She looked just like Tara. The girl from the hotel raced through Chibs' mind as he sped across the North Carolina countryside. Her alabaster skin, endless legs, and long dark hair flashed in his mind. It was a strange, almost otherworldly kind of feeling, especially as he watched her follow a tan, golden haired god into the hotel. It was Jax and Tara all over again. He shook his head slightly, consciously divesting himself of the memories.
The road to Jax and Tara's cabin wound around the gently rolling Appalachians, and Chibs marveled at the countryside. The lush green hills reminded him of Scotland. It was the closest he'd come to his homeland's majesty since he'd left it over thirty years ago. The pine trees darted in between massive oaks and red maples, and Chibs decided that if he were able to retire one day, North Carolina would be the place he'd want to be.
He laughed to himself. Retire. The word was foreign to him. Bikers didn't retire. If anything, they were supposed to feel blessed they didn't die in a fiery crash or in a haze of bullets. As he stared at the mountains, he decided it would be best to enjoy the ride. Only a few miles, he told himself. Then, I'll be there. He was anxious to get to a place that didn't feel like WitSec. When he'd driven up to Jax and Tara's perfect little home just the day prior, he saw the stamps of the government agency.
Witness Protection never lingered in clubhouses or ghettos or slums. They were put up in nice, picturesque homes; they were perfect little dwellings for cookie cutter people. Chibs honestly couldn't picture Jax or Tara fitting into the mold. When they left eighteen years prior, he thought that they would be back in no time. Then one year passed, then two—eventually a decade had flown by, and Jax and Tara were nowhere to be found. Had Trinity not been killed, Chibs had no doubt in his mind that Jax and Tara would have truly disappeared forever. As much as his heart ached for the ginger-haired Teller's passing, a small part of him was grateful that his best friend was back in his life.
He slowed the bike as the road turned to gravel. Per Jax's directions, the cabin wasn't far from the main highway. He gingerly drove over the bumps of the dusty backroad. He rounded a corner and almost gasped at the cabin before him. It looks just like ours, he thought. It's SAMCRO all over again. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He led the bike up the hill, and he parked beside Jax's massive Silverado. Killing the engine, he got off the bike and walked towards the cabin.
Before he got to the door, it swung open, and Jax traipsed out. Clad in a black t-shirt and faded Levis. Chibs couldn't help but remember young Jax Teller, clad in his white tees. Glimpses of the young SAMCRO prince were still there; it gleamed in his still youthful blue eyes and his full-faced smile. Still, Chibs saw the fine lines gently etching his forehead. He saw the crinkle of his eyes when he grinned. His full-faced beard was still blonde mixed with fine silver, and his hair was closely cropped. He'd aged far better than Chibs had, but Chibs reasoned, Jax Teller's life was nowhere near what it used to be.
"Brother!" Jax exclaimed as he walked towards his old friend. The pair hugged quickly, then headed inside the cabin. Chibs whistled as he entered. His dark eyes grew big as he glanced around the confines. It wasn't an exact replica of the California cabin by any means, but he could tell that the effort was made to bring back the rustic feel of their former stomping ground. The walls were knotty pine, and they led to high, beautiful ceilings, where two small but pretty skylights allowed the sunlight to enter.
Two huge Aztec patterned blankets flanked a huge stone fireplace, and two dark, impeccably cared for leather couches faced one another. A big, pine coffee table sat in the center of the plush beige carpet.
"Somethin smells amazin," Chibs said. His belly ached with hunger and a hankering for home cooking. Althea was an amazing cook, but it had been almost a month since he'd partaken in anything that wasn't diner or gas station food. He closed his eyes for a moment, surprised at how much he missed his Old Lady.
"Tara's making baked ziti and chicken parm," Jax said, grinning broadly. "She's even thrown together a salad and some garlic bread."
"Where is Mrs. Teller?" Chibs queried with a smile. He watched Jax smile deeper. Chibs knew what it meant to his friend to have Tara finally take his name. It was a damned shame that, just a couple of months later, the Witness Protection Program changed everything for them—including their names. Chibs knew that, behind closed doors, Tara was Mrs. Teller. The thought made him smile with nostalgia.
"She's upstairs," Jax stated. He didn't tell Chibs that she was probably taking a Xanax. His wife was still busy facing her demons. She was far from an addict, but Jax knew his wife was struggling with her old wounds. They'd been ripped open, and ghosts were busy thrashing about within the confines of the soul. She was worried sick. Sleeping was a problem. Staying still was a problem. Life in general was a problem for Tara Knowles Teller, but no one besides Jax would know that.
