Jax watched Candice drive off as he took out a cigarette and sat at the table outside the clubhouse. A baby, he just couldn't wrap his head around it. He liked the idea, don't get him wrong. He just didn't think it'd be this soon. He took a drag and noticed his mom walking over to him after she saw him at the table. He took out a breath and then put out it out as she sat down. They looked at each other and then Gemma put her hands on top of his. "You really ok?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I like the idea of her with my baby, Ma. I just didn't think it'd be so soon."
She smiled, "She's good for you, Jackson. She was really scared of you finding out. She told me this morning, baby, after you left. You called her your old lady and she thought you were going to send her away. She still has some insecurities, but they're small."
He smiled at his mom, "Then I'll just have to keep showing her. This baby is a good thing, I'm just hoping Piney and Ope don't kill me."
"Why would we want to?"
Jax and Gemma looked over to the door of the clubhouse to see Opie and Piney standing in the doorway. Gemma made to get up and Jax grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him and raised her eyebrow, silently telling him he needed to be the one to tell them. The Winston's watched as mother and son held a silent conversion and then Gemma left back to the office. Jax looked at them and they could see he was scared. They sat down across from him and waited for him to say something. Jax closed his eye and took a breath. "Candice is pregnant."
He held their gaze and watched the anger pass and the shock as well. Opie looked at his friend and could see the worry on his face. "Pregnant, Y'sure?"
Jax nodded, "She told me when she came up here. I'm happy she's is gonna have it, I really am. I just really don't wanna die."
Piney nodded and looked at the man, "Take of her and treat her right and you wont."
Jax nodded and watched as the old man got up and went back into the clubhouse with Opie following.
Candice walked into the diner before it was time to open and went to pick up her check, hoping Gary wasn't there. She got out of her car and sighed when she saw Brian inside working on the tables, making sure all the things were stocked. He looked up as the bell rang and smiled at her, giving her a hug. "He's here, so be careful." he whispered.
She nodded and went to the back. She knew she had to be careful, especially with the baby. She knocked on the door and heard Gary say it was open. She opened the door and he looked up at her.
"Shut it."
She nodded and complied, glad that she told Jax where she was going. "I just want my check so I can have a bit of money to help out Jax."
She watched as he stood up and went to the safe on the wall. She watched as he unlocked it and pulled out the envelope that belonged to her. She watched as he walked slowly up to her and pushed her back against the door much like he did a week before. She looked down, not wanting to see what his eyes were looking like. She felt his hand grab her chin roughly and pull her face up to look at her. She closed her eyes and gulped as he leaned in and smelled her hair. "You're very beautiful, Candice. Do you have an idea what I wanna do to you?"
She shook her head and could feel the tears threaten to fall.
"Open your eyes."
She did to see the hunger in his, but this hunger scared her. "Please don't. I stopped him once, if you continue, I won't be able to this time."
He pulled her hair and tilted her head. "You won't say anything and you wont scream or I swear the gay outside will get it."
Her eyes widen as he threatened Brian, who she knew would go get Jax in a heartbeat and would only get hurt. She felt the tears falling down her face as he slid her shorts down her legs.
Jax looked at his cell, trying to figure out what was taking her so long. She told him she'd be right back and he was getting worried. He looked at the entrance for the hundredth time, trying to will that damn mustang into entering the shop. He sat down the wrench after finishing with the car he was working on and made his way to the office, hoping his mother had any information. He had a bad feeling she didn't though. Gemma looked up as he came in and saw the look on his face. She got up and shut the door. "You alright?"
Jax shook his head and sat down on the couch. "I think something's wrong with Candice. She went to get her check and said Brian was there, so I didn't go with her. Ma, she left an hour ago and said she'd come right back. The diner is only two blocks away."
She took a breath and sat next to him. "I'll go so that it won't alert anyone. I'm sure she's fine and if not, the club will handle it and let you get the last say."
