CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. I'm not going to go into great detail of the rally, cause I've never been to one so I'm going over some highlights, the things I think that Sarah would want to see, and the things they would be dragged to. Sorry updates may be a little erratic at the moment, I'm still having a lot of problems with my health. Off to see the surgeon today, but out of the last four weeks I've been off work three...one would think that would be conductive to writing, but it's not.

Before I know it we're into the last 2 days of the rally. The past days having flown by faster than I would have expected. The midget bowling we'd watched still makes me cringe a little, Happy had insisted that we go and take photos for Tig. The Motodome made both Donna and I shudder when the guy ended up upside down, Opie had commented that he'd like to give it a go which ended abruptly when Donna told him he'd be sleeping outside if he did.

Seeing Lynyrd Skynard, Collective Soul, Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Florida Georgia Line (which I'd had to make all sorts of promises to get Jax to come with me to), Train and The Pretty Reckless within the time had been a huge experience, each time I'd spotted a concert poster I'd turned my eyes to Jax and dropped my bottom lip till he agreed. All the Sons and wives had joined us at everything apart from FGL and Train, even though only three of them had heard of The Pretty Reckless they'd all been happy when they buckled to my insistence of coming.

With all that we'd still managed to watch Go-Go dancers, truck and tractor pulling, machine gun demos, which ironically Jax, Opie and Happy were the most enthusastic about, a roller derby that we'd ended up at every night to make up for the bikini contest we were taken past every day, which had only stopped on the 3rd to last day when someone asked if Donna and I were entering. Jax and Opie's glares could have melted the person where he stood but both of us shaking our heads emphatically had been good enough.

Jax hadn't even waited till the person was out of ear shot before pulling me to his chest and squeezing me "The only person who gets to see you in anything like that is me. You better not be thinking about something like that."

I snort in laughter "Baby you do realise that we're going to get a pool in the backyard eventually. I'm not going to be swimming in jeans and a t-shirt."

Jax nods "I know one piece suits like they used to wear with the shorts down to the knees are okay."

Donna starts laughing so hard she just about chokes on her breath "Oh Jax, you poor sad fool. I've seen her collection of bathing suits, most of them wouldn't cover more than a singlet."

Jax shudders then grins "You know I'm going to make you model them all for me before you wear them in front of anyone else."

I laugh at him, the expression on his face showing how much he thinks that will fly. Simply nodding and waiting till he goes back to talking to Opie about the Harley merchandise they're looking through I roll my eyes and Donna making her giggle.

Sliding my hand around Jax's back I kiss him lightly on the cheek "D and I are gonna go find coffee, want anything?"

Both of them shake their heads, fully immersed in some conversation that goes completely over my head. Donna and I walk slowly towards the food stalls, passing a few of the people we'd met during our time at the rally, smiling and nodding in greeting it takes us almost 20 minutes to get to the front of the line and order coffees, even though Jax and Opie had shaken their heads we end up getting them drinks as well. Picking our way back towards them they're not where we left them, instead finding them back in front of the stage where the bikini contest is in its 2nd to last day. Handing them their drinks Donna and I both turn around to leave again when Opie catches Donna's arm "Where ya going?"

She shrugs "I have space for maybe one more shirt for myself or something for the kids so I'm going to see if I can find something for them."

Opie nods, letting go of her arm leaning down and pressing a long kiss to her lips instead "Okay, we'll be here when you're done."

Donna and I leave again, both of us sending our eyes skywards as their masculine attention immediately goes back to the women on the stage clad in only bikini's and sky high heels.

Donna pulls me back to the Harley stand that Opie and Jax had been at and with barely a word pulls four of the swimsuits from the racks, passing two to me and keeping two for herself she grins at the guy behind the table taking the sales. Passing over the money she accepts the bag, shoving it into the bottom of the backpack I'd ended up with for the day. Checking the two she's passed me I swap one for another design before paying for them and passing them to her to shove in there as well without asking. As we're walking back towards the area where we'd left the guys I finally ask.

"What was that about?"

Donna snickers "I really have seen your collection of swim suits, those two aren't anything different then you've already got, however I haven't brought a new suit since the kids were a year old, I figured it was time."

I nod, following her back to the guys, who are clapping along with everyone else at the person who's been named the winner for the day, to move on to tomorrow and the last day of the rally.

"We ready to go?" Donna asks as she slips her way into Opie's arms with a smile.

Both of them nod, Jax dropping his arm around my neck "Did you sort out dinner tonight?"

I nod "Yes, we're using the last of the stuff we brought for tonight, Bonnie, Nancy and Rochelle, Kate & Stella are doing the cooking tonight. Then tomorrow I've booked for all of us to go to one of the places in town that Marty, the guy at reception, told us about. Apparently the 30 of us is half their capacity."

Jax laughs dragging me towards where the bikes were parked in a long row "And I bet you told them we'd be there all night too?"

I shake my head "Nope, but I did warn them that we'll probably be there for at least a couple of hours. Marty said they do the best Mexican food this side of Mexico."

Opie shakes his head "Nah, I'm pretty sure that you'd do the best S."

