A/N - I think y'all better start praying for Tara...!
Gemma Teller-Morrow was not a nice woman when she was angry. In fact, she was the complete opposite. She was, quite simply, horrible. The club's cutthroat mentality had seeped into her personality, it was the only way she knew to get things done. Bullying and domineering was how it worked, how it had to work to survive.
It took some convincing for her to persuade Tara to bring her grandsons over to the house. She played it gently, like she knew how to, Tara finally gave in on the promise that Gemma would leave her to start her new life in Philadelphia with minimum hassle.
In Gemma's mind, she was sure she could make Tara stay. Tara was stubborn, but she was one of those people who was remarkably sensible. Gemma laid out a cake, knowing the boys would enjoy making a chocolaty mess while the grown ups talked.
"Gemma?"
Tara knocked lightly on the door before Abel gave it a shove and barrelled in excitedly. "Grandma!" he shouted, running to her and squeezing her leg. Gemma picked him up gleefully and tossed him up onto her hip to balance him.
"There's my boy," she beamed, showering him with kisses. Abel grinned and wriggled in her arms. Gemma messed his hair as she set him down once more and motioned to the bird cage, she knew he loved to look at the pretty little creature inside. Thomas was snoozing in his seat, snoring gently as Tara rested him on the table.
"You won't make me stay." Tara was resolute already, her hands on her hips as she looked expectantly at Gemma. Gemma smiled, already tired by the conversation.
"Coffee?" Tara nodded and took a seat. "I made a cake, maybe when Tommy's up."
Tara looked at her patiently. "What are you doing, Gemma?" she asked coolly. "This isn't going to work, I'm not going through this with him again."
"I'm not asking you to," Gemma shrugged. "If he can't keep his dick dry, I don't think he deserves you. But I just want my boys near me." She looked longingly at Abel. "I'm getting old, Tara. Just a couple of years and I'll be done. Heart's not what it used to be, you know that."
Tara clicked her tongue dismissively. "Don't say that."
"It's true!" Gemma looked at her. "I love Jax as much as you do and if he's an idiot, I can't do anything about that. But you're my daughter too, we've been through enough of this shit." She sighed. "I'm not getting any younger, I just need them here."
"I can't do that," Tara said, shaking her head. "I went to the store earlier, saw two of those Cara Cara girls. They started whispering, Gemma, like girls at college. It was mortifying."
"He thought he was securing business for the club," Gemma said, trying to defend him. It only inflamed Tara's anger.
"Screw the goddamn club!" she snapped. Abel looked up at his mother's raised voice and Tommy started to stir. Gemma took a moment to take the children into her room and settle then quietly before returning.
"The club is who they are, Tara, all of them. It's just the life."
"I am not inflicting this 'life' on my boys," Tara said, moving to stand. "I think we should go, you got to see them, now leave us all alone."
She started towards the bedroom but in a rage, Gemma grabbed her and knotted her fingers roughly in Tara's hair. "You are not ruining Jax's life and taking those boys," she snapped furiously. "That's my family you're messing with."
Tara squealed and kicked Gemma's knee, outraged at the assault. Gemma let out a yelp and, trying to regain her balance, accidentally slammed Tara's head against the counter. Tara slumped down to the floor, unconscious, and Gemma stood over her, trying to catch her breath.
"Oh shit." She felt for Tara's pulse, at least she was still breathing. Wrinkling her nose she groaned, this was not the way this was meant to go. She looked around, what the hell could she do?
"Gemma?"
Gemma stood in a panic as she heard keys in the door. She stared in surprised at Nina as she walked in, a huge bunch of flowers in her arms. She could barely see over the top of them as she shuffled in, intent on following Chibs' advice to befriend Gemma.
"Daddy leant me your keys, I just wanted to drop these off." She felt out the counter with her foot and put them down. Gemma stood, noiseless, as if Nina wouldn't notice. Nina paused as she saw Tara on the floor and swallowed. "Is... Did I interrupt?"
"Yes, she's having a goddamn nap," Gemma muttered, not quite sure what to say with the stranger in her home. "Jesus. Well now you're here." Implicating Nina in what had happened was the only way to assure her silence. Gemma went to grab Tara's ankle and looked at Nina expectantly. "You just gonna stand there, sweetheart?"
Remembering Chibs' words, Nina eventually nodded and moved to follow Gemma's lead. Gemma dragged Tara across to the basement stairs and slung her up onto her shoulder.
"We'll just, you know, let her come to," she frowned, not even sure what she was doing. This was beyond her means, she knew Nero would never be able to help her with such a situation. "Come on, you're meant to be an old lady now, we have to sort this out. We just need to, I don't know, tie her to something."
She looked back up the stairs as she heard Thomas start crying. Leaving Nina with Tara's unconscious form, Gemma hurried back to comfort her grandson. Nina stared at Tara, not sure what to do.
"I'm really sorry," she murmured, shuffling her feet and remembering Chibs' words about deference to Gemma. "I don't have a lot of choices here."