Worlds Collide

Changes

Jax's POV:

Guilt washed over me for not being at my sisters side when she was released but I knew that Kar would understand. Don't get me wrong, I wished that she didn't understand, that he had led a different life than the one she had but this was the cards we were dealt. Now, it was time for us to change out luck and finally live the life that we deserved.

But first, the trash needed to be taken out. And by trash, I meant the sons-a-bitches that thought had tried to hurt me, had in fact hurt my sister, and had tried to destroy my father's legacy. The time had come for Clay, Frankie, Greg, Go-go, and whomever else had a hand in the home invasions and the subsequent attack on my sister to pay for their actions. It was also time for me to spill the beans about my plans to get the fuck out of Charming and never look back.

"I know that each of you wears the patch you wear for a reason. Some of you see that patch as your family crest in a sense." My eyes locked on Tig. "Some of you see it as a rite of passage." My eyes landed on Opie. "But for me, the reaper has become a symbol of all the things I have lost; of all the things that I could still lose. For that reason, after this one last fight to avenge the wrongs done to us, its time for me to pass the torch to someone else." My eyes landed on Chibs. "It's time that I finally put my wife, my kids, and my sister ahead of the club that I thought I could point on the path that JT originally envisioned for it. This life isn't for me anymore." I said, leaning back on the chair at the head of the table. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss this club, this family that I have known. But there comes a point in everyone life that you wake up and realize that you have to make some changes in order to keep those that you love safe. For us as a club, out families have constantly been at risk. And it's time that I change that. Its time that I be the man that my father had hoped I would be. It's time that I start giving my wife and kids a life that doesn't involve automatic rifles, car bombs, kidnappings, and brutal attacks. It has been an honor you represent this club and sit at the head of this table. It has been an honor to have each of you by my side. With that being said, I call a change of leadership vote that goes into effect immediately. I nominate Chibs to become your president."

"You sure you don't want to lead us into this last fight?" said Tig, angling himself so that he was looking directly at me. "The home invasions didn't impact any of us sitting around this table like that impacted you. Lil' Bit deserves to see her attackers taken down. She deserves to know that her brother was the one to avenge her."

"As much as I want to be the one to take those motherfuckers out, I know doing so will only pull me deeper into the club. I let the things that happened to my family pull me back in last time. I cant afford to let that happen again. My family can't afford to let that happen again." I explained. I didn't have to go into detail about what I was talking about. The club knew that there was reason to believe that Clay had killed my father. They knew that Clay was responsible for Tara's abduction. And now, they knew that Clay had been the mastermind behind the home invasions. Last time the topic had come up, the vote hadn't passed for Clay to meet Mr. Mayhem but this time, I knew without a doubt that it would be unanimous. I just wished that I could trust myself to be the one to take him life and not get sucked further into the club.

"If you walk away, I walk away." Said Opie, looking at me from the other end of the table, occupying the seat that his now deceased father had once occupied. Just one more person that had lost their life because of Clay and another reason that he had to be taken out.

"You have had one foot out the door since Ace was born. You were pretty much done after the whole Piney situation."

"I stayed because I knew you needed me at this table." Said Opie. "But if you are leaving, then I am too."

I watched as heads nodded around the table, everyone sitting around it understanding where Opie was coming form. "Anyone disagree with Ope?" Just like I knew they wouldn't, no one disagreed. "Alright, Ope walks when I walk. All that leaves if the matter of who becomes president. I have nominated Chibs. Anyone else have any nominations?" I watched as everyone around the table again nodded that they were fine with the suggestion. "In that case, all in favor of Chibs Telford becoming SAMCRO's president..."

A resounding 'yes' sounded from all the guys around the table as each of them smacked the scared wooden tabletop, making me smile as I stood. Chibs stood next to me as I pulled my KA-bar from its holster and began to cut the Vice President patch from his kutte. "The time has come for you to lead this club and for me to walk away. All I ask is that you make these motherfuckers pay for what they did and that you run this club the way that you think it should be whether than means that things stay the way they have been for years or if it means that you point the club in a different direction. It's your choice now. Just promise me that whatever you do, you do it with pride."

"You have my word Jackie Boy" said Chibs, pulling me into a hug, slapping my back.

When he released me, I lifted my knife to my kutte and began to cut my president flash off. I'd just slipped the tip under the threads when Chibs stopped me. "As the new president of SAMCRO, I think we can make an exception to the whole 'turn in your kutte' rule." Said Chibs, looking at before looking at the others sitting around the table. "This club was founded my a Teller. If not for him, SAMCRO wouldn't exist. For that reason, I say you should keep your kutte as reminder of where you come from and to remind you of all the things that you never want to be again. Same for you Ope. Your father was a founding member and JT's best friend. You get to keep yours as well."

"Chibs—"

"All in favor?" said Chibs, cutting me off.

Again, a resounding 'yes' and slaps against he table met my ears, making tears pool in my eyes.

"And the ink?" I asked.

"Keep it. Wear the reaper with pride. You fucking earned it. You both did." Said Chibs his eyes looking from to Opie as he spoke.

I pulled Chibs in for a back-slapping hug, overwhelmed with all the exceptions they were giving me and Opie simply because of who our parents were. "Thank you." I whispered.

"Its been an honor bother." Said Chibs., giving me one last slap on the back.

Turning to the table, I looked at each of the guys sitting around it. "I know I already said that it has been an honor to ride with each of you, but I truly mean it. Each of you have taught me life lessons that I will carry with me every day." I said, my voice cracking.

Everyone around the table stood then, each of them pulling me into a brotherly hug.

After everyone was done, I took one last look around as Opie stood beside me. "Give them hell." I said, before tunring and walking though the doors of the chapel for the last time.