about five minutes later. This time the contractions lasted just over a minute and a half.
Pushing the thin hospital blanket up Jolene's bare legs, Peggy then snapped on a pair of latex gloves. First putting one hand between Jolene's legs, causing her to react like she had been goosed, and then her head to take a closer look, the midwife pulled back and smiled.
"Dad, it looks like I'm gonna need ya to scrub in." Peggy pulled off her gloves. Quickly walking to a small cabinet over the sink, she pulled out a pair of blue scrubs for a thunderstruck Jax. "Come on, hop to it. First, take all that off," She said indicating his cut and long-sleeved shirt. "And hop into these. Then use that brush and antibacterial soap to scrub all the way up to the elbows, got it?"
"The baby's coming?" Jolene asked from the bed.
"You're fully dilated and 100% effaced, sweetheart. Let me know as soon as the next contractions hit ya." Peggy said picking up the phone.
"Shouldn't a doctor be in here?" Jax questioned with a furrowed brow.
"That's what I'm doing now, Dad. What should be happening is you standing there in your scrubs, all washed up and ready to go. Chop, chop, Dad. Come on." Peggy demanded with a slight smile as Jax stared at her as if she had just kicked a puppy.
In spite of their current situation, Jolene couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her old man's face. The only other woman on earth allowed to order Jax around like that was Gemma, and even then only up to a certain point. Somehow, however, even though she barely came up to his arm pits, Jax fell into step with Peggy's commands and quickly did what he was told.
Peggy was just hanging up the phone when Jolene bolted upright and grabbed onto the bed rails on either side for dear life.
"AAAAAAH, FUUUCCCKKK!" Jolene screamed as both Jax and Peggy raced over to the bed.
"Hold on, Jolene. Dr. Preston's on-call tonight, but she's in the middle of another delivery." Peggy advised as the door opened and a nurse in scrubs stepped in.
"Peggy!" Jolene called out desperately. "I can't hold on! I think I'm gonna have to push with the next one!"
The young blonde nurse had just finished checking vitals on the fetal heart monitor as well as the blood pressure machine and heart monitor attached to Jolene. "All vitals are good, Peg. Contractions are now like three minutes apart."
Running to the sink, Peggy quickly scrubbed in and pulled on another pair of latex gloves. "I'm game if you are, sweetie." She said as she took a seat again at the foot of the bed.
"I'm game, I'm game. I swear." Jolene nodded frantically. Looking up at an obviously terrified Jax, Jolene tried to smile reassuringly as he mopped her sweaty brow with a damp washcloth the nurse handed to him. "It feels different then the first time, baby. I can tell everything's gonna be alright. Just stick with me, okay?"
"Always, darlin'." Jax smiled, amazed at how calm she was, before dropping a quick kiss on her lips.
"Okay, Jolene!" Peggy said in a cheerful, sing-song voice. "The baby's crowning. On the next contraction, I need you to bear down and give me one good push, okay? You, Daddy, when the time comes, hold her up off the bed so she can concentrate on pushing."
"Five, four, three, two, one." The nurse counted off and right on schedule the next contraction hit Jolene. Bearing down, through gritted teeth Jolene grunted as she pushed for what felt like an eternity but was actually only 45 seconds.
"Let her rest." Peggy said and Jax let her fall back gently onto the bed and wiped her brow again to keep the sweat out of her eyes. "Okay, Mommy. The head's out. One more big push and you're home free, okay. On three. One, two, three!"
Alternating between grunts and pants, Jolene pushed until she felt herself expand to accommodate the baby's shoulders, quickly followed by the rest. "Oh my God! Oh my God! It's out, Jax, it's out."
Jax couldn't control the tears that sprang from his eyes as Peggy quickly suctioned the baby's mouth and nose, causing it to squawk in disapproval before expanding its lungs and letting out a cry that was music to his ears.
Quickly tying off the umbilical cord, Peggy held up the baby and announced, "It's a girl!"
Falling back onto the bed, Jolene was alternating between laughing and crying as Jax stood mesmerized by the sight of his daughter.
"Come here, Dad. Come meet your little girl." Peggy coaxed. "You wanna do the honors?" She asked offering him a pair of scissors.
Jax ran one hand over his face, wiping away tears, as he snipped the cord with the other.
