Loving the Fighter

94

"I don't fucking know," I admit as I rub my forehead.

"I think we should take him to Andrew," Ryder said as he peaked out from behind Callum. "If Jax keeps pushing him away then there's no telling how long it will be before Carter forces his way out again. Maybe if he meets Andrew now they can get the ball rolling."

"Who is Andrew?" Jax's voice rings through the air, but it's a bit higher pitched than his usual voice. It was almost like Jax was trying to mimic Ryder.

Callum spins around quickly to stare back at Carter, seemingly uneasy on the edge Carter put in his voice.

"He's a friend of ours. He knows Jax too. He wants to meet you."

"He's the young therapist?"

Callum only nods.

"I don't like him. He makes Jax anxious."

"He's trying to help Jax. He just doesn't always know how to but if you could go meet him you can help him figure out how to help."

Carter forced Jax to frown.

"Fine. Take me to him."

Callum seemed a bit relived as he spun around again and out the door with the three of us hot on his heels.

Soon enough Callum's fists began to bang on the door of Andrew's door. Carter flinched at the sound of the loud bang but covers it quickly as anger seeps onto his face when the door opens.

"What happened," Andrew asked the second his eyes landed on Jax's body but he seemed to figure out that this wasn't exactly Jax.

"This is Carter," I say slowly, hoping Andrew understands. "He wants to talk to you." Andrew's eyebrows shoot up as he looked back to Carter. He goes to open his mouth but Carter cuts him off.

"I don't like you."

Andrew frowns at Carter's words as he ushers us into the office yet again.

"You and many others apparently," Andrew answered. "What have I done to make you mad at me?"

"I said I don't like you," Carter repeated. "Not that I was mad, at least, not currently. They said you would want to talk to me."

"I would love to talk to you," Andrew said as he ushered us onto the couch again. The of us did but Carter continued to stand as he stared at Andrew, almost like he was ready to pounce at any sign of aggression.

"I'm assuming you heard me when I was talking to Jax? You know what you are?" Andrew asked after a while, realized that Carter wasn't going to move from his spot.

"I know I'm not Jax and I know this isn't my body but I don't care about that."

"Most systems have roles," Andrew picked up from after a few minutes. "Do you know what your role is?"

The three of us sat there in silence as we watched Andrew and Carter size each other up. It was almost nerve wracking.

"I protect Jax. That's all I need to know. I take over when he can't take care of himself."

"How long have you been with Jax?"

"I've always been with Jax. Whether he liked to admit it or not, he always needed me. I was there before his mom left; I saw there when his dad treated her like crap, I protected him through all of it. He just hid me very well. Every time I tried to come out he would push me away. I used to fight for him though. I doubt he even remembers some of those times. Back then it's like he was too tired to push me away when he had to fight; it made it easier for me to slip though but as he got older he learned that he could suppress me. I don't think he even really knew what was happening when we switched; maybe he just blacked out all together."