Music plays over the CD player speakers as I finishing packing the boys' bags. Tara is going to a medical conference today, getting away from everything that's going on here. So much has been happening in these least few weeks, it'll do her the world of good to leave for while. She's taking David with her, but she also suggested that I come too with the boys.
It's school holidays at the moment, meaning I won't have to worry about work. I talked it over with Jax and he encouraged me to go, wanting me to get away from this craziness. I hear footsteps coming into the room and I glance over my shoulder, see Jax walk in with Thomas in one arm and holding Abel's hand in the other.
"Hey Mommy." Abel says, walking over and climbing up onto the bed.
"Hey you, you excited to go on a trip today?" I ask as he climbs into my arms.
He nods his head with a big smile and I can't help the warm feeling in my heart at his perfect little face. I plant a big kiss on his cheek and Jax speaks up, "You all packed and ready to go?"
I nod my head and turn to face him, "Yeah, just finished packing the boys bags, I finished mine last night."
"What time are they getting here?" He asks and I glance over at the clock on the nightstand, "Should be here in about ten minutes or so."
He nods and walks over, "I got something that I want you to take with you."
I give him a confused look as he reaches around to his back and pulls out a small gun, holding it out to me, "Jax..." I say, feeling unsure.
"Look, I know you're leaving here to get away from everything for awhile, but I'll feel a whole lot better if you bring it with you." He says, looking at me with pleading eyes.
I glance down at the gun before letting out a sigh, "Okay."
He leans forward and places a gentle kiss on my lips before walking over, slipping it into my handbag when I hear the doorbell go off. I glance towards the clock and see it's too early, but they must be running early.
"I'll get it." Jax says with a sweet smile.
He walks out of the room and I put Abel down on the ground, him trailing after his father. I pull the bags off the bed and place them beside mine when I hear Gemma's voice coming from towards the front door, "Hey Baby."
"Hey Ma, what're you doing here?" He asks as I walk down the hallway, seeing Gemma there.
"Well, Em's taking my Grandkids on a one way trip to Oregon. You think I'm not gonna say goodbye?" She says, bending down and picking up Abel.
"It's just four or five days Gem, I promise you we'll be back before you know it." I say, coming to a stop beside her.
"Yeah, we're also gonna have rogue river keep an eye on them up in Oregon." Jax explains.
I smile and turn to Abel, "Say goodbye to Grandma sweetie." I say and he gives her a big cuddle while Jax says goodbye to Thomas.
Once they are finished they quickly say goodbye to Thomas and Abel and I hear a knocking at the front door. I walk over and open it up, seeing Tara and David standing there.
"Hey." I smile widely.
"Hey, you ready to go?" Tara asks and I nod, "Yeah, I just gotta get the bags into the car and we'll be ready to go."
Jax comes around the corner and smiles at them, "Hey guys."
"Hey Jax, what're you gonna get up too when the missus is gone?" David asks, making conversation.
Jax puts an arm around my waist and shrugs, "I don't know, probably just wait around for her to come back."
A blush comes over my cheeks and I look up at him, warmness filling my heart. He leans down and places a kiss on my cheek and Gemma clears her throat from behind us. We break apart and Tara speaks, "Hey Gemma."
"Hey Tara. You guys heading off now?" She asks and Tara nods, "Yeah, we actually better get on the road now."
"I'll go get the bags." Jax says, handing Thomas over to me and David steps forward, "I'll come help you."
The two men make their way inside while we head out to the car, putting the boys in their seats. Tara has hired a car big enough for all of us to travel together. Soon enough the boys are strapped in and Jax and David have put the bags in the back.
"Alright, we better get on the road." David announces.
"Okay, have a safe trip guys." Gemma says and Tara nods, "We will."
I turn to Gemma and give her a kiss on the cheek, "Be safe baby." She whispers.
I nod and pull away, stepping to Jax who wraps his arm around my waists and holds me tightly. He looks down in my eyes, a flicker of concern in them, "Call me along the way, let me know how're you're going."
"We're gonna be fine Jax." I whisper and he gives a small nod, "Still."
I smile and nod, "Yeah, I will. I love you."
