Chapter 4

Charlotte parked in front of the clubhouse, getting out of her car she waved at Jax shielding her eyes from the mid-morning sun as she walked towards him.

When she got closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her giving her a kiss asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Your Mom forgot some things for the Taste of Charming, asked me to pick them up on my way over. How was Indian Hills?"

"It was good, sorry I've been MIA just shit going on here."

"That's fine I missed you though." She said putting her arms around his shoulders kissing him again.

"I promise I'll be over tonight then. What's my Mom got you picking up?"

"She said just some boxes behind the bar."

They walked into the club house together Jax shouted to Kip who was behind the bar "Prospect load whatever boxes you see into Charlotte's car." grabbing Charlotte's keys and tossing them over. "Don't miss any or my Mom will have your ass."

Charlotte quickly said her hellos to Clay and Piney who were sitting across from each other at the bar, next to Piney sat a man Charlotte hadn't seen before. She stuck her hand out and started to introduce herself "Hi I'm…" she stopped and pulled her hand back when she saw the man had his hand in his pants clearly jerking off. Charlotte stepped back, bumping into Jax.

"Charlotte this is our friend Chucky." Clay said, "He has a delicate condition."

When Chucky removed his hand from his pants, he extended it towards Charlotte "I have CMD."

Charlotte put her hands in the air refusing the man's hand. "You just stay where you are Chucky and wash your hands for Christ's sake."

Chucky responded, "I accept that."

"Don't worry sweetheart we'll bleach everything after Chucky leaves." Clay said pulling her in for a side hug giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Much appreciated." Charlotte replied.

Jax walked Charlotte back to her car, opening the door and shutting it once she was sitting inside talking to her through her open window. "No lugging those boxes by yourself."

"Like your mother would let me do that I'm surprised she hasn't wrapped me in bubble wrap."

"She's protective of her grandchildren."

"That she is, I think she has Abel's and this one's entire future planned out." Charlotte agreed, resting her hand on her barely showing baby bump that was starting to make her regular clothes uncomfortable.

"You sorry we told her?"

"Never, I'm excited Jax, really happy."

"Me too." He said, leaning into the car kissing her on the lips.

"What's the deal with Mr. Handsy?" Charlotte asked, nodding her head towards the clubhouse.

"Just helping Otto out."

Charlotte stood next to Gemma and Luanne helping her with her booth. Charlotte saw Tara when she went to wave at her Gemma slapped her arm down before Tara could see her.

"Don't call her over here, she's the enemy."

"She's the enemy now, really Gemma?" Charlotte questioned her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, her and Jax have history and you don't want that past becoming familiar in the present."

"Jesus Gemma, I like Tara she's nice."

"Sweetheart you gotta stake your claim."

"Stake my claim, you know that sounds ridiculous right?"

"You have to show her and all these other bitches that Jax is yours. You're going to be the mother of his baby. And with Wendy out of the picture a mother to Abel."

"Gemma for the millionth time Jax and I aren't together. We're friends and we have sex and I happened to get pregnant. I don't want to marry him I don't want to be his old lady." Charlotte said, trying to get her point across without yelling as she was certain Gemma had her and Jax's wedding all planned out. "And I'm not Abel's mother. I have no desire to be any of those things."

"You want to be a mom to that baby, right?" Gemma asked slightly poking Charlottes belly.

"Of course, I do, what kind of question is that?"

"Well, what do you think is going to happen if Jax gets back with Tara. He's going to want his kids under the same roof with him and if it's not you then it's going to be Tara raising your kid."

"Jax wouldn't do that to me, he wouldn't take our baby away from me."

"Ask Wendy if she thought the same thing."

"That's different Gemma, Wendy did that herself not Jax."

"Yeah well, I know how he gets when the good doctor comes around, she gets him all twisted up and there's no telling what she'd say or do to get what she wants, and he'll believe everything out of her mouth. You weren't around when they were together and when she left." Gemma said putting her hands on Charlottes shoulders "I'm his Mother I know him, and I know how tight of a grip she had on him and still does. Charlotte, you have to think about your future and that baby's future. I'm trying to help you baby, avoid a lot of pain and heartache."

Charlotte tried not to let Gemma's words sink in and rattle around in her brain. When Jax had finally arrived, she spent most of her time next to him. When he went to leave her before the fireworks started, she held on to him and the first time instead of just taking his kiss goodbye and letting him leave she asked, "You can't stay at least for the fireworks?"

He cupped her face in his hands "Sorry darlin club business." He gave her a small kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later."

"I won't be home tonight I picked up a shift at Stockton and then my shift at St Thomas is right after."

"Charlotte, I don't like you working at the prison it's not safe with the baby and I didn't like you working there before."

"Jax I can't turn down the pay, it pays almost double it's safe there's always guards, and with the baby I'll have to take time off. We need the money."

"I can take care of you."

"What about the mounting bills for Abel, how are you going to pay two mortgages and all the medical bills. And if I work at Stockton for the next 5 years my student loans are wiped clean."

"Okay just be careful please."

"I will, I'll see you after my shift at St Thomas."

