Author Note: I know that I posted this before, but this is my third and final rewrite of the series, and I am really enjoying it, it is crossed posted here, Wattpad, ao3 and Tumblr. Tumblr is under roadtogracelandx45 for outtakes, mood boards, and what if Instagram posts.

Jackson Teller

Flashed on the screen of Ryder Winston-Teller's phone causing her to pick it up and silence it before she put it down on the desk again. For 4 months she had been ignoring his phone calls and text messages. Mostly out of spite, and mostly out of hurt. They hadn't been apart for long with her taking a temporary position at a law firm in Tacoma and the crow eaters had wasted no time trying to get into his bed and trying to replace her. One had succeeded, one she had thought was her friend but it wasn't. The phone rang again and she pressed the side button silencing it before it could ring again.

"You should talk to him." Herman Kozik commented from where he was sitting on the leather couch, Harley, Ryder's 2-year-old daughter with Jax was sitting on his lap watching a cartoon on the spare laptop. "Koz," She commented looking up from her own computer screen, "Mind your business."

"Can't sweetheart, that the mother charter's vp and you are his old lady. And it's kind of my business.'

She returned her gaze to the screen in front of her, she wanted to pop off at him again but it wouldn't do any good. She had made her displeasure of having a Son babysitter while she worked known. After a few seconds, Kozik's burner rang and he pulled it out. "Don't.' She said pointing her finger, "Kozik please."

"Hey VP, what's going on?" He said once he flipped his phone open, "I am right here with her."

Ryder had picked up a letter opener and pointed it at him in a silent threat.

The blonde man smirked, he knew that she wouldn't actually do anything to harm him, it was either him or Happy and a lot of the time she chose Kozik. He didn't scare people the way Happy did. He held out the phone to her, "talk to him, it won't kill you." "Might kill you." She whispered as she took the phone from him, "Yeah?" "Ry, you need to come home." It wasn't a statement, it was a demand.

"Why?" Kozik was now standing in front of her desk, her daughter on his hip clearly wanting to eavesdrop.

There was an angry sigh from the other end of the phone, he hated when Ryder got like this, not wanting to listen to him.

He supposed that he deserved it because of what happened when Wendy conned her way into their lives and into bed with Jax.

"Something happened to Wendy and the baby."

Ryder recoiled away from the phone, her green eyes full of tears. She had tried her hardest not to hear anything about Jax and Wendy, even forbidden Kozik and Bull to not talk about either one of them in her presence. "Wendy overdosed."

"Again?" She couldn't help it, she had known Wendy when she was in Charming and knew that the woman only ever cared about was chasing a high.

"She's dead." "Oh Jax," she started, "What about the baby?"

"He might not make it. Hole in his heart and stomach. I need you and Harley here."

"I can't just up and leave Jax, I have cases I am working on. I have clients."

It was a lousy line of defense and she knew it, but she had to try. "Ryder." Her husband started, "Please. I need you."

The situation must have been desperate if he was using please, he never did.

He never had to.

"Jax," She started softly, turning so she couldn't see Kozik or Harley, she knew if she looked at them she would say yes. She needed to hold strong to her resolve not to return to Charming and back into the ever-ending circle of fighting, drama, and anger. And not to mention there was Gemma, Jax's mother, she was there and meddling. And meddling in everything. It was exhausting, the whole life was exhausting, she just wasn't ready for that. And she wasn't ready for Harley to go through that. Harley deserved a semi-happy childhood.

"I can't. Not today." She finally said, "I have to be in court in the morning. This case I have is major and it's a big client." Kozik scoffed so loudly that Ryder turned back around and glared.

"Ry, this isn't something you can negotiate."

"Jackson, don't pull that I am your old man and you have to listen to me bullshit. It didn't work when we first got together and it's not gonna work now." Kozik's eyes went wide in surprise. In the time he had been a son and he only ever heard one lady say no and that was Jax's mother Gemma. He had met Ryder when she was about 6 and he just joined the mother charter, she was a spitfire then and if anything it was worse now especially since she had been in Tacoma and was living a life that wasn't dominated by the men in it.

The phone slamming down on the hard desktop startled Kozik out of his thoughts and turned to look at her. "I can't believe he is playing. I am his old lady, and what he says go card. Our relationship has never been like this. Ever." "Well kiddo, I hate to say but times are changin', and your relationship with Jax is gonna change." Kozik commented, "One day you will be in Gemma's place." Ryder glared at him, her hand curling around the pen she had in her hand, "I am never gonna be that woman."