I hug him tightly "Thanks for that Ope, but Mexican never was something I did well. Italian, French, good old fashioned American I can do in my sleep. Something about Mexican food always stumped me."

Opie stops in his tracks looking down at me "You mean you're admitting defeat?"

I snort "Hardly, I'm admitting that I don't do it anywhere near as well as other people."

Jax laughs, grabbing my hand and tugging me to his side "Let's get outta here, before the masses."

All 30 of us end up around the huge fire pit that night, the burgers and hot dogs for dinner had used up the last of the supplies we'd brought apart from the bacon for breakfast the following morning which unfortunately D, Abby, Dani and I had ended up with cooking duty for. It's nearing midnight when the discussion turns to if we were going to repeat the trip the following year, for some reason everyone had turned to me and I'd thrown my hands up in the air laughing.

"Why am I getting asked? I didn't do much."

Scott, one of the patches from Moab laughs loudly, the sound echoing through the tree enclosed area "Didn't do much, you organised accommodation here, and on the way, co-ordinated 9 Charters, including your own. Not to mention the food, booze, events, parking."

Billy, the other patch from Moab raises his glass "Here here."

Suddenly everyone's cheers-ing me and thanking me for everything I did. Looking helplessly at Jax I try and find a break to let them know it actually only took me less than two hours to sort everything but Jax just shakes his head, leaning down to my ear "Enjoy it babe. Especially once the good reports come back to Clay and he decides that it should be a bigger event next year."

I sigh, nodding against his cheek, accepting the fact that if Clay does decide that it means that it'll be more work for me to organise, but between Al, Cherry, Lyla, D and I, plus Cam who will be moving to Charming at the end of her contract. She just hasn't admitted it to herself yet.

Donna squeezes my shoulder as she passes heading towards the cabin "8 to start breakfast?"

I nod, getting to my feet to follow her, leaning down to kiss Jax on the cheek lightly before we go. The sound of people moving behind us, the clunk of another log being put on the fire and chinking of bottles being passed around drift through the relative quiet. Turning to close the door behind us I giggle when I realise all the Old Ladies that made the trip have used our escape to leave themselves, the guys have moved the chairs closer to the fire and are settling in for at least another beer each by the looks of it.

Donna shakes her head, laughing "I guess we're going to be doing this again next year?"

I sigh, leaning against the door for a second "Certainly seems like it."

The last day of the rally starts the same as the rest of them; Donna and I are up early to make breakfast, Dani and Abby meeting us in the kitchen a little before 8. The multiple packs of bacon look funny coming out of the fridge until you start to think that we're cooking for 30 people. Using four entire loaves of bread in one meal, half plain and half toasted and 4 dozen eggs which are scrambled in one enormous pot. When everything is cooked the four of us fill plates for ourselves, leaving everything in the kitchen and ringing the huge bell hanging over the door that we'd made use of since our first meal. The cabin doors start creaking open while we all vanish again, taking our breakfasts back towards our beds.

Jax is propped up against the headboard when I come back in, a grin on his face and his phone at his ear "Yes Ma, she just came in. Do you want to talk to her?"

Jax holds his phone out to me and takes the plate from my hand while I slide back under the blankets. "Morning Gem." I say as Jax starts constructing two sandwiches on the plate.

"Morning baby, how are things?" Gemma sounds brightly awake for 8am on a Wednesday morning.

"I'm good, missing Abel, Doj, and all you guys, but this has been amazing." I reply, watching as Jax lifts one of the bacon and egg sandwiches he's made to his mouth, taking a huge bite and grinning at me around his food.

"I'm pretty sure Abel misses you too. Al's been bringing Doj to the compound every day while she's been working on those tattoos. I gotta say I'm impressed with her work."

I just about choke on thin air, Gemma doesn't give out compliments often, and regarding tattoo's while she's seen possibly hundreds she's never complimented any that I'm aware of, apart from the one for JT that covers Jax's forearm.

Gemma snickers in my sudden silence "I know exactly what you're thinking but that girl has those guys working to do what she wants before she even picks up the ink containers. You neglected to mention that that guy Terry was in love with her."

I shrug "Doesn't matter, she never liked him as more than a client. They aren't friends. She inks him and takes his money and refuses to go on dates with him. They've never had more than a business relationship."

"I know. You can tell looking at her when he follows her around that she wishes he'd leave her alone." Gemma says slowly "Personally I think Juice will be very glad when they all leave. Do you know when that is?"

"I think Al told me they were there till two days after we got back, so the 14th? The rally finishes today but we're staying tonight as well, then we'll be in Salt Lake tomorrow night and home the night after. I can't wait to be back in my own bed and see Abely." I say softly, suddenly realising how much I miss him.

Gemma laughs again "I get that, it's hard no matter how old they are."

I look over at Jax where he's just putting the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth, the smile he shoots at me making me smile back unconsciously "We'll be home the day after tomorrow, but I don't think we'll be anywhere near the lot the night we come back. We'll see you Sunday if you wanna bring Abel home then?"

"Sure thing. I'll won't bring him as soon as he wakes up so you don't have to get up too early, I'm sure you've been having late nights while you've been there."

