Chapter 9

Tara started packing away her personal belongings. It felt wrong. She loved her job her career and she almost lost that because of the club once before but now her fate had been sealed. Oregon had pulled their offer, not surprising, who would want to hire her now she was arrested as an accessory to murder? but it didn't change the fact that it hurt. That offer was her escape and with that gone she felt trapped.

She had always trusted Jax, had run to him when her life was hitting an impossible point and he had protected her in ways Tara had not expected. Kohn was his first kill like that. He had confessed to that her but all Tara knew was that she loved him and he had saved her. Over the years however she had witnessed how the pull for the club became stronger and each day Jax fell deeper into the club and into the darkness that the club brought. And with that Jax had changed.

He had promised her again only this morning that he had a plan and he was going to get the club legit but Tara couldn't help but feel that those promises were just going to be broken like all the others. She needed to protect her sons, protect herself and she knew that she had to be the one to do this, she needed to continue with her plan of getting them out of Charming.

Her thoughts were interpreted with a knock on the door, Tara smiled when she saw Margaret. She had been expecting her.

"Hey thanks for stopping by."

"Of course. I saw the boys downstairs. They looked happy, bet they're glad to have their mother home."

Tara smiled a genuine smile for once. "Yeah they're doing good."

Margaret hated seeing Tara like this. She was a young and very talented doctor who just happened to fall in love with the wrong man, or rather a man that was involved in the wrong life. Margaret had judged initially but over the years she had witnessed the love between the two, but Margaret hated how the life was effecting Tara. This being proved by her recent imprisonment and the loss of the Oregon offer. Margaret really thought that this would be it for Tara, a break out of the life.

"I'm sorry about Oregon."

"Thank you."

"Tara I know you love hi..."

"I need you to do me a favour" Tara snapped before Margaret could finish. Tara didn't need to hear that not today.

"Of course anything." Margert spoke letting her last words die in her mouth and moving closer towards her friend.

"I need some blood work doing, confidentially."

"Are you ok?"

"I need a pregnancy test."

Jax looked through the window at Nicole who was sat out on the porch. He hadn't expected his mother to come here, let alone Nicole but hell he didn't expect a lot of things that had happened today.

He looked over his shoulder. Gemma was sat by Nero watching as Happy dealt with the body of Nero's cousin. Juice and Chibs were in the back room tying down and gagging the girl as she was hysterical.

He wiped a hand over his face before turning back to the window to look at his cousin. Happy had come to him asking for a leave so he could take Nicole home but Jax couldn't let him go. They had a dealer coming at any time and Jax needed the place clean. So that was how it was Nicole was sat outside away from everyone.

It felt strange the place he was in currently with her but there were good reasons for the distance he had created, but seeing her sat outside for some reason all he saw was his 15 year old cousin who he was responsible for.

Nicole hadn't touched the coffee Chibs had made her knowing it was laced with Whiskey for the shock she presumed but she did enjoy the warmth that it gave her as she wrapped her hands around the mug.

Today had not gone as she had expected, she was confused. Nicole looked over her shoulder when she heard the door open. Jax. He looked tired and she watched as he took a heavy seat beside her.

A silence hung between them as Nicole's eyes returned to Tig who was cleaning Gemma's car. Happy had told her that clean up needed to happen before he could get her out of there, it wasn't ideal but Nicole knew that Happy had to his job.

"The girl, it was her kid?" Jax looked to Nicole as she broke the silence. "Happy told me." Nicole spoke again this time meeting her cousins gaze.

Jax nodded. He knew that there was a full disclosure between Happy and his cousin and he couldn't say anything, he had to respect that and if anything in the past he had definitely over shared with his cousin.

"I take it this wasn't part of the plan?" Nicole continued. Jax just shook his head. "What happens now? "

"We get you home."

"Jax..."

"You shouldn't be caught up in this." He spoke getting back to his feet. Nicole was grateful in a way because this situation was feeling a little to close to home and she imagined it had something to do with the little life she was growing inside of her. But as much as this hit home there was a something that was closer.

"What Gemma said..." She watched him frown. "About Clay about the sorrow he's spilling. I can't see him Jay you know that right." Jax nodded before dropping a kiss onto the top of her head.

"I'll handle Clay."