"Holy shit!" Was all he could bring himself to say as the nurse gently placed his newborn daughter in his powerful arms after wrapping her in a blanket. Jax chuckled as she instantly stopped her mewling and her bright blue eyes flew open.
Walking over to Jolene, his eyes brimming with tears, Jax looked at his old lady and smiled. "She's beautiful, babe." Placing a gentle kiss on his baby's head, he carefully passed her over to Jolene, who was weeping openly.
Opening the baby's blanket, Jolene quickly counted ten fingers and ten toes and checked to make sure no one had overlooked a penis. "Oh my God, look at all that hair." She marveled at the head full of silky black strands sticking out in every direction. "She's perfect."
Jax leaned towards Jolene and kissed her deeply.
"Like mother, like daughter." He smiled.
Smiling as he entered Jolene's private room, Jax leaned against the door, his arms crossed over his chest. Less than two hours after giving birth and probably exhausted, but too excited to sleep, it was amazing to him how beautiful his old lady looked. Jolene was sitting perched on her bed, her long and shiny curls a cascade over one shoulder as she held their newborn daughter to her breast.
"I hope she realizes that those puppies are a loaner." Jax teased.
Jolene looked up at him in mock shock. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means those tits are mine." Jax crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed and chuckled as he watched his daughter suckle heartily at her mother's breast. "She's really going to town, huh?"
"You have no idea how hard it was getting her to latch on." Jolene shook her head and looked up at Jax. "I've never done this before. I couldn't after Abel was born, so I'm a noob, but after much crying—mostly by me—she finally decided to cut me a break. Now I don't think she's planning on letting go any time soon."
Sitting in comfortable silence, Jax watched Jolene tenderly administer to their baby, taking her time burping her after she was done feeding and then rocking her gently until she fell asleep again.
"I don't think I've ever told you what a wonderful mom I think you are. You're such a natural, Jo." He tenderly ran his fingers through her loose curls. "I'm a lucky man. I scored myself a fuckin' amazing old lady."
"Aww, baby, come here." Jolene cooed as she pulled him towards her by his cut and kissed him hungrily, prompting Jax to respond in kind with raised eyebrows. Feeling his pre-pay vibrate in his pocket, Jax reluctantly pulled away.
"To be continued." He smiled, pulling out his phone and read the text message. Standing up, Jax kissed her forehead. "Hey, I got a surprise for you." Swaggering over to the door, he cracked it open and waved to someone outside.
Pushing through the small opening, Donna squeezed by holding an excited Abel in her arms, with Gemma and Clay behind them.
"Mommy!" Abel said loudly, but quickly lowered his voice. "We haf to be quiet, 'cause we not supposed to be here. Is that my baby sister?" He whispered, awestruck.
Jolene nodded her head as Donna approached the bed with her son. "Come. Sit with Mommy and take a look, baby." She whispered right back.
With tears of happiness sliding down her cheeks, Jolene held her son in the crook of one arm while she cradled the baby in the other.
"Oh, Jo, she's beautiful." Donna was practically clapping with giddy joy.
Abel's voice was awed as he looked at the baby in his mother's arm. "She's so pretty and so little, too. Can I touch her? Auntie Donna made sure I washed my hands."
"Absolutely, baby." Jolene nodded and watched as Abel reached out with a chubby finger to carefully stroke his sleeping sister's cheek.
"Mad Peanut is really soft." He marveled, looking up at his mother with wide, green eyes.
Stepping up to his family, Jax ruffled his son's hair. "Well, now that she's here, Abel, we decided on a better name for Peanut. I kinda liked part of her nickname, but we made a compromise." He winked at his old lady.
"Yep," Jolene smiled at her parents who looked awestruck as they clung to each other. "We decided to name her Maddox, like Grandma's name before she got married. Maddox Gemma Teller, or you can call her Maddy for short. What do you think?"
Abel cocked his head to the side. "I like it." He eyed both of his parents. "And she's not sick, like I was? She won't have to stay in the hospital?"
"No, baby. She's perfectly healthy." Jolene replied. "Maybe Grandma and Papa want to hold her. You think that's a good idea?"
Abel nodded as Gemma stepped forward. First wrapping an arm around Jolene, she gave her a hard hug, not sure whether she could speak. Taking her granddaughter and namesake from Jolene's arms, she softly jiggled and cooed at the tiny baby, as Clay bent over to kiss the top of his daughter's head.
