CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. Not sure when I'll update again, spent hours at the ER last night with chest pain, turns out it's gall stones but more doc apps today.

The first people back for dinner are Al and Cam; unsurprisingly both of them arrive on the back of bikes. Cam shakes her head and waves a finger at me as I take the helmets and drop them all on the bed "Not a word. And he told me you want him to go with us for the trial. Why?"

Pushing the door closed I sit on the edge of the bed "Cause I'm terrified Cammy. Completely thought freezing, blood dehydrating, palms sweating, hyperventilation imminently terrified of what's going to happen. I know it still seems strange but these guys, all of them, calm me down with just their presence."

Cam sits down beside me "I know they do S, I think if you had your way you'd take the whole charter?"

I shake my head "No, they still have jobs to do here. I haven't even talked to Clay about it yet, I don't know if he'll give the ok. I know that Jax and Ope already have told him they're coming regardless. I'm not sure about Juice, and I don't know if Hap can."

Cam slides her arm around my shoulders "You asked him. He'll be there. You know that Clay, your Uncle Clay won't say no to you. And if he did then Gemma would have something to say."

I giggle, nodding against her shoulder "I know. But Jax knows what we're going to face, I just don't know if he realises how scared I am of it all."

"Why are you scared?" Cam asks rubbing my shoulder softly.

"There are too many things to list." I shake my head, "I guess the main ones would be the media circus, the lies that are bound to come out, the knowledge that I won't be able to walk more than 5 feet without someone shoving a microphone or a camera in my face."

Cam bites her and looks over at me, before she even opens her mouth I can see the guilt spreading across her features. I lift my eyebrow and she holds up her hands in surrender.

"I have a confession, or three, to make."

"What?"

Cam swallows, pulling far enough back so she can look at me "Daddy and I talked about the media shit storm. He's arranged security for you when you're going to the courthouse. He knows that the likelihood is that Jax won't leave your side at all so he's worked that in. We're also not staying at the house."

"Huh?" I frown at her, my brain trying to work out what she means, the words aren't foreign but the concept is.

"We're not staying at the house; well not while the trial is going on anyway. Daddy talked to Charlotte and she thinks it'll only be 2 days, 3 at most so we're staying in town." Cam spends a second looking at me "I know what you're thinking right now."

I snort "Really, cause help me out then cause I don't know what I'm thinking."

Cam giggles and grabs my hand "I have known since you were told that this bullshit would have to go to court that you're panicking about it. Coming back home helped a little, but I still know that you're stressed. Daddy does too. I may have told him." My eyes narrow at her but she shrugs in a completely unapologetic way "It was his idea to stay in town, that way you don't have the huge drive in and out each day to stress even more. It's up to you if you want to walk each day or use a car but Daddy has arranged a room for Joe as well so he'll be your driver while we're there."

"Where are we staying?" I'm not sure at this stage if I should be upset or not, but knowing Cam and Derek have organised this for me does calm me down.

"At the Mulberry. It's like 5 minute's walk from the courthouse. We've got 2 double rooms, a single room and a suite. Daddy and Trish are staying there in the suite obviously. The single room is for Joe and the two doubles are for the rest of us."

"The rest of us?"

Cam nods "Yep, you and Jax, Donna and Opie in one room. Al and Juice can share with me."

"And Happy." I reply with a laugh, ducking out the door before she can say anything.

Cam follows me through to the kitchen "Yeah, and him if you ask your Uncle."

Gemma looks up from the French stick she was slicing "What do you need to ask Jacob about?"

I shake my head, laughing "Not that uncle. I need to ask Clay something. He around?"

Gemma shakes her head "He's still on his way. Start taking salads out. Ope and Jax are setting the grill up in the yard. It only barely fitted through the gate."

Saluting I open the fridge, setting the four huge bowls of salad on the table, pulling the bags of meat out I drop them in the sink to let them come back to room temperature. Al and Donna come through the back door heading straight for us. The four of us take the bowls out and then return to the kitchen.

The next 35 minutes are further proof of why Gemma gets compared to a Drill Sargent when it comes to party planning, none of us get more than a second of peace but at the end of the time the food is all set out, the meat is set up by the grill, the chairs are all around the tables and the tables are laid with cutlery and glasses, the plates piled on one end of the buffet table. Bobby's chilli is bubbling lightly, the smell of onions, garlic and spices permeating the air.

The rumble of bikes arriving makes Gemma stand up a little straighter and peer out the back door again "I guess we're as ready as we're gonna get."

I narrow my eyes at her and slip my arm around her waist "Why are you so worried Gem?"

Gemma looks down at me, blinking rapidly "I have to talk to you later about something. But it can wait."

I shake my head "Nope. Before I start stressing what's up?"

Clay steps through the front door, Gemma's eyes lifting to his face. "I guess now is as good a time as any. Donna, would you please get my son and your husband started on the cooking. Clay and I need to talk to Sarah."

I swallow heavily and follow the pair of them down the hall, wondering what has happened now.

