The Charming town council and Saint Thomas hospital board brought the idea of re-establishing the annual Charming carnival, Fun Town. The proceeds would go towards the children's ward and cancer center. Of course there would be extra security measure in place, double and triple checking backgrounds of the company that would provide the games and rides. A few small businesses were approached about sponsoring prizes and prize packages for a silent auction. Teller-Morrow offered a gift certificates good towards a free oil change, tune-up, tire rotation, inspection, and fluids check. They even donated a custom bike that would be designed and created by the Golden Son himself, Jackson Teller. The drug store offered a gift certificate to purchase whatever you wanted, excluding prescriptions. Other businesses offered the services they provided.
Tara also suggested to the board that they could do a charity toy motorcycle ride too. She suggested that if any of the staff wanted to ride, she would partner everyone up. She would follow them in her SUV. Even if you weren't a Son and had your own bike, you could ride with them.
Jax called Cross and Alvarez to set up a meeting so Tara could also ask the Grim Bastards and the Mayans if they would participate in the drive. "I know you guys don't normally do this kind of charity work," she smiled at them knowingly, "but just think about the kids in these medical units. Some of their parents can barely afford to feed them, let alone keep them up in a hospital room or even afford a simple toy that can make their day." She stopped and looked at the presidents and VPs of some of the most feared gangs in California, "And it's not like I haven't helped any of you out before….." she added pointedly.
"She don't play fair Teller," Alvarez said.
"I wouldn't know what to do with her if she did," Jax smiled running his hand up and down her back protectively yet lovingly. Tara smirked proudly as Jax kissed the side of her face
"Ya didn't have to get mean, Doc," Cross smiled at her, "You had me at 'kids' and 'toy'. Just tell us when and where. And I promise, none of my guys will start shit."
"So we're rolling from Oakland to Charming?" Alvarez asked. "You've got some cajones, Doc. Trying to get these crews to work together.."
"I'll take that as a yes?" Tara asked.
"Si," Alvarez agreed, "I've got to respect a woman like you,7\
who has been through all this shit and you still want us all to work together."
Next all she had to do was convince the board and town council that it would all be okay:
"I promise you, if I thought any of these events I am suggesting would be in any danger from any of the groups I am asking, I wouldn't even suggest it. I know this sounds very cliché, but I just ask that you give these men a chance. They are all very rough and tumble, and can be very scary at times, but they are all the best men I have ever known."
"Tara Knowles?"
Tara and Lyla were seated under one of the concession stand tents, out of the heat and bright sun, but across from the dunk tank. They were enjoying watching and laughing as the notable 'figures' of Charming volunteered to be dunked into water for charity. $5 for 7 softballs to aim at a bright red target that was connected to a wooden slab that dropped when the targeted was hit. Each proudly sporting 'Woman of Mayhem' tank tops. A reaper and scythe in black and white with a red rose curling over the top of the reaper in the center, and the words 'Woman of Mayhem' on a red banner across the shoulders on the back.
Tara stiffened looking over to the voice cautiously, the last time someone called her name she got the shock of her life. And it was not a good shock. Lyla sat next to her, trying to read her anxiety level, seeing if the stranger was friend or foe. Rat Boy, Tara's ever present 'body guard', moved to push his chair back, clearing his throat to get Tara's attention. She didn't feel threatened by this guy, so she smiled and waved him off. He sat back down but stayed on guard just in case. Brooke, who sat next to him, looked at the stranger timidly.
"Wow! You look really good," he stated, his eyes moving over her.
"Ugh, thanks. So do you….." Tara tried to figure out who this was. He looked to be about her and Jax's age.
"Well this is embarrassing," the man smiled shyly, realizing she had no idea who he was, "Terry Smith," he gestured to himself, "We had Honors Algebra and Chemistry together."
"Right, right," Tara smiled. She thought she remembered him now. He was a geeky kid who really didn't have many social skills yet. Didn't really know how to hold conversations. Attempted to ask her to one of the school dances in their junior year. She declined kindly before Jax came up to them, slung his arm over her shoulder, publicly claiming her as his, not for the first time. "How have you been?"
"I've been good. Just checking out the old 'Fun Town' event," he air quoted before, he pulled the chair across the table from her out and just sat down. Without an invitation. "So what are you up to now? You wanted to be a doctor right?"
"Yep," she squinted her eyes at him. Had she really been that open about her hopes and dreams to any other than Jax or Donna? Most people knew she was the sad, lonely, only child of the widower town drunk, who ended up falling into bed with, literally, the schools bad boy thug.
