Chapter 61: Authority Vested

A/N: I changed some stuff in this one from the show.

Bella POV

I'd passed out on the couch again. This time I woke up to someone banging on the front door. I got up and went to answer the door. "Sheriff." I said.

"Sorry to wake you Bella. We were hoping you might be able to tell us where we could find Jax Teller." Roosevelt said.

I leaned against the doorframe. "Does it look like I know where Jax is? Did you try, oh I don't his house?" I said.

Jax POV

"Yeah keep an eye out front." I said to Rat. "I want to know who's coming and going."

"You want anybody else up here?" Chibs asked me.

"Not yet. Keep trying Tig." I said.

"How long have you known this guy?" Bobby asked Gemma.

"Not long. I trust him." Gemma said.

Gemma introduced us to her new friend Nero. He led us to a private area so we could talk. "So, you guys can crash back here in our therapy rooms. No one'll bother you back there. There's a studio upstairs. You might be a little bit more comfortable. Just let me know if you need anything." Nero said.

"Thanks." Gemma said.

"Why you helping us? I don't know you, your crew." I said.

"I can vouch for him." Gemma said.

"I'm not asking you." I said.

"Let's just consider this networking, okay? Maybe at some point, you get to help me." Nero said.

"Yeah." I said.

"Hey." Chibs said. "Found Tig. The old Oakland rail yards, but we gotta go now."

"Shit. Okay, let's go." I said.

"They'll be looking for your bikes." Gemma said.

"Hey." Nero said. He tossed me a set of keys. "Blue pickup out back." I looked at him surprised. "You want a note from my priest?"

"Thanks." I said. We hopped in the truck and drove over to where Tig said he was. It didn't take long to find him.

"Tig?! Tiggy!" Chibs said trying to get his attention.

When I could see Tig, I couldn't believe the sight in front of me. He was sitting on the ground holding a burnt body. "Shit." I said. When I got closer I realized that it was Dawn. "Tig, I'm so sorry, brother."

"Oh man." Bobby said.

"Jesus. Mother of Christ." Chibs said.

"Pope…he burned her alive…right in front of me. Uh…he threatened to do the same to Bells and Fawn. Where are my girls?" Tig said.

"Bells is at home with Ope. She's safe." Bobby said. "We'll find Fawn."

"The cop. Is that you?" I asked.

"Yeah. He's on Pope's payroll. The other guy's a cleaner."

A little while later, Chibs approached me and Tara. "Hey. Got an address for Fawn." He said. "Oakland. Hamilton and Irving. 40 minutes from here. Juice has got our ride."

I nodded. "No, but the APB went wide." Tara said.

"Give me a minute." I said and Chibs walked away.

"Can't you let the other guys go?" She asked.

"I have to make sure that Fawn is okay and safe." I said.

"What about our kids? What happens if you're in jail for a long time again, Jax? You have sons." She said and I sighed. "Shit. I'm sorry. I'm really trying."

"I know." I said.

"Go. You're right. Help Tig. I'll call Ope and tell him to bring Bella up here. She's gonna wanna know." She said.

"I'll be fine. And thank you." I said.

"Okay." She said.

I started to turn around and leave when an idea hit me. I turned back to her. "Let's get married. Today." I said.

"Are you serious? I thought you wanted to…" She trailed off.

"I don't want to wait anymore. Whatever happens, Tara, I want you to be my wife." I said. "I always have."

Tara laughed. "Here…in a brothel…wanted for murder." She said.

"Hey…I'm all about the fairy tale, baby." I said.

"So much for romance." She said.

"Hey…I killed a Fed for you. Nothing says endless love like capital murder." I laughed.

"Well, I guess that's true. Who should I tell?" She asked.

"No one. Let's just do it. We'll do something for these knuckleheads later." I said.

"Jackie." Chibs said from the doorway. "We need to go."

"I'll make the arrangements." She said.

"I'll see you later." I said as I kissed her.

"Mm."

"Make an honest woman out of you." I said.

"Good luck."

Tig POV

We drove out to the address that we'd gotten for Fawn. When we pulled up there were three guys on the front porch. "Looking for Fawn Trager." I said when we walked up.

"Who's looking?" One of the guys said.

"Her father." I said.

"Come on in." He said.

He led us into the living room before he disappeared upstairs. A few minutes later, Fawn and two guys came back down. "What are you doing here?" She asked me.

"I had, I had to find you baby." I said. "You might be in trouble. There's a guy…there's a black guy…he wants to hurt me, my family."

"Why?" She asked. "What the hell did you do now?"

"Well…I-I just, you gotta get out of town for a while, please." I said.

"What about Dawn? Or Bella? You get them to leave? Or maybe you just paid them to go." She said. Then it hit her. "Oh shit. Where are they? Dad…"

"Bella is at home with her husband. She's safe."

"Where's Dawn? Where is she?" She asked. When she realized that Dawn was gone, she lost it. "I hate you!"

She started swinging at me trying to hit me. Her boyfriend held her back. Then the guys intervened. They took her upstairs leaving me and Jax with the boyfriend. "You care about her? Do you care about her?" Jax asked. When he nodded, Jax continued. "Well, then, man, you gotta pack a bag and you gotta get her out of town. All right? I'll tell you when it's safe to come back." The boyfriend nodded and then headed upstairs.