I snort "Yeah you could say that. It's been 1 or 2 am before we get to sleep then awake again at 8 for breakfast."

"Well how bout we meet at Lumpy's for breakfast, say 9am?" Gemma asks. "As long as there's no more surprises."

I laugh, slapping Jax's hand away from my part of the breakfast with a frown "No, no more surprises. We'll see you at 9 on Sunday?"

"Sounds like a plan. Have a good last couple of nights." Gemma says, disconnecting the phone call.

Jax waits till I've passed his phone back to him and started eating my breakfast "So we're here tonight as well?"

Chewing while I nod I swallow before answering "Yeah, I decided to wait an extra night when I booked us in to let the bulk of the traffic leave tonight. That way also we don't have to leave until we want to tomorrow. We're booked at the same place in Salt Lake as we were coming up."

"And everything for the trip to New York is ready?" Jax asks, snickering when I scowl at him.

"Ask me when I'm done eating." It takes me 15 minutes to work through my breakfast, eventually pushing the plate towards Jax with a smile "I'm full, help yourself."

The 2 slices of bacon and bit of toast disappear quickly into his hand while I think about all the stuff coming up. "New York is probably ¾ sorted. I still have to confirm with Derek that he's added the extra room so that D and Ope have the kids with them and we have a room for us and Abel, but other than that and making sure Charlotte has everything sorted for the trial its okay. I have to double check that my car guy has the updated list of what's on the floor for when we're there at the beginning of next month but that's all till they start the reroofing of Sweets next month."

Jax nods pulling me to his side "That's enough. I want you to slow down a bit more babe. I know you have since you came home but I still think you're rushing through everything."

I start to shake my head then think over everything that's happened since I came back to Charming only 3 months back before sighing quietly. "Okay, I'll give. But you know that everything will settle down when the trial is over and the businesses are running."

Jax lifts an eyebrow "You hope."

I nod "Yeah, I hope. But the Irish transition is proving to be harder than you guys thought as well, and while I think about it, how is BV doing?"

Jax grins hugely, the webcam house had become his, Opie and Juice's pet project, every second he wasn't with me or at TM, he was at the house, knocking out walls, directing tradesmen and interviewing the girls Luann had suggested.

"It's good, it's all due to be finished in October. We've got 4 girls hired to be on staff from the beginning of October so they'll start moving all their stuff then. We're still looking for another 2 full time, and a couple to come in on weekends." Jax runs his hand over his face "We took your suggestion too."

"Which one?" I arch an eyebrow as there's a soft knock on the door "Come in, we're decent."

Donna snickers "Hardly." Jax and I sit up a little more, making space on the end of the bed for them to sit.

"We put up walls around the back half of the garage to make a 'dead space'. There are no cameras in there at all. None in the garage itself either."

Opie snorts "The girls were surprised when we told them what we were doing with that part. One of the ones that's moving over from another similar place said that she's never heard of it before."

Jax squeezes my hand "It's been good having you as a 'consultant' on all of this, that's what we've called you when discussing your ideas."

Donna looks between us, frowning slightly "What are you talking about?"

"The web house." Opie says, patting her hand "Bella Vista, BV, the porn expansion of the Sons, the cash cow, money maker that your dear best friend suggested the Club get into."

"Ohhh." Donna breaths out "And what's this about a dead space?"

Jax smiles hugely "Well because the whole house is wired for video and some for sound Sarah decided that the girls deserve to be able to at least have breaks. Because they're in the house all day every day under camera, including while they sleep, we've had some long discussions with the four we've already contracted and decided that they get 2 hours per day where they can spend in the camera free space. It's kinda like a break room. The only conditions we put on it is it's in 30 minute stretches."

"And they've been reminded that they can't bring in anything that gives away where the house is. Nothing related to California is able to come into the house. The off camera space will have a newspaper, and internet access for them to do what they want away from the cameras." Opie finishes "But it'll also have a phone so they can call their families, it's been separately run in."

My eyes widen "So what's still to be done?"

Jax shrugs "Wall linings, painting, carpets, the kitchen refit most of it is stuff salvaged from our old one. All the plumbing is done, the wiring is done, the cameras are all ready to be put up when the walls are done."

Looking over at Donna I leave Opie and Jax talking about the further stuff they still have to sort out "Can you let everyone know not to be in a hurry to pack, we're not due to check out till tomorrow morning."

Donna frowns again and I giggle, leaning forward and pressing down between her eyes "You'll get wrinkles. I booked us to stay here tonight as well so we miss the bulk of the traffic leaving today when the rally is done."

Donna nods "Okay. Opie, come help me tell everyone while these two get dressed." She glances over her shoulder at me "And we better collect those envelopes for Madam Muck over there who keeps forgetting to get her money back seeing we're in Sturgis where she was going to get it."

Jax frowns deeply at me and I shrug "Honestly I remember at the stupidest times when everyone is in different places or when I'm in bed." Jax cocks his head to the side, still frowning while I slide out of bed grumbling about Donna interfering, "It truly was on my list of things to do tonight baby." I say, tossing the clothes on the bed that I'd washed the day before.