"Freshening up, aye?" Chibs asked. Jax nodded. Jax heard their bedroom door shut. Jax watched as Tara, as if on cue, drifted down the hallway and down the stairs. A smile was plastered on her lips, but Jax saw the distance in her eyes as she neared them. She must've taken two, he thought.
"Chibs," Tara whispered as she neared. She hugged him for a moment, then she walked over the kitchen. "I made a huge meal for you. Hope you're hungry."
"Want a beer?" Jax asked. Chibs nodded. Jax sauntered over to the fridge and grabbed a Guinness. He walked back and handed it to his friend, who easily cracked it open. Chibs wandered over to the dining room. A massive picture window highlighted the antique oak dining room set. In front of the window was a small buffet, and Chibs was pleased to see pictures of Jax's and Tara's family.
A small black and white photo of all four children was the first he saw. The boys were just as he remembered them—Abel was may have been five or six, and Thomas was still a toddler. The girls were barely one.
The next photo was of Jax and Tara with all four kids. It looked like it should be on a Christmas card. The adults stood in front of the cabin with what appeared to be a pre-pubescent Abel, a young Thomas, and cherubic, sweet Delylah and Ophelia. The boys were both blonde, and one of the girls had dark hair, but he was quiet surprised to see a ginger beauty amongst the Teller children.
The next photo was a more recent one. Just like the one before it, Jax and Tara stood in front of the cabin, but now, all the children surrounded them, and they all looked grown. Abel was Jax's clone. Same blue eyes, same blonde hair, same cocky, challenging expression. Thomas was more introspective, and his face closely mirrored Tara's, even though he had his father's eyes and hair. The redhead was next. Her gray eyes stared through him, and he could see traces of both Gemma and Tara in her fair countenance. Her flaming locks coiled over shoulders as her sweet expression pierced the cameraman's lens.
He sipped his beer as he turned his eyes to the final Teller child, and it took everything he had not to spit the Guinness across the room. The girl from the hotel. Quickly, he swallowed the beer, gritting his teeth as he did so. His eyes focused on the pretty brunette in the picture. She was far more demure in that photograph than the girl he'd seen this morning, but he knew that the girl in the picture was the girl with the golden god from before. She had the same fair skin, the same stare, the same beautiful hair. She was Tara's clone.
"There's the girls," Jax said proudly as he walked behind Chibs. "The last time you saw them, they were newborns." Chibs turned in Jax's direction. He debated telling Jax what he'd seen at the hotel that morning, but he thought better of it. This wasn't the time or place.
"Aye," Chibs jaggedly stated. The last time I saw that one, he thought, she was hot for a shirtless blonde kid. "Which one is which, Brother?"
"Ophelia is the copper top," Jax proudly declared. "Delylah is more Tara's twin than her sister's." That last statement was finished with a chuckle. "They turned eighteen in February. They're graduating next week. They're heading off to college in the fall." Chibs couldn't believe how fast it'd all passed.
"They're beautiful," Chibs complimented. "I dinna envy ye. One girl and one boy are enough fer me."
It was Jax's turn to choke on his beer.
"Did you say one girl and one boy?" Jax asked. Chibs turned to face him. His dark eyes were bottomless.
"Aye, Althea and I have a son," Chibs honestly answered. "He'll be fifteen in August."
Shock penetrated Jax's being. He couldn't believe it. The last interactions he'd seen between Chibs and Jarry were exercises in annoyance and aggravation. Maybe all the anger was really pent-up desire. Jax shuddered with the thought. He just couldn't picture it. It was strange.
"What's his name?" Jax asked. Chibs smiled, unable to help himself. He thought of the young boy with Althea's smile and his dark eyes. He was a great kid. A comfort in my old age, Chibs thought happily.
"John Jackson," Chibs whispered. He watched as Jax's eyes welled with tears. "John Jackson Jarry." It was amazing that the bond the two men transcended distance and false death.
"Jarry?" Jax croaked. "Why not Telford?"
"Except for Bobby and Tig, no one knows he's mine," Chibs stated. "Althea and I agreed to that. Not only would it fuck her reputation up, but it'd open Johnny up to death threats and other problems. He just learned I was his Pa on his thirteenth birthday."
Jax's heart broke for his friend. He had spent most of Kerrianne's life away from her, and now he was able to be with his son, but no one could know. Chibs Telford was a loving, kind father, and to not be able to show that was an injustice in Jax's mind.
"Was he okay with that?" Jax asked. Chibs smiled disarmingly. His eyes misted with memories as he nodded.