He nodded and watched her as she opened the door to reveal Brian on the other side, tears in his eyes. Jax rose up and immediately pulled him in and shut the door. "Where is she?"
Brian looked up at him and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. "He told her if she screamed he'd get me and if she told you he'd get me. She's at my house."
Jax immediately got up and ran out of the office and across the street.
Candice was laying on the couch with Max holding her when Jax busted in the door. She jumped up and ran to him, letting him take her in his arms. He could feel her shaking and looked up, noticing Max had moved so he could sit down. Jax picked her up and sat her in his lap as she continued to cry and shake. "Shh, we're going to take care of it. He's not going to get you again, baby."
She nodded and just gripped his cut and pulled him as close as she could. He heard the door open and saw Opie and Piney with Brian and shook his head. They watched as Jax was able to get her calmed down enough for her to at least sit next to him and look at everyone.
"What happened, Candy?"
She looked at her dad and then up to Jax, who looked worried. She took a breath and looked back to Brian, who nodded, urging her to tell them.
She took a breath. "I went to get my check and shut the door like he asked. I didn't wanna do anything to hurt the baby. I watched him as he slowly got it and then pushed me against the door. I asked him not to because I wouldn't be able to stop Jax this time and he told me that if I told him, or screamed for that matter, he'd hurt Brian. I couldn't let him hurt him, Jax. I just couldn't."
The tears started again and then Jax pulled her back to him, holding her close. He looked at Opie and could see the anger. "What do we do?" he asked, looking at her family as well as Brian and Max.
Opie got down on his knees in front of his sister and cupped her face in his hands. "We told you that you were safe here and you are. I know why you stopped Jax and I get it. You didn't wanna cause problems with the club. Candice, we have to get him, y'know that right? He can't get away with what he did, not to the VP's old lady, who's pregnant none the less."
She just nodded and then hugged her brother. "Kill him, Harry."
The men looked at her and she looked to Jax. "I told him I was pregnant and he just laughed and told me I was a biker whore who needed to learn the value of a real man. He almost hit me in the stomach when Brian found me. Brian hit him and got me out."
Jax kissed her forehead and then looked at Brian, "Thank you. If you need anything, let me know. We may be able to help out since I'm sure you wont have job anymore."
Brian nodded. "I made a promise to help you with her and when I noticed it had been twenty minutes since she went back there, I knew something was up."
Candice laid in bed that night wrapped in Jax. She held him close to her and cried silently. Jax kissed the back of her head and ran his fingers up and down her arm to keep her calm. He knew as soon as she was out his mother would be here so he could go to take care of the problem. Gary Smith was going to get his tonight and he'd be more then happy to do it himself. The club decided to bring in Happy from Tacoma to help and he'd be here about 2. Happy was good with the torturing, but Jax got to clip him. It was thanks to the prospect, Half Sac, that gave him that idea. Cutting his dick would do much and he could live with that. Jax was getting the pleasure of taking the ball sac off the fucker and feeding it to him as he bled out. Happy and Chibs were in charge of cleaning up when everyone was finished. He heard the doorbell as she finally let herself sleep. He got up and padded his way to the front door and opened it, letting Gemma through. "You'll have to lay with her till I get back. She knows I'm leaving, but I don't think she'll count on waking up alone."
Gemma nodded and took her son in her arms. "I've got her baby, you go get the bastard that did this."
Jax nodded and walked out of the house to meet up with the guys. Gemma shut the door and locked it before heading back to lay with Candice. She pulled her boots off and her jewelry, climbing in behind the girl that looked so helpless. "I'm awake, Gemma. Did he leave?"
She wrapped her arms around her son's girl and held her close. "Yes, baby. He'll be back and Gary will be gone. You know nothing for reasons baby, y'know that right?"