Pushing the door of the spare room closed behind us Gemma turns around and laughs "Stop looking like you're going to your death. It's nothing major."

Clay looks between us, leaning against the wall "What?"

I glance at Gemma "Seeing your both here I'll ask Clay what I need first if that's okay?" Gemma nods and I manage a half-smile "I want to steal another Son for the trial."

Clay frowns "Who and why?"

"Happy cause I would feel safer with him there." Stepping up beside him I rest my hand on his elbow "It's going to be a circus Uncle Clay. I don't know how much of one but if the bail hearing is anything to go by then it really is going to be insanity."

Clay looks over at me, his eyes icy hard "Are you sure you don't want me and Gem to come too?"

I nod "Yeah, you guys are needed here. Juice and Ope don't have to be there but I'd really like it if Jax could come."

Clay chuckles, resting his huge hand over mine and picking it up, squeezing my fingers lightly "If you want them all they'll be there, I will send every Son from all the Charters if you need it."

Swallowing tightly against the tears that suddenly spring into my eyes I shake my head "No, just Hap and Jax."

Gemma snorts "And Ope and Juice."

Clay nods "We're not sending three Old Ladies out of state with only 2 Sons."

I hug him tightly, my arms wrapped around his neck squeezing till he pats my back. "Now that I've agreed to that I have a bit of a bombshell to drop on you."

"Fuck." I whisper pulling backwards so I can look at his face, reading the slight tension around his eyes "What?"

"We have to move the reception baby." Gemma says, moving to the other side of me and picking up my other hand.

"Why? What's wrong with Elliot's place?" My eyes are darting between the two of them until Gemma lifts her hands and holds my face in place.

"There is nothing wrong with Oswald's farm. It's a logistics thing though." She says, her eyes flicking to Clay over my shoulder "You're the one that needs to tell her."

"Okay Gem. I'll tell her, you go check your party. We'll be out soon."

Gemma leaves the room, the door clicking firmly closed behind her.

"So the reception I didn't really want being moved from Elliot's. Where is it going? And why?" I arch my eyebrow and wait, the answer coming in a split explanation, the first part making no sense till the second bit of information is dropped on me.

"It's being moved to the Wahewa reserve, they have their own law enforcement, Charming PD has no jurisdiction." Clay pats my hand lightly watching the confusion in my eyes for a second, a smile twitching his mouth "The kings are coming."

"What?!" My mouth drops open and I know my eyes look like dinner plates.

"They found out about Jax getting married and the reception, well when they found out it was my niece he married they decided that 2 of them will be coming over." Clay walks over and opens the door "Nothing else is changing other than the location, oh, and your mother-in-law wants you to re-do your vows."

Follow him out into the hall "Wanna repeat that last bit please?" I call to his retreating back.

He shakes his head "Nah pumpkin. You need to ask Gem about that."

Clay disappears out the back door before I can ask him anything else. Following him through the now empty kitchen I make my way towards Gemma and crouch beside her "Why did your husband just tell me you want your son and I do re-do our vows?"

Gemma glares at Clay, her eyes softening when she looks back at me "I missed it baby."

I sigh, leaning my head against her arm "Okay."

"What?" Gemma almost whispers "You'll let me organise it?"

I nod, my forehead not leaving the material of her jacket "Yes, I'll convince Jax of it but I have three conditions."

"Anything."

Pulling my head back I look up at her, the huge smile on her face makes me snicker "First condition, I get to decide what I'm wearing."

Gemma nods "Of course, you can pick what your girls wear too."

"My girls?" I frown, looking down at my chest "They'll be wearing what I wear."

Gemma laughs at me, her eyes sparkling "I meant Donna, Al, Cam, Lyla and Cherry. You know, your girls. The ones you've taken under your wing to teach them everything they need to know about this Life." I snort and Gemma shakes her head "Don't do that. You teaching them what they need to know is a good thing. God knows I don't have the patients to train a whole lot of new Old Ladies. Now what are your other conditions?"

"I know you're going to do a gift idea list. Talk to 'my girls' about what I want. Cash is always acceptable, but not really needed." Gemma chuckles nodding "And my last condition is that I get to pick what you wear."

Gemma frowns at that one, humming for a minute "Only because I know you won't dress me in some granny outfit I'll let you."

Hugging her again I stand up "Of course I won't Grandma."

Gemma swats at me as I dart around the table to the grill which was set up right by the backdoor. Kissing Jax lightly on the cheek I quietly whisper the change in location, slightly surprised when he nods "I know. Clay told us, but asked that I leave it for him to tell you Darlin'."

Sighing I lean into his arms "Did he also tell you your mother wants us to re-do our vows?"

Jax shakes his head looking down at me quickly "What did you say?"

"I told her we would on some conditions, which she agreed to. So looks like we get another wedding."

Jax smirks at me "You know that means another wedding night?"

"I know." I whisper, stretching up and pressing my lips to his.

Jax's laugh echoes through the garden, picking me up and swinging me in a circle before setting me back on my feet with a grin "We'll be ready to eat in 10 minutes."