Chapter 26

November 1994

"TARA!" Boom, boom, boom. "TARA!" Boom, boom, boom.

Oh, Christ, what the hell does he want? "Yeah?" She yells to her locked door, fumbling for the clock on her nightstand. Shit, it's ten am. Didn't she and Jax just get to sleep? Shit, Jax! She turns quickly to see the spot he normally fills empty.

"We're working against the clock here." Frank Knowles informs his daughter. "Get yourself presentable."

"For what?" She groans but is ignored by her father. When she comes out to the living room forty minutes later in jeans and a long sleeve fitted tee her father throws her his keys. "Where we going?" She wasn't too surprised that he was letting her drive. It was more out of necessity considering he had his license revoked last week after going to court for his third DWI charge.

"Motor Vehicles." The older, surprisingly sober man, answers. "Don't you have a license to obtain?"

Considering she doesn't have a car to drive, she wasn't overly worried about getting her license today. However, the part that is most surprising to her is that her dad seems to remember the significance of this day. "You remembered my birthday?" She asks with a hint of confusion.

Frank leads them out and shuts the door behind them. "'Course I remember. You're my kid, aren't you?"

She keeps quiet. She may be his kid but she can't remember the last time he acknowledged her date of birth. She reminds herself not to get her hopes up, drunks are notorious for their mood swings. This is nothing new with her dad. One good day is usually followed by weeks of hell.

It's only an hour later when she gets back in the driver seat of the Cutlass. "If you lived in a big city, you would have been more than an hour." Her father notes. She ignores him as she has no idea what to make of his comment nor does she care to worry about it. "So does it feel different behind that wheel now?

Oh, he's trying real hard. Briefly, she tries to remember if they got into an uglier than usual fight last night but comes up empty. "Uh…a little bit." She admits reluctantly with a smile. "Not such a big deal if Unser pulls me over."

"Guess it's not." Frank nods. "Drive to TM." He instructs.

Tara gulps, "What for?" Her father obviously knew about her and Jax from around town but Tara had spent nearly a year without the two men in her life ever coming face to face. Today was a Saturday and Jax would definitely be there.

"I want to get the car serviced." Comes his reply that leaves no room for argument.

She tries to ignore the butterflies building up in her stomach. This was going to be bad, she just knew it. Maybe not awful because thankfully by some miracle, her father hadn't had a drink yet.

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The grin across Jax's face is huge and it is instant at the sight of the old Cutlass pulling into the garage. It had to be Tara, as the whole town knew Mr. Knowles had his license suspended. The garage bays were full but he walked out into the yard where she was parking the car. He couldn't wait to wrap her in his arms. It sucks that he had to work on her birthday but he has special plans for her tonight and was sure she'd love it. He stops dead in his tracks when Frank Knowles gets out of the passenger side door. Glancing at Tara, he sees a panicked look upon her beautiful face. And just like every uncomfortable situation in his life, the presence of Gemma Morrow is suddenly there. "Hey Frank, how can we help you?"

"Hoping to get the Cutlass in for a tune-up today." Gemma notices the tremors in the man's hands as he places them in his back pocket.

"I'm sure Jackson has time for it, right?" The secretary puts him on the spot.

"Absolutely." He agrees eagerly. "I'll make time for it, sir." Not that he wanted to, he really wanted to finish up as quickly as possible and spend the day celebrating the birth of his girl.

Sir? Tara would laugh if she thought she could get it out without it coming off as a grimace. She hasn't ever heard Jax refer to anyone as sir. "I'm sure you don't want Tara driving around dangerously." Her father replies with a look directed soley at Jackson.

She groans, "Dad, I'm hardly ever in it." This was weird as hell and she really wanted to be in the young mechanic's arms right now.

"You will be." He takes the keys from Tara's hand and tosses them to Jax. "After your boyfriend here gives her a tune-up, she's yours." The confusion is clearly written all over her face. She wants to focus on her father and Jax and the fact that maybe she should have officially introduced them but did he just give her the Cutlass?

Seeing as how Tara is too stunned for words, Jax walks a bit closer, "Ugh…Mr. Knowles…" Shit, he's never had to worry about a girl's father before. And he already knows so much about the man from…

"Jackson, it's customary to introduce yourself to a girl's father before you start sneaking into her bedroom at night." The older man enjoys the fact that the cocky little shit is actually caught off guard and at a loss for words apparently.

"DAD!" Tara shrieks but Gemma breaks up the tension with a nervous laugh.

