Not a Crow [Jax Teller ~SOA]

Chapter 24

"This is my fault" Melody said pacing around the waiting room. "I saw the way she looked after saying goodbye to Nate, I shouldn't have left her alone" Jax was right, Gemma did go home to see her family and when she found out Abel was missing she nearly had a heart attack.

"Mel calm down, the doctor said she's stable" Jax said grabbing her hand and pulling her into a seat.

"She's awake now, she'd like to see the both of you" Kate said gesturing to Melody and Jax. Melody convinced Kate to take Gemma's case so they wouldn't be kept in the dark. When they got to the room a guard patted them down and then let them in.

"Hey mom" Jax said as they got inside. Melody gave Clay a weak smile. He had been by Gemma's side the moment she was brought to the hospital.

"This is on you too Melody" Gemma said noticing Melody standing back by the door. "What happened? I want the truth, all of it" Gemma demanded.

"The night Cameron killed Sack, he took Abel and that's the real reason Melody was in the hospital, he cracked her skull open" Jax said giving Gemma what she wanted. "Feds weren't doing shit so we hired a bounty hunter, we got this a few days ago, he's somewhere up in Vancouver" Jax said handing Gemma the same photo he had shown Melody.

"He's not in Vancouver, the call I got last night that triggered all this, Maureen Ashby" Gemma said looking to Clay.

"Who's Maureen Ashby?" Jax asked.

"McGee's old lady, friend of the MC" Clay answered.

"She told me Abel's in Belfast" Gemma said.

"That's impossible, when Cameron was picked up in Belfast he didn't have Abel" Jax argued.

"Well then someone is full of shit" Gemma said angrily making her heart rate spike.

"Take it easy baby" Clay said trying to get Gemma to calm down.

"I'll take it easy when I know where my grandson is!" Gemma said loudly making a nurse barge in.

"Alright everyone out, she needs rest" The nurse said shooing everyone out of the room.

"You got a cigarette?" Melody asked and Jax nodded handing her one and a lighter.

"I didn't know you smoked" Jax said and Melody laughed.

"Like I told your mother, I don't" Melody said heading out of the hospital. She lit the cigarette and took a long drag. It was stressful turning eighteen and having your parents die, leaving you completely on your own to put yourself through college. Melody picked up a lot of hobbies to calm her nerves; drawing, running, and even dancing but nothing settled her nerves like the drag of a cigarette. And it was only in times of stress that Melody turned to cigarettes. When Melody was calm, the thought of a cigarette made her stomach turn.

"Don't smoke my ass" Jax said holding out his hand for his lighter. He lit himself a cigarette and leaned against the wall next to Melody.

"It's a filthy habit" Melody said taking another drag.

"I've never seen you smoke or even smell like cigarette" Jax said.

"I don't like people knowing, takes away from my angel like persona" Melody joked flicking her cigarette to the ground and crushing it with her boot. "I don't want to fight anymore Jax" Melody said looking up at him.

"I'm trying to protect you, I don't want you going to jail because of me or because of the club"

"This is my life Jax, I stayed, I got involved with you knowing the risks, I have nothing if I don't have this family" Melody said and Jax sighed pulling her into his arms.

"You'd have a normal life" Jax said making Melody pull away.

"It's too late for that, don't you get it? I can't just go back to Sacramento pretending that I never met any of you, I will never be able to live a normal life and I accepted it the second you put that boy in my arms, and now I need you to accept it" Melody turned on her heels and headed back into the hospital hoping Jax would think about what she said.

"Gemma wants to see you" A nurse said as Melody got back to the waiting room. Melody nodded and headed to Gemma's room.

"What's up" Melody said as she walked into the room.

"Stahl came by, threatened to take away my deal, guess I didn't technically turn myself in" Gemma said.

"But you called her" Melody argued grabbing a seat next to Gemma.

"She's desperate, pressing me for intel on the Irish, and your name came up" Gemma said.

"I never even spoke to her, they agreed to let me write a statement considering my condition, the doctors said it would be too stressful" Melody said recalling her written statement about what happened the day Abel was taken. "It just said Cameron came in, murdered Half-Sack, I ran to the nursery with Abel, but Cameron kicked down the door and knocked me out with his gun"

"Nothing more you could have done?" Gemma questioned making Melody mad.

"How could you say that? I nearly died for that boy, I was running on pure fear and adrenaline, but I did what I could" Melody hissed.

"Alright, that's all I could ask of you" Gemma said as tears streamed down Melody's face. "When you heading back to Sacramento?" Gemma asked and Melody wiped her tears.

"Jax tell you?" Melody questioned and Gemma nodded.

"Quite the secret keeper lately" Gemma said and Melody laughed.

"I learned from the best" Melody countered leaning back in her chair. "It's not what Jax thinks, I was heading up to get the ball rolling on selling my practice, but now I'm not so sure" Melody said and Gemma nodded.

"He's gonna come around" Gemma said.

"I'm not so sure this time" Melody said as her phone started ringing. She answered and it was Tom asking her to come in for emergency surgery on a cat. "That was work, I'll see you later" Melody said and then headed to the clinic.

(Feels kinda slow right now, but it'll get better)