Saving Grace

Summary: Ryder Winston thought she had everything planned out perfectly with her sister-in-law Donna, to where she could use one of the days to go see her older brother Opie at Chino prison to let him know that he was finally gonna be an uncle. They just hadn't counted on Jax Teller, Ryder's husband and Opie's best friend showing up to see him as well. And his finding out in the worst way possible that he was going to be a father.

Jax /Ryder

Rated M for adult language, and implied smut

Set pre-series

Prequel #5

part one of two

Chino, California

"Donna, I really can't thank you enough for letting me take this week's visit," Ryder said into her phone as she started to pull into the visitor's parking lot at Chino, the California institution for men, the prison more or less where her older brother Opie was at serving 5 years for arson.

"Of course Ry, he has been asking about you. It's getting harder to keep the baby a secret from him. He knows something is up."

"That's why I'm here D, and I am telling Pops too."

"Jesus Ry! You haven't told your dad yet! You are 5 months pregnant."

"Nope." She laughed nervously, "I didn't want him to tell Gemma and for her to tell Jax. I want to do this on my time and terms. The club has controlled every aspect of my life, I am not going to give this up. My whole childhood and most of my adulthood has been controlled by the club. I don't want my daughter to have to go through that too."

"You are having a girl?! When did you find that out?"

"Yesterday, at my appointment. Do you know how hard it was for Kozik not to call Jax and spill the beans right then and there about the baby."

"You actually have a babysitter? I thought you were joking."

"Happy and Kozik are the only two brave enough to do it. Something about me being a handful."

"Well they aren't wrong babe, you are a handful."

Ryder laughed and then froze seeing her husband parking his bike in the space next to her.

"Oh, you got to be fucking kidding me."

"What? Ry? What's wrong?" Donna asked, the end of her question hitched with anxiety worried for the safety of her sister-in-law and niece.

"Jax is here. Shit, he just saw me. I got to go D, I will call you back."

Jax had already seen her and was off of his bike and pulling open the door of her cage, "Ry? What are you doing here?"

"Seeing my brother." She offered up weakly, "I worked it out with Donna. It's been a while since I have been able to come down and see him. Work has been keeping me busy."

Her husband grabbed ahold of her hand and helped her out of the car. His eyes were drawn instantly to her swollen stomach, she hadn't thought to wear something that would cover herself up more, she thought that she would have been safe being there.

No other son was around except for Opie.

"Are you?"

"Yeah, 5 months along." She answered, her free hand going to cover up the bump.

"And it's mine?" He instantly regretted the words when the hurt flooded her face.

"Of course it's yours, Jackson, there hasn't been anyone else but you." He studied her carefully, he knew that she was always faithful to him and had been since before David Hale shattered her heart into tiny pieces and he was able to swoop in and finally make her his.

His gloved hand reached on its own accord and rested it on top of hers.

'I was going to tell you." She started softly, "but I was scared." "Of me?" He asked, finally finding his voice fully. She nodded her head, "And of mother Gemma and her having to be involved in everything."

"Babe, have I ever given you anything to be scared of? Other than a broken heart?"

"No, but I wasn't sure if you would've been ready for a baby. We rushed our marriage, I didn't want to rush this." He covered her mouth with his to get her to stop rambling.

"Ryder, we got married because we are in love. It was the next step after you got my crow."

The crow had been the one thing that Jax was adamant about her getting when she got accepted to the university. But Piney made them wait until she graduated which ended up being a good thing because Tara started sticking her nose into their relationship and making it worse.

Some of their worst fights came because of that

.

But there had been other issues that were tied into their quickie wedding but the most important he always touted was that they loved each other and he didn't want her to go to law school at Stanford without his crow, his ring, and last name attached to her.

Seeing the boys flocking to her made that need worse, so first they eloped and then they had a big wedding after Gemma found out that they got married without her.

"I know, come on, we should go in and see Opie before the time frame is up."

He nodded his head and stepped away from her long enough to remove his things and put them on the driver's seat before locking her car doors. His hand tangled with hers without a second thought putting himself between her and everyone else.

Like he always did.

It was easy to fall back into the ease of their relationship before things went to hell. And she knew that it wouldn't last past this, it never did but for this brief few hours, she was going to take it.

Opie Winston was surprised when he walked into the visitor's room and saw his sister and his best friend sitting side by side at the metal table whispering to each other. The last he had heard from not only Donna but the other brothers was that there was little to no contact between the two.

According to Happy, Ryder had been busy with work and had been made partner within 2 years compared to other new people who were still working as gophers and not getting their own cases. But his sister, his brilliant sister, was already way ahead. "Hey Ope," She grinned standing up to hug him.

"Hey, everything okay?" He asked, looking over her head at Jax. Annoyed, his sister pinched him. "Ow." "You know, you can direct things to me, Harry."

Sighing he took a step back to fully look at her, "Everything o," his eyes landed on her bump, "oh, okay. Wow."

Ryder laughed before retreating to sit next to her husband, "Yeah, that's been the reaction."

"It's mine." Jax filled in answering Opie's unasked question, "Just found out too."

Opie looked at his sister surprised that she was able to keep this to herself for so long.

Normally, Ryder blabbed about everything especially when she was excited about something.

And a baby was something that she had looked forward to ever since she had the miscarriage her senior year of high school. "Congrats." He finally smiled, "I am happy for you. Does Donna and the kids know?"

Ryder nodded her head as her fingers started tracing a pattern on the memorial tattoo that her husband had on his forearm, "I told Ellie I would take her with me to an appointment to see the baby when it's closer for them to come."

She wanted to keep the fact that this was a girl to herself just for a while longer.

Then everyone else could know.

Opie was thankful that Ryder kept in contact with his kids and his wife and was stepping up while he was inside. She had taken Ellie and Kenny to Disneyland during their spring break giving Donna time to herself and that's all the kids could talk about when they came to visit the following week and he knew that it was going to be the same with this.

"Does Mother Gemma know?"