"What?" Frank asks his daughter lightly but his eyes leave her no choice but to be quiet. What would she say in their defense anyway? It was true. Jackson has spent every night in her bed for months now. "Anyhow, when Teller is done with the car, it's yours. Happy Birthday."

As he hugs her, she isn't sure what to do with her arms. She tries to remember the last time she's been in his embrace but can't. It feels awkward and full of tension. She forces herself to squeeze back and then pull away. "Seriously, Dad? I…you're giving me the Cutlass?"

"That's what I said." He replies and Gemma quietly walks away and back into the office. "So, while we wait…you still love bar food?"

Finally Jax sees a smile cross his girls face. "Yes!" He watches the two head towards the clubhouse and his heart literally jumps a beat when she tosses him a smile over her shoulder. Damn, he loves the hell out of her.

"So, should we tell her that the only reason the old man gave her this ride is because he can't use it?" Lowell elbows Jax.

"Don't tell her shit!" Jax warns. Just because they all knew it, didn't mean anyone could upset her by saying it to her.

"Just saying Jax…" Lowell lights a cigarette, "You know as soon as his suspensions lifted, he's taking this beauty back."

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"Do I get a hint?" Tara smiles at Jax's reflection in the mirror as she puts eyeliner on.

"Well, since you're driving…." He moves closer to her and wraps his arms around her middle, tugging her back to his front. "I guess I have to let you know where to go." He reaches into his back pocket with his right hand and places two tickets on her dresser in front of her.

He watches as her eyebrows curl in confusion and she reaches for the tickets. "Soundgarden?! You bought us concert tickets?!"

He bites his lip, trying to contain his smile. She's just so damn happy. And he's happy too because he nailed it in the gift department, totally worth skipping work to drive out to Oakland and wait in that long ass line at Hecht's just to buy the tickets. It was also worth the bitching he got from Clay about cutting out of work half day. "Happy birthday, babe." His lips and teeth nibble on her neck.

"Jax," She turns in his embrace, thankful she doesn't wear much makeup, just in case a few tears manage to escape, "I…I've never been to a concert before."

"I know." He smiles shyly. "Me either. But we both love music….."

"I'm stoked!" She kisses him. "It'll be awesome. Let's leave now." He has no choice but to grin at her happiness.

Hours later and he is so thankful she drove the Cutlass, as it is roomy enough for them to make out in the back of, as they sit in the parking lot of the amphitheater. "Like your new shirt?" He asks, lips on her temple, hands under her shirt and over her bra. Damn, his girl is so hot, he thinks to himself as she straddles him, her hair is in disarray from his greedy fingers, and jade eyes wild and free.

"I love it, baby." She smiles. "Thank you. But you spent too much money on me, Jax."

"It's your birthday, babe, there's no such thing as too much." He meant every word. From their time together he was able to glean that she hadn't really celebrated a birthday in years. And that shit today with her old man? Awkward as all hell and as much as he hated it, he agreed with Lowell this car thing was too good to be true. "Put it on." He holds up the Counting Crows/Soundgarden fitted tee he bought her. As always, he appreciates the view as she takes one shirt off and puts the other one on as instructed. "Smokin' hot, babe." His smirk is a mix of happiness, lust, and a tinge of inebriation, thanks to the bud and beer. "Now take it off."

Her laugh hits him where it always does, directly in the heart. Christ, he'd so anything to hear that sound and see the way her eyes shine with happiness. "Sure thing." She's in nothing but her black bra in seconds. "There's one other thing I want for my birthday." She bites her bottom lip and he is certain that he'll love where she's going with this.

"Anything." Jax promises her, suddenly looking every bit of an innocent sixteen year old. "Name it."

Tara takes a deep breath and releases the nerves floating around. She hasn't broached this subject with him since August when he filled her in on the fact that he had no intention of returning to school with her. "I was hoping…." She laces her fingers with his, "you'd agree to get your GED."

Groaning, he throws his head back to rest on the back of the seat. That wasn't what he expected at all. "Tara, it's your birthday, I don't want to fight about this."

"We're not fighting." She assures him. "You promised to think about it." She was sure that was just to shut her up at the time though. "And I haven't brought it up since."

"Babe, what's this really about?" He shrugs and tries to break her grasp on his hand but she won't let him. "You ashamed of being with a dropout?" He couldn't imagine that being true but his mom thought it was when Jax mentioned the idea of possibly obtaining it to her after his conversation with Tara months ago.

