David Hale wasn't surprised when he pulled alongside Jax's bike to offer his sympathies for what happened to Wendy and the baby and how Jax brushed it off and carried on like nothing happened just like he did the warehouse burning down.

"How does Ryder feel about all of this?" David knew it was a low blow bringing Ryder into this but normally the redhead made Jax see sense.

"Not any of your business Deputy Chief." The blonde biker retorted he had successfully avoided the subject of his wife and their mutual past with her. Mostly by avoiding the deputy by any means necessary. And it worked for the most part. But there are days like today where it can't be avoided.

"You forget Jax, that I loved her too." He started and was cut off quickly by Jax's hand slamming against the side of his jeep.

A silent threat hanging in the air between the two, either willing to back down. Especially when it came to Ryder.

"I don't mean any harm by it." He started holding his hand up, " just merely pointing out the truth." He knew that the best bet was to talk to Ryder and warn her to leave Charming again. They had all seen what happened last time both Ryder and Tara were in Charming and how they both fled to Tacoma and San Diego respectively and hadn't been back in Charming in years. "Think however you want, Chief." He was confident with the thought that at the end of the day, Ryder was still his old lady and he still would go home to her every night. And for once he didn't want to fuck this up.


Tara was almost thrilled that Ryder was nowhere to be seen when she went to have the papers for Abel's surgery signed. She could handle Gemma by herself for the most part but having to handle both Ryder and Gemma wasn't on the top of her list of things to do. She had escaped from Chicago and Kohn to come back to the safety of Charming and the hopes that she could finally steal Ryder away from her husband and be in the position that Ryder had been in since they were 17.

And she always got what she wanted no matter the cost to her.

"Gemma, I need you to sign these papers." She said holding out the clipboard to her, her tone and body posture fake.

"Have his mother sign the forms. She is right there.' Gemma tilted her head towards where Ryder was behind Tara, plastic to-go bags from Nicky's Diner and her briefcase in one hand and her cell phone in the other.

"She isn't his mother!"

"I signed the paperwork this morning saying differently and Margert Murphy just had me sign his birth certificate. I am his mother in every way that counts!" Ryder snapped back as Luanne took the bags from her, smirking, this was their Ryder slowly shining back through.

In her annoyance, Tara shoved the clipboard into Ryder's hands, a little harder than she should have. "Doctor, I would watch yourself if I was you." There was a veiled threat in her voice and Tara felt her heart drop down to her stomach and she wondered what kind of information Ryder could come up with.

"Ryder."

The redhead clicked her tongue in annoyance, "It's Mrs. Teller, I am his wife and the mother of his children. I have earned that right." Gemma and Luanne exchanged a proud smirk , this was the Ryder they knew and loved. "Now go save my son's life." "Yes, Mrs. Teller." The woman spat as she took the clipboard from Ryder.


His wife was the first person Jax saw when he entered the NICU, she was standing inside of the room, eyes intent on the baby.

"Babe? How is he?" Ryder turned at the sound of his voice and offered him a sad smile.

"He's good, she said it's looking good." He had crossed the space between them and pulled her into his arms.

"I had to arrange for Wendy to be taken to the funeral home, no one else came for her." Her voice came out muffled due to her face being buried in his bloody sweatshirt. "I could've handled it." He felt like a total tool for making her deal with his fuckups. But that was Ryder's lot in life being his old lady and cleaning up the messes he left behind.

"No, you wouldn't have. Did you, uh,see her after she died?"

"No." He answered, he had been too upset to even think about Wendy, his first thought was revenge then to talk to Opie. "She looked like a skeleton, you could see some of her bones and the blown out veins. Not to mention those god damn tracks. How can someone be so fucking selfish?"

Jax as always didn't have an answer. He was one of those selfish people and she was not afraid to mention it.

"What else is going on?" He asked, taking a step back to look at her closely. "Just in my feelings is all. Being here is bringing back so many memories. Good and bad. I don't want to talk about it." She said, wiping the sudden tears away. "Let's go back to the clubhouse, we both need a good night's sleep." Ryder nodded her head and wiped her cheeks off again this time brushing away blood. "Jesus Jax! Are you okay?" Her fingers making a desperate path over the kutte and dark hoodie making sure he wasn't hurt. "Long story babe, I'll explain it all when we get to the clubhouse." He was going to try and keep his promise to keep her in the loop as much as possible. He went to pull her out of the room with him but was stopped when Gemma showed up, her husband steps behind her. Out of pure hatred and uneasiness for the man, Ryder stepped back into her husband's embrace and hugged his waist. "Ryder, good to see you."

"Clay." She returned, as much as she was thankful for the club's help with her tuition for law school, she couldn't stand the president especially after he risked her life to get Intel on the Irish after McKeevey broke off from them. Jax nodded his head at his step father before leading his wife out of the room. The last thing they needed was a fight breaking out between the two, things would be said that one of them regretted and Ryder would leave back to Tacoma. Now that she was back, he was not going to let her go.