Daughter of Mayhem

A Son Becomes a Father

-Charlie's POV-

By two in the afternoon, Donna and I were hanging out in the backyard after having settled our differences. We decided it was best to avoid the subject of Samcro all together and focus on the things we did over the past couple of years and watch the kids play. Opie hung out for a while but went to meet the club and then he came home and immediately disappeared in the garage, which was connected to the backyard. I heard him fiddling with things and knew he was gathering what he needed for whatever club business was going on later. The longer he remained in there, the more quiet and brooding Donna became.

"I'm going to call Jax and see if he can pick me up," I said as I stood. It seemed to shake Donna out of her dark thoughts.

"Oh. Charlie, you don't have to go."

"It's okay. I have some other things I need to do."

"Why call Jax? We could drive you."

"Donna, we both know you won't go near the clubhouse. I should have brought my car but, I didn't. I'll just call Jax."

I pulled out my phone and was about to dial his number but Donna stopped me. Shocked, I met her eyes and I saw a hint of the old Donna shining back at me.

"You expect me to believe the real reason you're staying at the club is because you don't want to sleep on my couch?"

"Well," I said and looked away from her gaze, fiddling with my phone, "it's part of it."

"I've watched you and Jax dance around each other since we were just out of high school. And I know he was the reason you left."

"Of course he was! We changed the dance, and it was too much."

"You mean, you and Jax...you actually..."

"Yes."

"Wow," she said, her eyes wide. "You know he's a man whore, Charlie."

"Of course I know. That's part of why I left."

"What's the other part?"

"It was so intense, Donna. And it was devouring me. I needed to leave so I could breathe."

"And he ruined it."

"He didn't ruin it, exactly. We were testing the waters. One night during one of the many parties, I walked into his dorm at the clubhouse and he was...occupied. We had a huge fight and it didn't help that he and I were both drunk. I was in too deep and it was too much, so I left."

"Did you come back to try to work it out or...?"

"No. Shortly after I left, Jax found me."

"He found you?"

"Yes."

"Jax Teller went looking for you?"

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "He did. And it was the most amazing week. It was just us; no porn stars, no crow-eaters, no sweet-butts, and no club."

"No club?"

"No...and the crazy thing is, I think he would have stayed if I asked him to."

"There was a possibility you could have kept him away from the club? Why didn't you take the opportunity, Charlie?" I sensed her angry rising again. I tried to diffuse it.

"I learned something while we were in our bubble, Donna. I could have asked him to leave Samcro and get out of Charming and he may have done as I asked. I could have taken the man out of Samcro but, I never would have been able to take Samcro out of the man. It's a part of him. And it's a part of me."