"Oh, baby girl," Gemma whispered. "I think you spit this one out this time." She gently rubbed her check against Maddy's head before kissing her softly.
"Okay, enough. Hand over my grandbaby before you drop her." Clay ordered as Gemma looked as if she was overcome.
Taking Maddy into his arms, Clay was suddenly surprised when the baby opened its unseeing startling blue eyes as it waved a starfish hand in the air. Placing a thick index finger in her palm, Maddy's hand tightened its grip and gave her grandpa what he later recounted to anyone who would listen as a "killer handshake".
Looking with moist eyes at his new granddaughter, for the third time in his life, Clarence Morrow fell in love at first sight with a child all over again.
Sitting in a rocking chair in the Teller nursery, Clay slowly rocked his new granddaughter while his son-in-law watched.
While Jax had never seriously begrudged having his in-laws living with them during Clay's recovery, with the new baby now home, Jax was finding that he had to fight his father-in-law and everybody else in the house in order to spend time with his daughter.
Jax nearly laughed out loud as Clay interrupted his musings by gurgling a stream of baby gibberish at Maddy, who despite all attempts to put her to down for a nap, was wide awake as she chortled and drooled happily.
"Man, you better never let the Club hear you babbling like that." Jax snarked.
"Hey, I'm entitled to do this shit. I never got the chance with Abel." Clay sighed, the pain of losing all those years with his grandson and daughter still raw. "All my fault, too."
"Listen, Clay, that shit's far behind us now. Maddy's proof of that, so leave it in the rear view, okay?"
"You're right." Clay nodded solemnly. "But I did miss out on a lot, Jax. Not just with Abel, but with my own kid as well. You know, I don't have any pictures of Jolene at this age. She came to me an adult trapped in a six-year old's body."
"True, but I think you're holding Jo's living portrait in your arms right now." Jax smiled.
Clay laughed. "Yeah, except for those blue eyes, there's not much of you in this one, huh?"
As the rough as a cob outlaw biker continued to rock Maddy, he had an epiphany. He was now seeing the accident that could have taken his life last summer for what it really was: a wake up call. Now in his early 60's, Clay had been living the outlaw life for over 40 years. Never overly concerned about his health, all he wanted when the Grim Reaper finally came for him was that he'd die with his cut and his boots on.
As much as it surprised him, that wasn't true any more. He wanted to live as long as possible to enjoy the pleasure of watching his grandkids grow up. But in order for that to happen, he needed to actively do what he could to prolong his life. As much as he despised the health-nut regimen his old lady and baby girl had forced on him, he decided to just do it because as much as he wanted to stick around for his family, it was clearly obvious that his family wanted him to stick around as well.
Six weeks ago, Clay's had been more concerned with regaining his strength and mobility in order to reclaim his place at the head of the table. He had even consulted with a surgeon in hopes of relieving some of the effects of his rheumatoid arthritis. But now, holding his granddaughter in his arms, Clay realized that as much as he loved the Life, it was a young man's game. Those fortunate enough to survive as long as he had deserved to reward themselves in whatever way made them happy and made their life complete off the road.
Although Clay knew he would never give up riding or the Club, what time he had left he wanted to spend it with his family.
I've had a really good run as the SAMCRO Prez, but I think its time to finally hand over the reins.
So it came completely out of left field and shocked the living shit out of Jax when his father-in-law looked him in the face and said, "Son, I'm done."
"Well, it's about damn time. Hand her over." Jax said, clapping and rubbing his hands together, but Clay interrupted him.
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean it's time. If you want it, the gavel's yours. Permanently."
Jax's jaw dropped. "Are you fuckin' serious?"
The older man nodded. "Yeah. It's been a long time coming, but it really hit me just now." Clay placed a loving kiss on the top of his granddaughter's head. "I love my brothers and I love the Club and I don't intend on leaving it behind." Clay pointed a finger at Jax. "I'm gonna get the surgery to repair some of the damage this fuckin' arthritis has done to my mitts. Once I'm riding again, you're gonna have to deal with my sorry ass sitting at the table, keeping an eye on things. But the rest of the time I wanna spend growing old gracefully with my old lady and spoiling my grandkids rotten."