She nodded. She knew if the cops somehow found his body they'd come to the club because of her and so she didn't need to know anything other then what he did to her. She knew the guys wouldn't leave a trace of evidence pointing to them anyway and Gary pissed off enough girls in this town that he could have been killed by anyone. She turned and looked at Gemma and smiled. "Thank you for being here with me."
Gemma smiled, "Oh baby, this is what we do. As long as you're ok and that baby, Jax will come back to you however he needs to. You're his life, baby."
She smiled through the tears, "He's mine too."
She felt Gemma kiss the back of her head as she finally let herself drift off to sleep
Candice woke up with Gemma still wrapped around her and bolted out of bed. Gemma woke up to see her trying to figure out where she was and got off the bed. Gemma watched as the girls eyes darted around the room, scared. They both heard the door open down the hall and Candice fell to her knees and scooted as far into the corner as she could. Gemma slowly walked down the hall and noticed Jax taking his wallet and key out of his pocket and putting them onto the table by the door. He looked at her and his smile fell when he saw his mom's face.
He walked past her and straight to his room where he knew the red head was still at. He opened the door more then it already was and found her in the corner by the window, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at him and jumped up, wrapping her arms around him. He picked her up and sat on the bed and nodded to him mom as she grabbed her things and walked out. He rocked her back and forth, hoping to get her to calm down. When she was calm she looked up at him. "You weren't here." she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
He cupped her face and wiped the tears. "It took longer then we thought and then I took a shower before coming back here. I didn't think you needed to see what I looked like, baby."
She nodded and put her hand to his cheek. "Did I freak your mom out?"
He smiled and kissed her hand. "No, she did help out with a doctor's appointment today if you wanna go. She said it was needed because you need vitamins and to make sure you're ok. She said she got a female doctor named Dr. Cooper. Told me I could even go with you if you wanted me there."
She nodded and smiled a bit. "Alright. Will you wait while I shower?"
He just nodded and watched as she got up and grabbed her things to take a shower. As soon as the door shut and the water started, Jax laid back against his headboard and thought about the girl in the bathroom. Some of the life had left her, reminding him of how she was all those months ago when she first got here. He ran his hand down his face, hoping he was man enough to bring some of her life back like he did before. He had no doubt of his love for her and was excited about the baby; he just hoped she'd come back to him soon. He thought back to the guy and what they did.
Happy ended up cutting his dagger into the man so he'd bleed out slowly while they tortured him. Bringing Happy would have the guys out of it since the cops here didn't know his tricks. This was why he was brought. While the fucker was bleeding out slowly, the beating from Opie left him almost dead by the time Jax had his go. Jax smiled and looked at his knuckles as he remembered bashing the guys face in just enough to keep him stable in order for him to feel the knife cut off his balls, leaving just his dick behind for whoever found him, if they did at all.
Happy and Chibs were very skilled when it came to covering up a murder and Jax was happy they had helped. He turned his head as the door to the bathroom opened and she came into the room, already dressed. She smiled a small smile at him and went to his closet. He watched silently as she pulled one of his shirts over her tank and then pulled out her flip flops. She sat on the bed and crawled up next to him and straddled his lap. Jax carefully put his hands on her hips and she put hers on his face. "I don't want pity. I want you to be my Jax. Just Jax. The one I got to know when I got here, the one I fell in love with. I don't think coming out of this will be hard if we try to keep things normal. I'll do my best but I need help."
He nodded and pulled her head to his so their foreheads touched.
"I love you. I will try my hardest. It's gonna be hard not to want to touch you, baby."
She shook her head. "I don't want you to stop. I need it in my head that you love me, that you want to touch me. My heart knows it and hell, my body most likely does also, we just need my head to remember."
He nodded and kissed her. "Let's get to the hospital."
She smiled and hopped up, slipping into her flip flops and letting him lead her out.
Alright and another today! Thanks again to Nikki9235 and awprncss4386 for the comments as well as everyone else in case I have some waiting for me. Hoping to get another one or two up since that's all I got left really anyway. Until next time-Brianna