As Jax went to walk inside he stopped when he heard another vehicle approaching. Looking around he he saw a Black truck pull up. The dealers. He looked back at Nicole. He wanted to send her inside but currently they were disposing of a dead body and had a girl tied and gagged to the bed. So instead he took off down the steps of the cabin.

"Stay here." Jax ordered sparing a look over his shoulder at his cousin. "Watch her." This time his order was directed to Tig.

Nicole got to her feet slowly just as Chibs came rushing out the cabin, he gave her a quick wink before rushing to follow Jax. Nicole didn't miss the fact that Tig had stopped cleaning the car and was now approaching her.

"Who are they?" She asked as Tig made his way to her.

"No one dollface." Tig tried to usher to sit back down as he knew that her view would be obstructed but of course Nicole had different ideas and she stepped around Tig and that was when she saw the exchange.

Both her and Tigs attention were drawn to the door behind them as it opened. "Drugs." She spoke looking at Happy. She had seen enough and been part of enough drug deals to know one. She moved closer to Happy. "I'm not doing this."

"She needs to be balanced out that's it." Happy spoke truthfully but he knew that her mind was probably flashing back to the whole Wendy thing.

"You don't believe that anymore than I do." Nicole ran her hand through her hair. She didn't agree with any of this. She thought the woman was a Physo but she was just a grieving mother and she was an addict and now it seemed that her family was using that and getting her drugs and she guessed it was to keep her out of it but Nicole also knew that these situations could quickly escalate. She shook her head before turning on her heels and heading down the steps of the cabin.

Happy quickly followed her. It didn't take him many strides to catch her, he reached out grabbing her arm causing her to spin round and face him. But his eye left hers for a moment when he realised that this little scene had caught the attention of their guests. As his eye locked with his president he nodded and guided Nicole away from view. She didn't fight as it seemed that she too had clocked onto the fact that they had gained more attention.

"I can't be here Hap."

"I know."

Happy waited and watched the exchange. When Jax broke away and headed back towards the cabin Happy approached him.

"Need to head out now." He watched Jax's eyes move over his shoulder to Nicole for the briefest moment before returning to his.

"But..."

"I can finish up inside." Tig spoke cutting in.

Jax looked back at Nicole again. "Ok. But we'll need you back here brother."

"I'll drop her off and then I'll back." Jax nodded, they embraced each other before parting ways. Happy turned to Nicole and motioned her over, she was by his side in a second before he led her to his bike.

Juice scrubbed his hands again and again. This was different and it didn't sit right with him.

After Nicole had left Jax had approached him. He wanted him to give Darvany the drugs given that she was currently tied to the bed, but what Jax didn't say in front on everyone and just to him was the club needed her to be silenced.

Juice knew that if he wanted back in the club that he had to do what ever Jax wanted, Jax had basically told him that, and Juice understood this because he had fucked up.

He took the brick, killed a brother, got Nicole caught up in that, almost aided the RICO case against the Sons, sided with Clay until Jax given him an ultimatum. If he wanted to be back in the brotherhood then he had to do what Jax said. So far that had led him to double crossing Clay, allowing a beat down from another brother which he was still carrying the bruises from and now killing an innocent woman. And that was why he scrubbing at his hands. That was a difficult kill. He had killed before but not like this.

Juice was struggling. He needed to scrub away the death.

Jax opened the door to his house, it was quiet apart from the slow hmmm of music in the background.

He was glad for the quiet. Today had been a day. He had made decisions today that he had not intended to, but it was needed. Arcadio was dead and after the stunt his old lady played today it left him with no choice she needed to be silenced. He couldn't do it himself so he lent on Juice. He owed the club at that act was the start.

Hearing a noise Jax made his way to the kitchen where he found Tara loading the dishwasher.

"Hey."

Tara turned around when he spoke. She had heard him enter but she needed to take a minute. She smiled as he approached, her hand reaching out to his. She went to him as he pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm glad your home babe."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry I was gone all day." Jax whispered into her hair. He pulled back his hand running through her new shorter locks. "I like this."

"Thank you." Tara smiled "So was everything ok today?"

"Nothing I can't handle babe. How about your day?"

"Quiet Mom day." Tara answered simply even though it wasn't the truth.

He nodded and Tara was caught off guard when he lent in and kissed her. She loved him, she had loved him since she was 16 but there was more at steak now and with that she kissed him back before taking his hand and leading him back to their bedroom.