Jax shook his head as he ran his hand over the hair on his chin. "And you're sure about this? You sure I'm the right one?"
"Abso-fuckin'-lutely, brother. The Club is safe in your and Ope's more-than-capable hands. I'll bet my life on it. You're a born leader, Jax. I know it and your brothers know it. I have no doubt that the vote will be unanimous." Clay assured him. "In spite of all the shit we've gone through together, good and bad, I'm proud of the man you've become. You're an honorable and loyal brother, you make my baby girl so freakin' happy it's a little sickening sometimes, and you're a great father. I may not say it often, Jax, but I love you, son. And I always will."
Sitting in the peaceful quietness of his man cave, Jax was still trying to compartmentalize the recent changes in his life. Even though it had only been a couple of days since the kick-ass party his old lady had organized to celebrate his induction as President, the responsibilities that those changes have wrought have already had a great impact on the man he had been and the man he was now.
First and foremost, the hardcore outlaw biker was still coming to terms with the fact that he had been completely and utterly floored by the love he had for his newborn daughter. In fact, the love and the need to protect his newly-expanded family overwhelmed him sometimes. Now more than ever, after achieving his lifelong dream to be the National President of the Sons of Anarchy, Jax realized how lucky he was to have Jolene back in his life. Not only had she given him back the balance that had been missing from his life that enabled him to focus on the MC, but she had given him another amazing reason to live and to die for.
"Can I come in, baby?" Jolene tapped on the open door.
Looking up, Jax arched a blond eyebrow as he drank in the beauty that was his old lady. Already fitting into her pre-pregnancy wardrobe, she wore skintight, hip-hugging jeans and a black tank top that was straining against her impressive rack.
"You're the only one that never has to ask, darlin'." Jax replied, mesmerized by her swaying hips as she made her way to the couch.
"I didn't want to interrupt your alone time with Maddy." Jolene said as she climbed onto the armrest and tucked her bare feet between Jax's thigh and the couch. "Next time, though, please give me a head's up when you take her out of the nursery. I almost just had a stroke."
"Sorry, babe." Jax nuzzled Maddy's sweet-smelling head. "I have to resort to kidnapping my own kid if I wanna spend any time with her. Won't happen again though. Can't have you stroking out on me."
Looking down at his chest, Jax smiled as he saw Maddy's little starfish hand as it flailed about wildly just underneath his "President" patch.
"Still can't believe it, huh?"
Jax looked up at his old lady. "Maddy or the patch?"
"Both."
It finally dawned on Jax that, for the first time in the eight weeks since Maddox was born, with Clay and Gemma out at a doctor's appointment, Abel hanging out at Donna's and Neeta off at the market, the Tellers were actually having a quiet moment to themselves in their own house.
Jax leaned back comfortably on the leather sofa with Maddy curled up on his chest. "Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around both. Part of me is so ridiculously fuckin' happy right now that the other part is waiting for shit to go sideways." He confessed, so confident in the bond he had with his old lady that Jax was unafraid to share the fears that others would misinterpret as a weakness. "I've been wanting to wield the gavel for a long time, darlin'. Now that I have it, I'm not sure I know how to reconcile that with this." He said, indicating the baby.
Jolene ran her hand through his hair and down his cheek. "You've done an amazing job so far, baby. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll continue doing so on both fronts, especially with your brothers backing you up at the Clubhouse and me here at home."
"National Presidency puts the spotlight on me and those that I love, Jo. You understand the danger in this, right?" He asked, his brows knitted together.
Jolene chuckled. "Have you already forgotten that my father held the same position you're in now? And I've never felt safe anywhere except right here in Charming."
"But you've already been hurt under my watch, Jo. Now with you, Abel, and Maddy, I have so much more to lose." Jax replied.
Moving to kneel beside him on the couch, Jolene cradled his face in her hands. "Why are you doing this to yourself, huh?" She pecked at his lips until he was forced to smile. "You need to stop and enjoy this moment, Jax. I've known from the moment I met you that you were something special. Why are you still slow on the uptake?" She teased.
"Well, it's a good thing you didn't give up on my ass, then. If you had, I never would have known this kind of happiness."
"Giving up is not an option for us, Jax," Jolene replied. "Not anymore."
Jolene smiled as her plan to distract him by shoving her overflowing tits in his face seemed to be working. Jax was biting his lower lip as he suddenly leaned slightly away and let his eyes roam over her petite frame.