"Aye," he whispered gruffly. "He said he knew it all along. He was just happy he was right."
"Boys," Tara's voice called. "Supper's ready." Chibs and Jax turned towards the kitchen. Tara held a massive plate of chicken parm, and she motioned for Jax to grab the ziti. Chibs followed Jax, and he grabbed the salad and bread. Together, they brought the food to the table. Jax served while Tara and Chibs sat.
Within minutes, the food was served, and they began eating. Jax sat at the head of the table, and chills rushed down his spine. It brought back images from the huge reaper table that still sat in SAMCRO's church. It took Chibs' breath away. Tara sat to his left, and Chibs to his right. For a while, they sat in silence as they ate, then Chibs began the conversation.
"Yer kids are beautiful, Tara" Chibs murmured through bites. "The girls are stunnin, and Thomas and Abel grew up to be quite the ladykillers."
"Smart and stunning," Tara joked. "The Teller kids have it all. Thomas is graduating eighteen months early from USC. He's graduating next week. And Abel graduated last year Summa Cum Laude from Clemson—now, he's getting married in less than two weeks." Tara's face dissolved into tears.
"Babe," Jax stopped eating. "What's wrong?" Tara stared at him. The sun was setting outside, and the light bathed them in a purple, red, and orange glow. Tara's lips quivered. She'd been much more emotional lately. Every little thing made her weep like a baby. She didn't know if it was all the change or the resurrection of SAMCRO, but for Tara, crying had become more commonplace than not.
"I don't know," she wept. Her hazel eyes were awash with tears. "I should be happy my children are healthy and thriving. I should be delighted to spend the rest of my life with my husband. I should feel safe and comfortable, but I can't feel anything but sorrow."
Jax gripped Tara's hand. He hated seeing her like this. She'd always been the stable and clear-headed one. She'd been his rock for as long as they'd been together, and to see her crumbling under the pressure of the chaos Chibs' arrival had started. Tara grabbed her napkin and blotted her eyes. With a deep breath, she tried to control her tears.
"I shouldna hae come," Chibs stated once more. "Look what I've done."
"No, Chibs," Jax retorted. "You didn't do this. The IRA did this to us. The bastards that killed my sister aren't going to stop there. Who's to say they don't already know we're alive, and they're just biding their time?" Tara's grip tightened around his hand. He knew that was her biggest fear.
"Aye," Chibs returned. "Hae ye given any thought as to what you're going to do next?"
"A little," Jax admitted. "That's why Tara and I wanted you come up here. It's desolate and quiet here, and no one can see us."
"Jax came up with a temporary solution," Tara said quietly. "But it involves you staying here until the end of July." Chibs' eyebrows raised.
"The girls, as you know, are graduating next week. Tommy's college graduation follows a couple of days later, and Abel's wedding is shortly after that. We need you here for all of those things. We need someone with one foot in and one foot out of the law. We need Althea's connections too, to know what we're dealing with."
Chibs nodded his head in understanding.
"Aye Brother, that makes sense," Chibs stated. "I dinna even know if WitSec even realizes I'm here, and that's a sad state of affairs. If it were up to them, the IRA could do whatever they want."
"We'll tell the kids you're a cousin of Tara's if we have to," Jax continued. "You can stay here, so you draw less attention to yourself. The cabin will let you think, help you figure out what the hell is happening. Make sense?" Chibs nodded once more.
"I'll stay for a while longer," Chibs said. "I'll reach out to Althea and see what WitSec knows about this situation. Hopefully, she'll have answers."
Jax nodded. It was settled. Jax looked at his wife. Her tears were dry, but she still looked fragile as hell. Slowly, he relinquished the grasp on her hand and quietly began eating. They sat in silence after that, slowly and carefully eating, each silently praying they'd find the answers.
Chibs didn't know what he was getting into, nor did he care. It felt good caring for Jax after all this time. He'd call Althea after dinner and explain everything. She'd understand. She knew his love for Jax knew no boundaries. His eyes drifted over to the photos he'd just stared at minutes before. The Teller kids stared back at him, and he felt sadness churn his stomach. I'll figure out what happened, he vowed. I won't let anything happen to you.
As he made his silent promises, his eyes rested on Delylah. Images of her disappearing with the young blonde kid from before flicked through his mind and made him wonder how far gone Jax and Tara's daughter really was. She was almost pure Tara as she stared into the camera, but it was the eyes and the defiance within them that made him think of Gemma. She's going to be the one that gets us in trouble, he silently mused. Let's just hope she doesn't get us all fucking killed.