CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

As promised the alarm goes off at 6 the following morning. Jax lies in bed for a few minutes after slapping the off button, rubbing his hand over his face he throws the blankets and swings his legs over the side of the bed. I can hear him as he moves around the room, then his footsteps as he goes into the kitchen. There's a couple of minutes of silence and then he returns and comes to my side of the bed.

"Sarah wakeup. Coffee's on but if you wanna shower you should get up now." His voice is quiet as he speaks, obviously knowing that I'm awake but not quite ready to face proper consciousness yet.

"M'kay. I'm getting up." I mumble, pushing the blankets off my legs and sitting up slowly. Jax grins as I blink slowly letting my eyes adjust to the light streaming in from the bathroom.

"Before I decide if I'm taking the car or coming on your bike where are we tonight?"

Jax smiles "We're meant to be going to SANBERN tonight. Clay let them know we were coming in and they're putting out the welcome mat."

I nod, "K, car it is then." Jax looks vaguely disappointed. "Well, if I know Al as well as I think I do she'll have four outfits and 2 pairs of shoes she'll want for tonight 'just in case'. But we can always alternate who drives the car. It's about 6 hours to get to LA right, so 2 hours driving each for me, Donna and Al."

"Just as long as you and Al are on the bikes when we get to SANBERN. Let's everyone know from the get go that you're off limits. They all know D already. But now you really need to get up." Jax's eyes drift to the clock where the bright red display is already showing 06:25.

I jump to my feet and go through to the bathroom, showering and grabbing toiletries as I come back out I spend a few minutes sorting through clothes while the smell of coffee wafts from the kitchen. By the time Jax comes back in at 07:15 his bag is packed with 2 lots of clean clothes for him and his bathroom stuff which I know he'd forget otherwise. My stuff is piled on the bed and I'm looking between the suitcase I have which is far too big and Jax's other backpack.

Jax leans against the door frame "Here's your coffee and take the bigger case. You can put your shopping shit in there."

I turn and pick up the hard plastic suitcase and toss it on the bed, picking through my clothes I choose an outfit for tonight at the other charter, one for shopping tomorrow and a spare one. A pair of shoes get dropped on the top and I toss my make-up case in as well. "There all packed."

Jax shakes his head as I cross the room and accept the still steaming cup of coffee. "You're not dressed yet, you know that right?"

I look down then back up at him, "Yeah I know." The purple bra and panties I'm wearing are all I'd managed to put on before getting distracted by packing for the night. "But I have got clothes picked."

Jax glances at the bed where there's a pair of dark blue jeans, a black Metallica shirt with purple designs and my black hoodie with 'Ink Addict' written across it in pink lettering. The boots that are sitting on the floor are looked at with Jax's bikers eye "Do you have anything with no heel?"

I think quickly through the shoes that I've got at Jax's and the ones that are still packed. "I do, hang on." I dig through the box that's got my shoes in it and pulling out a more acceptable pair. The boots that I unearth are boringly flat, with twin buckles around the calf and a buckle over the ankle they're the most sedate of all the shoes I own. "These okay?"

Jax nods "Much better. Now get dressed."

I throw my clothes on and slide the boots up my legs, tucking my jeans into them before zipping up the side and tightening the straps. The boots I was intending on wearing get put on top of the clothes in the suitcase. I shove Jax's backpack into the side empty part of it and zip the whole thing closed, doing the combination locks up out of habit. Jax peers over my shoulder "What the fuck?"

I giggle "Al and Cam brought me four of these when I came back from the hospital. It allowed me to keep things locked up and safe from everything I thought was out to get me. It also let me keep important documents safe."

Jax nods "Combination in case I need to get something out?"

"1208." I say and watch his face carefully. There's barely a twitch when he realises the case I use to store everything important is protected with a four digit number that happens to be his birth date.

Jax picks up the suitcase "You sure you got everything in here?"

I look round the room quickly "Yep, apart from my phone charger which is in the kitchen it's done."

Jax sets the case by the door as he walks back to the kitchen and refills his coffee cup. "Well the guys should be here in about 10 minutes, unless they got held up."

"You want a piece of toast before we go? Its 2 hours to Fresno till breakfast." Jax nods so I quickly toast a couple of slices of bread and top them with butter and jam. Handing him one I eat the other slowly while drinking my coffee.

We've just finished eating and I've put everything back away in the kitchen and set the dishwasher on when the sound of 2 bikes pulling into the drive lets us know the rest of our travellers have arrived.

"Give me a minute to ring Gem?" Jax nods and heads out through the garage, opening the door. "I dial the number for Teller-Morrow and wait the few rings before she answers.

"Teller-Morrow Gemma speaking."

"Hi Gem, we're about to hit the road. We're taking the truck as well. I've set the dishwasher going here would you mind coming after work and putting the stuff away please?"

Gemma chuckles, "Okay baby. Thanks for letting me know. I'll pass it on to Clay and the guys."

"See you tomorrow night."

I hang up Jax's cordless phone and go out through the front door, while I was talking to Gemma Jax had pulled my car out, closed the garage door again and come through locking the doors behind him. "Jax, front door's unlocked."

Jax nods from where he's standing by his bike. Opie and Donna are standing by his bike and Juice is still straddling his. "Where's Al?" I ask as I reach them.

"In a cab, about a block away. She had too much shit to carry on the bike. I tried to tell her it's only one night but she didn't listen." Juice sounds frustrated and I can't help the giggle as my eyes meet Jax's and see his raised eyebrow.

Donna passes me the duffel back that has hers and Opie's stuff in it. The bag is nearly bigger than she is. "Did you bring the twins in here?"

Donna shakes her head "No, they're with Grandma. I'd almost think they'd be happy to never leave."

I put the huge duffel in the luggage compartment by my suitcase and a backpack that must be Juice's and lean against the door "Did Jax tell you about the driving thing?"

Donna nods "I'll take the bit from Bakersfield to LA, do you want the stretch from here to Fresno or from Fresno to Bakersfield?"

"I'll do the middle bit. Al can do first stretch seeing she's keeping us waiting." Just as I finish speaking a taxi pulls up into the drive and Al jumps out of the back.

"Sorry. Come help." The boot is popped and she pulls out two cases and sets them on the ground then reaches for a third.

"Good God Al how much did you bring?" I ask gobsmacked.

"Just these three." She replies as I pick up one of the suitcases.

"Packing light I see?" I tease as we stack the bags onto my suitcase and slide hers in, creating a flat layer of suitcases for the backpack and duffel to sit on.

"Smart ass." She replies.

"Always. So we're splitting the driving. I'm doing here to Fresno, then you're doing Fresno to Bakersfield then D will take over and do Bakersfield to LA."

Al nods and goes over to Juice and gives him a kiss before coming back and climbing into the driver's seat.