"Shit, babe, you're lookin' pretty fuckin' hot today."
"You're just seeing me through horny and hungry eyes." Jolene wrapped her arms around his neck and laid a soft kiss on her old man's lips, which he deepened to the consternation of the infant cradled between them.
As Maddy let out a loud squall, Jax grinned. "Aww, darlin'. She just threw her first cock-blocking move. Where's the damn video camera when you need one?" They both laughed.
Jolene sighed dramatically. "So, when are we gonna have another one?" She teased while gently stroking Maddy's back.
Jax fell back further on the couch. "Babe, you know I'm counting the days until I can make love to my old lady again, but we're done. That's it. No more."
"Aww, today could have been your lucky day, too." Jolene snapped her fingers as if to say "easy come, easy go". If he fell any further back on the couch, they would be in serious danger of tipping it over. "What? You're not the only one who's horny, you know."
The new President of the mother charter softly kissed the soft black curls peeking out from beneath Maddy's pink SAMCRO skull cap before getting up from the couch, pulling Jolene with him.
"Where are we going?" Jolene giggled as she almost stumbled off the couch in Jax's haste.
"Where do you think? I'm gonna go get me some pussy, that's where I'm going and you're coming along for the ride, darlin'. Fuck, you can't throw shit like that out there and expect me not to act on it." Jax abruptly stopped at the door to his man cave and turned to face his old lady, with Maddy safely tucked into the crook of his arm. "I'm serious, though. The buck stops here. I am NOT knocking your ass up again, agreed?"
"You're the boss, baby." Jolene cooed at him prettily.
Jax shook his head, muttering to himself as he continued their trek up to their bedroom. "I am SO screwed."
Jolene smiled to herself. I'll give him a year to two to recover. After all, I'm not the new Queen of Charming for nothing.
The End
Author's Afterword: What started out as an experiment for me (or more like a dare)—is it possible to create an old lady worthy of Jax Teller who doesn't make me grind my teeth a la Tara Knowles?—has evolved into a whole universe. After several prequels, numerous one-shots, and a trilogy, even though not perfect, I am happy with the results. And I want to thank everyone who submitted a review letting me know that they were happy with the results as well.
Although it may have been too fluffy and light-hearted for some readers, I tried my best to present Kurt Sutter's SOA world (not the real MC world) with a mixture of romance, drama, humor, family, and brotherhood. I will be the first person to say that my stories were not meant in any way, shape, or form to represent actual MC life. I know sometimes the stories didn't work out the way some wanted or expected them to and, as a result, I've lost some readers along the way, but I had to follow my muse where it led me.
A lot of readers expressed sadness that this trilogy would be coming to an end, but I do have other stories planned for the Jaxene universe. On Thursday, August 9, I plan to roll out the first chapter of Charming Revisited. Although Jaxene will not be the main focus of the story, they are an important part of it as they are the new SAMCRO President and Queen of Charming (formerly, the "SAMCRO Princess").
The fact is, Jax and Jolene have been forged and purified in the fire. As a couple, they are indestructible now. No croweaters or porn stars or any Club business can come between them again. To revisit those themes would diminish the bond they have that makes them a favorite. I'm not done with them, however, not by a long shot. I've been toying around with several one-shots on the SAMCRO children. I have some rough drafts complete, but I'm not sure when I will post them.
I will continue posting my new experiment, Four Women on Tuesday and Charming Revisited on Thursdays. Fair warning, though. The speed with which chapters go up may start to lag once Season 5 begins, but I will try my hardest not to let that happen. Thankfully, my beta WebStar has a whip and likes to crack it on me every so often. She's amazing, by the way, and I could not have done any of this without her. From plotting to outlining, to writing drafts, and editing, I've never seen anyone work so hard for no pay whatsoever. (That's not entirely true as she loves reading reviews, too, so please keep them coming!)
Thanks forever,
Harlee Quinn
P.S. The song, This Charming Life, was a favorite of mine from Season 3. It was the soundtrack for a montage of family scenes that really epitomized to me the core of Kurt Sutter's stories—the love for family and brotherhood. I wanted the story of Jax and Jolene to bring similar feelings to mind, that regardless of the problems they have had to face, they did have a "charming life" after all.