Charlotte had finished her six-hour shift at Stockton and was heading into her last half hour of six at St Thomas. She stood at the nurse's station stretching her sore back as she finished working on her charts after finishing her rounds.

"Hey Charlotte, can you handle this before you leave?" The ER Dr. asked as she approached with a chart. "Bay 6, X-rays came back, nose isn't broken, just needs a wound clean and butterfly and then can be discharged."

"Sure." Charlotte said grabbing the chart along with a wound cleaning kit from the stock room. When she pulled back the curtain, she saw a petite red head lying on the bed and a piece of gauze hastily taped to stop the bleeding. "Hi, I'm Charlotte so we have good news Doc says it isn't broken. So, I'm going to get you cleaned up and on your way." She carefully removed the gauze and went to work gently cleaning the wound applying a simple butterfly bandage over the small laceration. "You'll have some bruising and swelling for a while just keep icing it. Do you have someone waiting for you to drive you home?"

"Yeah, there's a guy in the waiting room has a mohawk and lightning bolt tattoos on his head." The red head responded.

Charlotte didn't say she knew who she was talking about but instantly knew it was Juice. "Okay I'll go let him know you're ready. You can get dressed and of course come back if you need anything else." Charlotte left the bay and headed to the waiting room. When she caught Juice's eye, she motioned for him to come to her.

"Hey Charlotte, Cherry all done?"

"Yeah, who is she?"

"Just some chick from Indian Hills one of Jury's girls."

"What the hell happened to her face? That happen in Indian Hills or Charming?"

"Here in Charming, had a run in with Gemma and a skateboard."

"Jesus Christ."

"She say anything about pressing charges?"

"She didn't say anything to me and nothing in her charts about holding her for a police interview. What are you going to do with her?"

Juice shrugged "Get her to not press charges. Send her back to Indian Hills. Too much shit going on for sweet butt drama. Clubhouse got raided."

"Shit, what for?"

"Not really sure they took Clay in though."

Charlotte showered and changed quickly, wanting to go to the club house and check on Jax. Her hair was still wet when she walked out of the doors of St Thomas to go to her car. Charlotte saw Jax's bike first before she saw him standing nearby lighting a cigarette. "Hey are you okay?" She asked when she got closer to him. "Juice said the clubhouse was raided?"

"I'm fine, Clay got picked up on some bullshit charge just some Fed with a pissing contest."

"What are you doing here?"

"Came by to see Abel, you headed home?"

"Yeah, you coming over?"

"I'll be over in a little bit, ran into Tara, asked for a ride home."

"Why?"

"Said she had a long day didn't feel like driving."

"I can give her a ride home you don't have to wait around if you need to get back."

"Nah, it's fine you go home sit down relax, I'll drop her off and be over."

A little twinge of jealousy rose in the back of Charlotte's mind remembering Gemma's words. When she saw Tara exit through the doors, she grabbed Jax by his Kutte and pulled him to her, her lips going to his. She gave him a heated kiss, one that couldn't be construed as just a friendly peck. While he returned the kiss his arms didn't pull her into him as they usually did. When she pulled away from him, he gave her a quizzical look and asked. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just worried about you."

"I'm fine darlin just head on home."

Charlotte relented and went to her car watching as Tara got on the back of Jax's bike with ease and familiarity. It was later than she'd expected when Jax finally came through her door. She was standing in the kitchen cleaning up dishes when he found her. He'd taken off his kutte hanging it over the back of one of her kitchen chairs. She turned around facing him, her back leaning into the countertop. Drying her hands, she asked "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's good."

"You took your time getting here."

"Is that a question or a statement?" He asked.

"An observation I guess unless you have an answer to a question?"

"What gives Charlotte, the kiss at the hospital, you tracking my time?"

"What, I can't kiss you!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Or I just can't kiss you in front of Tara?"

"This has nothing to do with Tara."

"Really, you tell Tara about us, about me being pregnant?"

"No!" He shouted "I didn't tell her because she doesn't need to know. I gave her a ride home Charlotte, she's not part of my life. She's an old friend, that's it. Are you jealous of Tara?"

"No!" Charlotte said in disgust even though that's what was running through her mind.

"Then what the hell is the problem, you're the one that doesn't want anything more official than what we have. You told me you didn't want to be an old lady, didn't want that responsibility. If you're changing the terms sweetheart, you gotta tell me."

"No, I'm not changing the terms." She said, then huffed out "Goddamn Gemma."

"What's my Mom have to do with this?"

"She got in my head, told me I needed to stake my claim on you make sure you didn't get back together with Tara. I'm so stupid she was just using me as a pawn to make sure that didn't happen."

"What'd she say?"

"That if you and Tara got back together and when this baby is born, you'd want your kids together. And I'd be pushed out like Wendy, you'd take my baby from me."

"Jesus Christ Charlotte." He said as he went to her, wrapping her in his arms, but keeping them apart enough to have eye contact with her. "No matter what happens between me and you, I'd never do that. And stop listing to Gemma. And don't sit and stew with something like this you should have just asked me. Charlotte, no lies, no drama, simpler life right?"

Charlotte snuggled into his embrace "Right, simpler life. I'm sorry I should have just come to you."