𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 - 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙮

Twenty-Four

Jax and Tara are laying in bed. It's early morning the next day. They're talking after a long night of making love.

"I think we should talk about some things, Jax."

"Yeah. We should talk about all the chick shit you decked out my house in."

"I'm sorry. Maxim posters and Harley mirrors aren't really my style. I wanna talk about the kids, Jax. About what we're gonna do-" Tara's interrupted by Thomas crying.

"Sounds like someone else wants a shot at those puppies."

"I'll get him." Unknown to Tara, when Jax brings Thomas into the bedroom, he gives Thomas a ring to hold onto. Jax waits for her reaction after he sits on the bed and acts causal.

"Oh, my God. It's beautiful. Are you-?"

"Yeah. We should get married." He tells her.

"Really? I mean, you want that?" Tara stares at the ring in her hand.

"I love you, Tara. I've loved you since I was 16. You stayed when anyone else would've bailed. You've given me a beautiful daughter, a son. Taken Abel on as your own."

"I love you too. So much, and I- I want all of that."

"But?"

"I just I know this is who you are, Jax, and I- I would never try to change that. The club, Charming. And I look at Thomas and Abel, and I- I think, "How does this work?" How?"

"How do they grow up in this?" She nods.

"They're not going to." Jax tells her.

"What do you mean?" Tara's confused.

"I realize you being with me is not some kind of accident. It sounds crazy but I think you were put into my life to get me out, Tara. Fifteen years ago. And now. I'm done with Samcro. We both know if I stay, I end up back in prison or dead."

"You say that because you just got out."

"No. I've been coming to this for a while. The bond that holds this club together isn't about love or brotherhood anymore. We lost that a long time ago. It's just fear and greed now."

"That's what your father said in his manuscript."

"Yeah. He wanted to get out. JT was a coward. He lost himself on Irish pussy and bailed on his family. Instead of writing about it, he should've done something. He should've taken me and Thomas and gotten out of Charming."

"Well, he would've had to go through Gemma."

"Then he should have run her ass over. I'm not my father. I'm not weak."

"How do you get out? Clay and Gemma will never let you just leave."

"We got a good thing going with the Irish now. It's smart, under the radar. We're making big money this year. I just gotta hang out for a while and earn."

"How long?"

"More guns means more risk. I don't have any skills, Tara. I'm an okay mechanic with a GED. The only thing I ever did well was outlaw."

"I just need to make some bank, set myself up with something Jax, I can go anywhere. I make good money."

"I'm not gonna live off my wife. I can't. Look Clay's hands are going. His days are numbered. When he steps down, he loses sway, that's when I get out. And Gemma she's just an old lady."

"All this scares me."

"I know, babe. You gotta trust me. This is all I have been thinking about for the last 14 months. I'm gonna finish up with Samcro and we're gonna take our kids and we're gonna get the hell out of here. Start fresh somewhere. Be a real family. It's not too late for us, for Ellie."

~ SOA ~ ~ SOA ~

Ellie, Jax, and Tara stand in the trashed clubhouse. The new chief destroyed it to try and prove his power, rile up the club, and push them to do something. The club's annoyed, angry, looking around at all the broken items and shattered glass.

"You get a crew in here tomorrow, start fixing it up."

"I have some good news," Tara makes the announcement, putting on her engagement ring, "We're engaged."

Everyone's in shock, including Ellie. Tara grins as she shows her daughter the ring, "What do you think, honey? I want you to be my maid of honor." Ellie holds her mothers hand in hers, staring at the ring in disbelief, "You're gonna get married again?"

"You were the missing piece we needed to put us all back together again," Jax tells his daughter knowing that no matter what, he had a second chance with Tara. A second chance at marriage with her. He was gonna do it right this time.

Ellie starts crying, full out sobbing, as Tara hugs her and wipes away her tears. She can't believe her parents are gonna get married again, "I'm glad you're both happy."

"We are, baby, because we're together. And we have you and your brothers." Tara tears up herself as she sees new excitement and happiness in her daughter's eyes. Two things she hasn't seen from her in almost a year.

~ SOA ~ ~ SOA ~

"You've all had time to think on this. Yea or nay? We get in business with the Galindo Cartel. Yea." Clay waits for his club to vote as they voice off around the table.

"Yea." Tig says.

"I don't trust 'em. No. " Chib's dissapointed in the club straying into more violent shit.

"Yea." Opie says, needing the money for his family.

"I'm a yea." Miles says.

"Nay." Piney and Juice vote.

"No." Bobby shakes his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm a no." Even Happy doesn't think it's a good idea.

"Backing my prez and VP. Yea." Kozik votes.

"Yea." Jax is the last to vote. This will set his plan to get out of the club into motion.

"6, 5. It passes." Clay hits the gavel, drawing an end to the meeting. Everyone gets up to leave except Piney.

"You ever try to end run me through my old lady again, I'll slit your throat," Clay tells him.

~ SOA ~ ~ SOA ~

The club counts the bricks to hand over to the Mayans. They're one brick light. Everyone looks at everyone else suspiciously. Juice tries to blend in, his pulse racing.

"We're one brick light."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about there should be 30 keys here."

They count again, "Twenty nine."

~ SOA ~ ~ SOA ~

Unser watches Tara leave her house in the morning. He follows her.