CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

"Oh wait. Jax before you lock the house, are the boxes in the garage?" Jax looks at me for a second before realisation of what I'm talking about dawns and he nods.

I run back through the house and into the garage grabbing the boxes I'd marked with Juice and Al and carrying them back through to the front door where Jax is waiting "You done now?"

I nod and cart the boxes to where Juice's bike is. "Ali-bean come here."

Al jumps out of the car and walks over "What?"

"Presents." I say, handing one of the boxes to her and the other to Juice. Catching the look on Juice's face Jax answers before I can.

"If you refuse it she'll be really upset and I don't want to go away on a trip and have an upset Old Lady."

Juice shakes his head and opens the box with several quick slices of his knife before he hands the small blade to Al and waits until she hands the knife back to him before opening the top of the box.

Al's already ripped the lids apart and is holding the shiny helmet I brought her in her hands. I smile at her "I knew you'd like the roses." Not many people have seen all of Al's tattoos but running round her waist she has a vine of roses in every shade from blood red to bright purple, the thorns on the vines have been inked so they look like they're tearing into her skin, the occasional trail of blood dripping down her skin gives the oddly beautiful design a morbid side.

I turn to look at Juice "Sorry but yours is kind of generic." The simple white flame outlines on the matt black helmet is the plainest of the designs that I picked but the flicks and points strangely reminded me of the ink tattooed on either side of the permanent Mohawk.

Juice's eyes meet mine as he flicks his sunglasses up to rest on the Mohawk. "It's awesome. You really didn't have to though."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to." Juice's eyes flick to Jax and I'm not sure if it was an intentional check to see how he's reacting to me giving another Son a gift but Jax is just smiling and watching the exchange.

"Okay, well thank you then." Juice says, removing his plain black helmet and replacing it with the one I've just given him. "It even fits great."

I smile again "I told the guy that I brought it off that I was buying it for someone with a Mohawk and he added extra padding on either side so that the Mohawk can get a little longer and the helmet will still fit properly. Before you ask, I brought the ones currently on Donna and Opie's heads as well and the one Jax has on his handlebars. The one in his hand is mine though and I wasn't allowed to pay for it."

Al gives me a hug and rushes back to the car calling over her shoulder "Let's get a move on guys. I'm starving."

I cross the driveway to Jax and accept my helmet and wait while he settles himself on his bike before straddling it behind him and getting comfortable on the seat, wrapping my arms around his I giggle a little when his stomach muscles clench under my hands when I 'accidentally' slide my chilly hand between his shirt and his skin.

Jax pulls my hand back out and settles it on top of the leather, momentarily lacing his fingers through mine before he reaches for the ignition and starts the bike. I hear Opie and Juice's bikes both start, the engine of my truck is completely lost in the throaty noises coming from the bikes. We're just starting to roll down the driveway when Happy's bike pulls into the street and he stops a few feet in front of us.

"Thought I'd join ya through to Bakersfield."

Jax nods and accelerates away from the curb saying at me "You can give him his when we get back."

I move my head in an agreeing gesture against his back and allow myself to relax again and enjoy being Jax's bitch, my shoulders shake a little at the notion I just happily called myself both someone's possession and a bitch at the same time. Jax notices the motion and as we take the first corner he calls over his shoulder asking me what's up.

"Nothing. Just considering the weirdness of being happy to think of myself as a bitch."

Jax grins I can only see the edges of his mouth pulling upwards from where I am behind him. "You're my bitch though, doesn't that make it different."

I lightly smack him on the chest, careful not to dislodge either of his arms. "Smart ass. Maybe I'll put you, Ope and Juice in one room while I have another with the girls."

Jax twists his head slightly as we slow for a stop sign "Is that meant to stop me?"

I shrug the gesture more precise given that I'm using my arms to hold my position near enough to Jax's ear so I don't have to shout "Should do, or did you not want to stay in a room in LA with me?"

Our conversation drifts off to nothing as we hit the open road, the bikes accelerating faster than my truck does and pulling away, a couple of cars make their way between the trio of bikes and Al in my 4x4 but we can see her in the wing mirror. Jax moves to the side and starts to slow to let the cars past but I lean closer to his ear and shout "Don't bother."

Sure enough at the next gap in oncoming traffic Al pulls into the other lane and passes the two cars which had passed her and then slowed down. Opie and Juice drop back a bit so they're behind the truck and Jax and Happy lead the way through the winding roads.

The first part of our journey passes quicker than expected, probably something to do with the lack of obeying speed limits, and we're pulling into the Fresno charters clubhouse/garage at 945.

Juice points Al towards a park and she backs my truck in before jumping down. The bikes are all parked at the end of the line of Harley's already located there and we spend a couple of minutes stretching and removing helmets.

"Jax!" I high feminine voice calls from across the lot and a quick glance at his face shows me I'm about to meet one of the stream of girls that he entertained himself with. Deciding to nip it in the bud before she can reach us I wrap my arms around Jax and kiss him, my arms snaking under his kutte and his wrapping around my shoulders.

The sound of at least two sets of footsteps crossing the lot reaches my ears, the heels obviously belonging to the bed warmer, but the fall of heavy boots is the sign that at least one of the Fresno charter is heading our way as well.

Jax kisses me on the forehead again and turns smoothly towards the booted feet. A quick glance from under my eyelashes shows the three men walking towards us, their ranks on their chests. The President, VP and one of the soldiers don't look at all worried by the four SAMCRO members and the three women in their lot.

Hugs are exchanged between the members before Jax returns to my side and grins at the men wearing the President & VP patches. "Vince, Blade, this is Sarah, my Old Lady."

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that hears the muffled gasp behind us, but a quick flick of eyes tells me that the VP at least has heard it as well. "Well, there will be some very disappointed girls around here. We'll just have to cheer them up."

The huge man wearing the VP patch is easily the same height as Opie but he's much solider, from what I can see his muscles have muscles. The kutte he's wearing is a simple vest and the shirt he's wearing under it with the sleeves rolled up is straining across his biceps, finally managing to get my eyes to his face the sparkle in them sets me immediately at ease.

"You'd be Clay's niece?" There's an accent somewhere in his voice and I can't pick it, but the grin that's almost splitting his face in half makes it easy for me to mimic the smile.

"Well, surrogate niece but yes." I reply.

"Ain't nothing surrogate about the way that old man talks about you." Vince tells me slinging his arm around Jax's shoulder. "How'd you manage that? The Presidents niece as your Old Lady."

Jax shrugs "I sat back and let her deal with him."

Vince and Blade both laugh loudly and usher us all across the lot, it's the same basic set up as Teller-Morrow but much smaller, there's only 2 bays for cars but as my eyes scan the lot I can see they have a paint booth and several narrower bays. Blade catches my gaze as I try and work out the logic behind having half-width doors. "They're for the bikes. We do cars repairs as well, but most of what we do is bikes.."