"No!" The indignation is obvious in her heated tone. "How can you even think that? I love you, Jackson!" Now she's fighting to remove her hand from his.

This was exactly what he didn't want, a fight, on her birthday nonetheless. "I'm sorry." He kisses her softly. "Tell me again why you think a GED is so important."

"Anything can happen Jackson." She replies softly. "I know your future lies with TM and SAMCRO. And that makes you happy so I want that for you. But God forbid, businesses go under all the time Jax. What if that happens to TM?"

"First of all, that will never happen." He assures her and she rolls her eyes. His girl was always so practical, thinking things to death sometimes. "But if it did…I would just go work at another garage."

"Do you know it's estimated that in the next ten years only ten percent of companies will hire people without a GED or diploma?" Apparently there was her random factoid of the day.

"What?" He laughs, "Where did you hear that?"

"Time magazine." She meets his gaze directly. It was the only magazine in the clinic went she went for her quarterly birth control shot.

"What else?" He knows there is more that she needs to get off her mind. If she doesn't it will eat away at her and become a big thing between them. He takes pride in knowing her so well.

"Forty percent of people fail on the first try."

"And that's supposed to encourage me to take the stupid test?" Damn, he needs more beer or another joint. This shit is making his head spin and not in a good way.

"Well, yes." She smirks. "You wouldn't be the forty percent, silly, you're so smart you'd pass on the first try."

"Tara…." He doesn't really know what to say to that. All his life, he's heard from just about everyone that he has the perfect capabilities to run TM or lead SAMCRO. No one has ever mentioned his ability to do anything else or use his brain for anything other than that.

She knows he's uncomfortable. "Don't do it." She hesitates. "I love you, with or without your GED. You know how I am." She laughs uncomfortably and he hates it. Her carefree laugh is what he lives for. "My mind always thinks of what ifs. But if you think you won't ever need it…I trust you, baby."

He knows how hard it is for her to say those words, probably harder than it was for her to tell him I love you. "You really think I can pass the first time?"

"Of course I do." She's so assured, so full of faith in him, and it humbles him. "You can do anything, Jackson. You…you're smart in a way most people aren't." She adjust herself more comfortably on his lap. "You know how you hear that there are two types of intelligence? Book smarts and common sense?" He nods. "Not you baby, you….you have both. You excel in both. I get that the school thing isn't your style but you're still the smartest person I know."

"Second smartest babe." How can he not do this for her? She believes in him in a way no one else ever has. "I think I may come in just below you. You're wicked smart and you can read people." He pulls her close so they're chest to chest. "Ok, I'll do it."

"Really?" She's radiant. He nods affirmatively with a smile. "Because you want to? Not because Gemma got into your head and made you think I thought less of you?"

Damn, nothing got passed his girl. "Yes, because I want to." And maybe because he wanted to prove to her that her faith in him wasn't for nothing. She gave him so much, this seemed small in comparison. "Who am I to turn down the birthday girl's request anyway?" He teases, happy to be back in her good graces, fighting with her was exhausting, thankfully it didn't happen too much.

"It's just a day." She shrugs but he can see the tears in her eyes. "But thank you for making me feel special."

"You're the most special person in my whole world, Tara." He kisses her, unhooking her bra and then leaning up to throw his shirt over his head. Thank fuck they brought the Cutlass. "I love you."

"Oh, yea?" She smirks, moving her left leg over so she's no longer straddling him but knelling on his left side, "Get out of these pants." She instructs before biting her lip.

Hell-fucking-yes, he loves where this is going. "You too."

"Nah-uh." Her husky timber instantly makes him hard. She backs up a little as she watches him lift his ass enough to lower his pants and boxers. "You first." She engulfs his hard cock in her mouth before he can blink.

"Oh shit." His eyes close to cherish the moment for a second. "Damn, babe….you could have lead with this and I would have agreed to anything."

She elbows him hard even though he can feel her laughter around his cock. She knew she could get him to agree to just about anything using sex but that wasn't her style. She never wanted to be like his mother or his flock of crow-eaters and manipulate him. What they had was so much more than that superficial, string-pulling bullshit. What they had was the real deal. Stopping what she was doing she sits up and looks directly into his vibrant eyes, so full of love for her at that moment, "Promise me we'll always be like this?"

He sits up straight before backing up enough to be able to grab her thigh and pull her down fully onto the seat and stretch out on top of her. "Always babe, you and me against the world. I promise."