Clay POV

"Turn here." I said.

"Really? This is Opie's street. Now, it wasn't easy what you did yesterday. And all the guys are spun out by it all, but they all know the history between you and Piney. Nobody's gonna vote you out." Bobby said.

"Pull over." I said. He pulled the van over in front of Opie's house. His truck and Bella's car were in the driveway.

"You…you…Do they know you're coming by? I mean, I mean, you really think this is smart? He still might be pissed. Maybe you are, too." Bobby said.

"Me coming clean about Piney, the one guy who needed to hear it most wasn't at that table." I said. "Whatever happens, I'm good. I'm sorry I didn't give you…" I trailed off.

I climbed out of the van and made my way up to the front door. "I heard about the warrants if that's why you're here." Opie said.

"No, that's not it." I said.

"Then you'll have to excuse me. Bells and I were just about to leave." Opie said.

"You know, when you pulled that trigger, a part of me was relieved. It's an easier way to go out than dealing with this." I said.

"What the hell is this, Clay?" He asked.

"I told the club the truth. About me and your old man. History escalated. Kill or be killed." I said.

"That's your truth. If this is some kind of bullshit apology then…" He trailed off.

"No apology. I ain't that stupid. This is me telling you you're walking away from SAMCRO 'cause of your hatred for me. That's a mistake. I'm almost done. I'm half dead, for Christ's sake. Jax is at the head of the table now. It's your time. The guys are turning themselves in today." I said.

"They get protection inside?" He asked.

"I don't know. But I do know this. Whatever happens, Jax is gonna want you at that table. He needs you.

Opie POV

After Clay left I told Bella that I had something that I needed to take care of and gave her the address of where Tig would be. I knew that she was worried but this was something that I had to do.

I headed over to the studio where Lyla was working. She was the only one I could trust with this right now. "Can I talk to you?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Everything okay?"

"I think so. But I need your help." I said.

"Don't know what I can do but I'll try."

"Bells might need some help…with the kids. I have to go away for a while and I'm not sure how long I'm gonna be gone." I handed her an envelope. "There's 20 grand in here. Should take care of anything you need for them." I told her.

"What the hell is going on, Opie?" Lyla asked.

"If you can't or you don't want to, I can take them to my mom's. They like you and Piper. I'll explain it all when I get back."

Jax POV

"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie." Chibs said getting my attention.

I turned to see my mother making a beeline right for me. "Hey. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Messenger." She shoved an envelope at me. "Marriage license."

"Look, mom, I didn't plan it like this…" I said.

"Don't you insult me with an excuse. Where's Tara?" She asked.

"Will you leave her out of this? I was the one who told her not to tell anyone." I said.

Gemma had gone back to talk to Tara. After a few minutes, they both came out.

Tara and I took our places in front of the Judge. "Okay, we're here to join in legal matrimony, Jackson Nathaniel Teller and Tara Grace Knowles. You're both here of your own free will, intent on marriage?" The Judge said.

"Yes." Tara and I said at the same time.

"Do you, Tara, take Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." She said.

"And you, Jackson, do you take Tara to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Yes, I do." I said.

"Do you have rings?"

"No." I said.

"Yes." Tara said. I looked at her confused. "Gemma." She whispered.

"You can put them on if you want." The Judge said. "Anybody want to say anything?"

"Aye." Chibs said. He made his way over to us.

"Aw Jesus." I muttered.

"Excuse me. May the Lord hold you in his hand, and may he never close his fist too tight. Beannachd Dia dhuit (God bless you). I love you both." Chibs said.

"Lovely. By the power invested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Oh, the witnesses need to sign the license…and good luck." The judge said.

Tig POV

After Jax and Tara's ceremony, I grabbed Bella and pulled her into a corner. "Dad, what the hell is going on?" She asked me.

I quickly explained to her that after I'd dropped her and Opie at his house, that I'd gone after the Niners alone. Killing Veronica Pope and one of Laroy's guys in the process. I told her about Pope get one of his guys to lure me out to Oakland under the ruse that they'd picked Dawn up on a DUI.

"Where is she, Dad?" She asked me.

"She's gone sweetheart. Pope burned her alive. Then they tried to kill me." I told her.

"Oh Dad." She said throwing herself into my arms.

Jax POV

When we all made it back to the Clubhouse, Bobby and I were finalizing a few details. He'd be in charge until we got out. "You keep in touch with Romeo. Let Tara know what's going on. And you keep Clay close." I told him.

"No problem there. He's all broken, man." Bobby said.

"Yeah, I want to keep him that way." I said.

"Yes sir, Prez." Bobby said.

We all heard the sirens coming our way. We walked over to where Chibs and Tig were standing with the girls (Gemma, Tara, and Bella). "All right laddies. Our ride is here." Chibs said.

When the Sheriffs arrived they handcuffed us. They were loading us up when we all heard a bike. We could see Ope climb off his bike and approach the Sheriffs. "So you came to say goodbye." Roosevelt said.

"Yeah." Ope said.

The next thing we know he's punching a deputy and being thrown to the ground. "Don't move." The deputy said.

"You're still standing here? Get him out of here!" Roosevelt said.

Bella POV

What the hell?!

"What the hell is Opie doing?" Tara asked.

Gemma wrapped an arm around each of us. "He's staying close." She said.