AN: Thanks to Guest and Legolas' Girl 31 for their reviews on chapter 5!

Chapter 6

Open your eyes

Like I opened mine

It's only the real world

A life you will never know

Shifting your weight

To throw off the pain

Well you can ignore it

But only for so long

You look like I did

You resist me just like this

You can't tell me to heal

And it hurts remembering

How it felt to shut down

You can't be too careful anymore

They were a couple of hours outside Charming when it began to rain. Haley ducked her head against Jax's back but let him keep driving. She wrapped her arms around him tighter. Jax and Chibs pulled over at a gas station, stopping under the overhang. Haley went inside to use the bathroom.

"We should stop for the night," Bobby said from inside the van. "She's half asleep, she falls off, it will kill you both."

Chibs glanced over his shoulder, watching the inside of the station. Haley had just come out of the bathroom and was making her way to the front door. A man stepped in front of her, speaking to her.

"You should get in there," Chibs said as he nodded toward the door.

"Can't take her anywhere," Jax muttered before heading into the gas station. The man had a hand on her waist and was leaning toward her. Haley glanced up when the bell over the door rang. Her gaze immediately locked with Jax's and she sent him a pleading look.

"Baby, you ready to go," Jax asked as he stepped up next to her.

"I'm talking to her right now douche bag, back off," the man snapped. He pushed Jax slightly, but was too drunk to do much.

Jax lunged forward and shoved the guy back. "Don't touch me asshole, get your hands off my girl, before things get ugly."

Haley jerked away from the man and grabbed Jax's hand. "Let's go Jax, please," she pleaded.

"Yeah, listen to your little whore, wouldn't want you to get into trouble," the man called as they headed toward the door. Haley froze in her steps and Jax groaned.

"What did you call me," she demanded.

"A little whore," the man spat.

Haley grabbed the knife from Jax's waist and in one fluid movement threw it at the guy just barely missing the side of his face. She strode over to him and shoved him back, yanking the knife out of the wall as she did so and holding it to his throat.

"Say it again," she said menacingly. Jax was so shocked by her sudden change in demeanor he had no idea what to do. Bobby and Chibs burst through the door and rushed over to her. Chibs grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back as Bobby got between her and the guy. Jax jumped into action and pulled the knife out of her hands and put it away.

"She can handle her own shit," he said to the man before striding out of the building. Chibs basically carried Haley over to the bikes.

"You want to tell us what that was about," Jax asked once Haley was back on her feet.

"I had it handled."

"I know that, where'd you learn to throw a knife like that?"

Haley glanced between them. "My mom taught me."

"Jillian Hamiliton taught you to throw a knife like that," Bobby asked.

"That's not all she taught me," Haley admitted with a shrug.

"Let's hope you don't have to show us the rest lassie," Chibs said before climbing on his bike. "There's a hotel a ways up, we can stop there for the night. Unless you want to find a bar and start a brawl?"

"I'm good," Haley said with a smirk.

"You're fucking crazy is what you are," Jax replied with a grin. "Get on."

...

By the time they got to the hotel, everyone but Bobby was soaked through. The rain had picked up and the temperature had dropped. Jax ran inside to get them rooms for the night. He tossed one key to Bobby and held on to the other one. Jax put an arm around Haley's shoulders and guided her to their room.

Jax pushed the door open and ushered her inside. She sat down on the foot of the bed and ran a hand through her damp hair. "I'm going to get our bags, I'll be back in a second," Jax said.

Haley simply nodded before he went out the door. She had no idea what had come over her at the gas station. Something had just snapped and she lashed out. She drug her hand down her face and sighed. She hadn't been lying when she said her mom had taught her to throw a knife. There was more to that story though, a lot more.

Jax dropped the bags on the floor, the thump causing Haley to jump. "You take the shower first, you've got to be freezing."

Haley nodded again before digging through her bag and pulling out some pajamas. "Hey Jax," she said as she turned to him. He glanced up at her meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry about before, at the gas station."

"Yeah, you want to tell me what that was about darlin?"

Haley shrugged slightly as she sat down next to him. "I just... snapped. I'm so sick of running scared Jax, of not being able to defend myself. My mom taught me how to do that, but I never thought I would have to use it. She knew that there was something up with my stepdad, but since I was away at school, she wasn't too worried about it. He never knew that she taught me stuff like that, throwing knives, shooting a gun, hell she even taught me how to start a house fire if I had too."

"You never thought that was weird?"

"Not any weirder than the way you grew up," Haley pointed out. Jax nodded seriously, she was right, he'd learned things like that too.

"Why'd she teach you all that?"

"She wanted me to be able to look after myself. I think she always knew something like this would happen. She used to say she didn't want me to have to have a man defend my honor, I should be able to do that myself."

"You know I would have handled that guy though, you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but she's right, I should be able to handle that."

"Haley, some guys aren't going to back down like that guy did. Your step-dad obviously didn't."

Haley shook her head and stood up. "He drugged me Jax, I didn't have a chance," she said before she went into the bathroom.

"Son of a bitch," Jax muttered as he pulled out his cell. He immediately called Opie. "Hey man, I've got some info for you."

"Bobby already told Clay what she pulled at the gas station, what the hell was she thinking," Opie replied.

"I don't know man, but listen her step-dad, he drugged her, I mean she can obviously defend herself, that's how he got the drop on her."

"Jesus christ, she told you?"

"Yeah brother, I think this is worse than we thought. I mean we don't have the whole story, but whatever it is, did a number on her. She's a ticking time bomb," Jax warned.

"Yeah, I'm thinking you're right. She refuses to talk about what happened."

"I mean, we're a bunch of dudes, we don't do feelings and shit, I don't blame her for not wanting to talk, maybe we should find a professional or something."

"She doesn't want the police involved. She talks to a professional they will report it," Opie warned.

"We've got to do something," Jax replied.

"We kill him, once she knows she's safe, maybe she'll let it go."

"All right man, I'll call you from Chicago."

"You going to see Tara while you are there?"

"I don't know, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it, but... I don't think I will. Old wounds you know?"

"I know what you mean brother. Watch her for me."

"Will do," Jax said before hanging up. He ran a hand down his face before flipping on the tv. His clothes were soaked from the rain so he stripped down to his boxers before going over to his bag. He dug around in it for a minute before pulling out some dry clothes. Jax shoved his boxers off and stepped out of them.

"Oh shit Jax, I'm sorry," Haley cried from behind him. Jax glanced over his shoulder, smirking at her as he did so. She was flushed bright red and staring at him open mouthed.

"Enjoying the view," he teased before pulling on clean boxers.

Haley rolled her eyes at him, drying her honey colored hair with the towel around her shoulders. "Its all yours," she said before sitting on the bed. "You have a side?"

"I sleep next to the door."

Haley glanced at the door before raising an eyebrow at him. "Any reason for that?"

"You want to defend us if someone breaks in, be my guest darlin."

"You're kidding right? Who the hell is going to break in? No one knows where we are!"

"Better safe than sorry," Jax said with a smirk.

"Go take your shower blondie," Haley said shaking her head at him. She slid back on the bed and pulled the covers down once Jax shut the door. She slipped between the sheets, curling up on her side. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.

Careful by Paramore