CHAPTER NINETY-ONE

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Jax and I end up at the hospital in the cafeteria again, the sandwiches are still okay but this time they're serving something that is labelled as lasagne, there's no distinction in the pasta or either of the sauces and the greasy orange fat that's sitting over the bottom of the tray is enough to make me want to gag.

After eating fairly quickly we spend the rest of the afternoon in with Abel, the time he's out of the incubator has been extended to the point that we both get to hold him for almost an hour before Anne comes in the door and quietly takes the sleeping infant from Jax's arms and puts him back in.

Jax grabs Anne's arm just before she can leave "Anne, we have a favour we'd like to ask you."

Anne's brows furrow "Okay. That depends. What is it?"

Jax looks towards me and smiles "Sarah's doing a petition to adopt Abel and we wondered if you'd write a supporting letter, and be there if the judge asks."

Anne just about squeals in delight as she hugs me tightly. "Of course. Do you want me to get the Doctor to do one as well?"

I shrug and look at Jax "If he would, I've only met him a couple of times so I'm not sure what he could add."

Anne smiles "Don't you worry about that. I'll get them typed up and signed, when do you need them?"

Jax looks over at me "I have no idea."

I smile, shaking my head "We're filing the paperwork at the courthouse today. It'll be at least three months before we get anywhere I would think. As long as we have the letters from you by then it should be okay."

Anne cocks her head to the side "Forgive me for asking this, but as a Hale couldn't you fast track it?"

I feel completely gobsmacked "I never thought about that. I'll see what reaction I get at the court today."

Anne shrugs "I'll have the letters done by Monday afternoon."

I laugh as Jax picks her up and swings her around before setting her back on her feet with a grin "You're my favourite nurse ever."

Anne blushes faintly and smiles "Thank you. I'll have to tell my husband you said that."

Jax reaches into the incubator once more, silently stroking Abel's head "Love you little man."

We follow Anne down the hall and just before we leave she hands us a few bits of paper "These may help with the process. Its copies of everything that was wrong with Abel due to his birth mother's drug addiction. There's also the death certificate that Jax never wanted, but you will need that to prove she's dead. It was all in his file here."

My eyes widen and I open my mouth, closing it again before taking a few breaths "Why was it up here?"

Anne points at Jax "He didn't want it, said it 'wasn't worth shit to him' but it has to be handed on to the surviving parent."

Jax groans "Thank you Anne. I didn't think about needing it for him when he's older."

Anne smiles as she turns back into the office "I know."

The ride to the courthouse from the hospital isn't long and within 20 minutes we're standing in front of one of the clerks handing over the paperwork and the fee for the time and paperwork. Sure enough though the second that my name registers in the eyes of the clerk a bright smile crosses their face and they turn to the computer and start typing.

"Normally we wouldn't be able to assess this any time soon, but I'll see what we have available." There are a few minutes of quiet while the mouse clicks and random things are typed into the screen before we're given another huge smile "The earliest appointment we have right now for an in home assessment is August 20th."

My eyes widen "Umm, that's perfect. Can you tell me how long it is and what the process is?"

Booking the date we're passed a couple of fliers which answer everything we know. Leaving the courthouse with a stunned look on my face I'm shaken from my bubble when Jax waves his hand in front of my face. "You okay babe?"

I nod "Yeah. Do we go tell your mother what we've done?"

Jax shakes his head, resting his arm around my neck and pulling me close as we start walking back to the bike "Nope, let's leave it for a surprise. We still have to sort his coming home party, we can tell everyone then. Or we can wait till its official."

I lean into his side "I don't want to feel like we're jinxing anything but I want to tell them when he comes home."

Jax kisses my temple "Whatever you want Darlin', whatever you want."

Jax heads back to the house via the front of Scoops where there's two big banners across the windows of both businesses with the same label 'Under new ownership'. Riding past I giggle at the expressions on the faces of some of the people walking past. Most of them look excited at the idea of a new business coming into town. Seeing JJ's car parked down the street Jax slows a little as I carefully lift my hand and point.

My poor cousin is sitting in his car glaring at the sign and I wonder if he even knows who it is that brought the sites. Making a mental note to ask when we see Mandy I realise that I'm not going to have time to see her till Monday at the earliest and groan.

Jax looks down at me "You alright Darlin'?"

I shake my head and run my hand through my hair "Just realised how busy I'm going to be tomorrow. I won't get a chance to see Mandy till next week."

Jax raises one eyebrow "Why? What's happening tomorrow?"

I jab my finger into his stomach, the knuckle bending as it presses against his abs "You know exactly what the most important thing about tomorrow is."

Jax shrugs and tries to pull an innocent look but the smile that creeps onto his face pulls the corners of his mouth up and he nods "I do, we have to be at the hospital at 11am, he's getting out of the toaster at 12 and there's a pile of paperwork to work through first."

I frown "I thought it was earlier?"

Jax hands me my helmet and leans against his bike pulling a smoke out of the pack "It was meant to be earlier, but the hospital rang me this morning while you were walking the dog to let me know it'd been pushed back so that Dr Namid can be there."

Jax leans against his bike while he lights his cigarette before holding his arms open so I can step between them. He rests a hand on my hip, sliding it over the bottom of his shirt to rest on my lower back. We stand there quietly while Jax smokes his cigarettes, several people stop and say hi to him, one of them chatting quickly about some work that's being done on his car which Jax happily answers.

A pair of women a little older than me pass us then turn and glance over their shoulders, eyes widening as they recognise the kutte on Jax's back. The nurse's uniforms that they're wearing register as they lean their heads together and start whispering furiously.

I shake my head and feel my fingers tensing on Jax's shoulder. The grip bringing his attention to my face "You a'ight Darlin'?"

I nod and lean down, resting my head on his shoulder, my lips brushing his neck. "Those women that walked past they work at the hospital."

Jax turns around and looks at them where they've stopped again and are leaning towards each other talking a mile a minute. He shrugs and slides his hand further down, resting his palm against the swell of my ass. "Well I think that we should give them something to talk about."

The hand that was still resting on his thigh lifts, his cigarette butt falling from his fingers as he runs his hand up my arm and over my neck, tugging lightly on the material of the shirt I stole that morning, the head of the crow on my neck comes fully into view. Jax grins widely at the image that's now permanently etched onto my skin. His fingers tighten in my hair and he pulls me forward, his lips twitching into a wider smile when my tongue darts out and wets my lips slightly.

His lips touch mine softly, the gentle pressure against mine the total opposite of the tight grip he has on my neck.

My eyes drift open as Jax pulls back, whatever the reason for kissing me the way he has in the middle of Main Street has completely left my mind, the foggy haze that's set over my brain makes me giggle distractedly.

Jax grins the flush that's settled on my cheeks warming my skin. "Shall we go home Darlin', I'm about done sharing you with anyone for today."

I nod silently and pick my helmet up off his handlebars and settle it on my head. "Sounds like a plan."