"That's great," he smiled at her widely, "You started seeing Teller, right? I wonder what ever happened to that guy," he said it so casually that Tara and Lyla looked at each other. Did he not notice the guy who just moved to protect her if needed? Not see the shirts they wore?
"He's actually a family and business-man now," Tara defended her man.
"He was a cocky asshole," he snorted, continuing to speak out loud as if Tara hadn't said anything, "Probably in prison for armed robbery or something…."
It was clear that he had no idea that Tara and Jax were married. "What it is you do now Terry?"
"I ugh," he began to stutter, "day laborer at one of the tool and die shops in Lodi."
"Well that is a normal job to have," Tara smiled politely at him. "From what I know Teller can still be cocky and an asshole at times."
"Yet you married me anyway…" Jax said coming up on them, each of his sons holding a hand. Then they were being flanked by Bobby, Chibbs, Tig, Opie and Happy. Opie's children were also in the mix. The grouped looked quite the sight. All these bad ass looking bikers with 5 children from the ages of 2 to 11, and each of the Club members with stuffed animals and blow up figures that they had won for the kids.
"You know I only married you for your body, baby," Tara retorted easily, a beautiful smile gracing her lips as she saw her family.
"You're not telling me anything I didn't already know, babe," he winked at her teasingly. Ripping off his shirt to prepare for the dunk booth next, he revealed his impressive physique that not many saw. All the tattoos that adorned his body. The massive Sons mural on his back and Abel's name on his chest. And the newest edition to his body art. The name Tara had been etched in a beautiful cursive scrawl across his skin just above the waist line of his low slung jeans. He bent down placing several chaste kisses to her lips, then a few more on her forehead, "I love you, babe," he rumbled clearly enough for the whole area to hear him. But that fact was nothing new to anyone around them, except for Terry.
"Momma look!" Abel screeched as he clamored to sit in the chair next to her. He had a stick full of cotton candy he was gnawing on.
"Mama!" Thomas mimicked Abel, attempting to sit in the same chair as him. She picked him up and set him on her knee.
"I see baby!" Tara smiled cheerily at her oldest. "Jax they don't need all these toys." Tara chastised Jax.
"I can spoil my kids if I want, babe. Besides the boys are donating them to the toy drive, aren't ya kids?" he asked his sons.
"Yes daddy!" Abel agreed.
Laying his hand on her rounded belly, he kissed her head a few more times, "I'm gonna spoil princess here too, when she gets here," he promised.
Tilting her head back to look up at him, she smiled sweetly, moving her hand up to stroke his bread between her fingers, "Love you baby." After the shit that went down between them more than a year ago, she promised herself that she would share her love for Jax whenever the opportunity presented itself. The pain she saw in his eyes when she denied herself, and ultimately him, those three precious words is something she will never forget.
Smiling that brilliant smile that lit up his face, he dipped down and kissed her one more time, because she was his wife and he could do that. They were still dealing with that fucker Kohn, but days like today, a day when she was smiling beautifully at him, they had their friends and family around them, he couldn't help but feel extremely blessed. If Kohn did make another move, he would be dealt with like his brother had. Only this time it would be very intentional.
"But I'm a cocky asshole huh?" he teased her.
"Oh shit…" Tara gasped, as she forgot that she had been talking to someone when the Club came up.
"Jax Teller this is Terry Smith. Terry you remember my husband, Jax," she gestured between the two.
Terry just looked at him. Jax Teller had definitely grown into his body. Gotten bigger, taller, more intimidating. He wore the same leather vest that he wore in school. Dressed the same.
"Didn't we go to school with you?" Opie asked. He had been looking the guy over.
"Holy shit! Opie?" Terry eyed Opie.
Bobbing his head in reply, "Yep."
"I can't believe you all still hang around together…" Terry said, "Or that you two got married. I thought you were more than a Croweater, Knowles."
Jax stopped smiling and looked at Terry, squaring up from the position he was in to face him. Tig, Happy, Opie and Chibbs all looked at Terry too. "Did you really just insult my wife in front of me?"
Rat Boy and Bobby went to move the kids, Tara and Lyla out of the line of fire, but Tara brushed them off, "Thank you for supporting our cause, but it's time for my husband to sit in the dunk tank," she walked over to Jax and placed one of her hands on his bare chest, "If you want to dunk the cocky asshole, it'll cost you $5 for 7 tries. There is a silent auction to bid on donated items in that tent over there," she pointed to the tent. Grabbing ahold of Jax's hand, she tugged him along behind her, "Now if you'll excuse us, we have better things to do."