"Love you too." He whispers before leaning down and placing a kiss on my lips.
It's long and full of emotion and I know I'm going to miss him so much while I'm away. But he's right, it's safer for us to leave for awhile while they sort out club stuff. I pull away and make my way into the car, climbing into the seat at the edge in the back. I shut the door and stare after my fiancé as David starts the car and we drive off, making our way out of Charming.
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I watch on with a wide smile as David chases around Abel, who giggles uncontrollably as his little legs push him forward. Thomas sits in between Tara's legs as she plays with him as I take of water and quickly shoot Jax a text, letting him know we've stopped to have lunch. I put the phone down and take a bite out of my sandwich, Tara turning to me, "If this interview at providence goes well, I think I should take the job."
"You should." I say with a nod, "And you know what, I think David will follow you anywhere. I mean look at him, he's settled into a life with you so well. He's handled this club shit great and look, he's even great with kids." I say, seeing him lie on the ground as Abel climbs all over him.
"He's a great guy and you deserve to be happy. Being in Charming... That's not good for you. This job, I think it's the fresh start that you need." I say, being honest with her.
She stares after him for a long moment before nodding, "You're right. I mean, God you're right. I came back to Charming to get away from the crazy and it just followed me back to my door. Though things have been up in down in so many ways, David is the best thing in my life to come out of it. I mean I love him so much and I can see myself with him for the rest of my life. Charming is my home, but I think I need to leave it and allow myself the chance to be completely happy for once."
I smile and nod my head, "I want you to be happy Tara. Despite everything we've been through... Look at us. I mean who would have thought that Tara Knowles would end up being my best friend?"
She laughs and shakes her head, "Certainly not me. But now that you are... I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Right back at you sister." I say, bumping my shoulder with hers.
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Abel and I walk out of the rest room and make our way over to the car, where Tara puts Thomas in his car seat. David walks over to the trash can and tosses the rubbish away when I see a van make its way towards Tara. It parks behind her and all of a sudden, three men climb out and make a grab for her.
"Oh my god! What're you doing?!" She screams, thrashing in their arms as they pull her into the van.
"Tara!" I yell, running towards her at the same time as David.
The car begins to drive away and David is much closer than I am, chasing after the car. I sprint to the car and put Abel inside, before grabbing the gun out of my handbag. I shut the door, making sure the kids are safe before chasing after the van. I aim my gun and shoot at the car, hitting the tire after a few tries. The car screeches to a stop and David reaches it first, throwing open the door and pulling Tara out. A man comes out and reaches for her when he punches him in the face, knocking him back into the van.
All of a sudden gunshots are heard and I see David fall to the ground, Tara screaming as she looks down at him. The car speeds away and I run towards her as she collapses to the ground, loud sobs echoing from her. I reach her side and see a gaping bullet wound in David's head, blood pooling around him on the road.
"No!" She screams, agony in her voice, "No!"
I see her hand is injured but she ignores it as she grasps at his body, "David!"
I kneel down beside her, my heart broken as I place a hand on her shoulder, "Tara." I whisper, tears in my eyes.
"He's dead." She whispers in disbelief, "He's dead."
I wrap my arms around her as she lets out a gut wrenching cry, indescribable pain coming from her. She grasps onto his body as people begin to surround us, taking in the horror before them. I vaguely notice someone on the phone to emergency services but I focus on her. Everything seemed so fine a few minutes ago, but now... I hold onto my friend as she grieves for her boyfriend, wishing I could do anything to change what's happened.
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"You have to take me to St. Thomas." I say to the paramedics as they wheel Tara into back of the ambulance.
The head paramedic shakes his head, "Can't do that Mam, out of our jurisdiction. We'll take you to Memorial, they can transfer you there."
"She's a surgeon at St. Thomas. You can't take her?" I insist, holding Thomas tightly in my arms with my hand in Abel's hair, who grips tightly onto my leg with fearful eyes.
"Take her to Charming, I'll talk to your dispatcher. All right?" An officer says, coming up beside us and the ambulance man nods.
"Thank you." I whisper gratefully and he gives me a look, "Miss Carter, you have a criminal record. People heard gunshots, I hope that wasn't you firing."
I shake my head and lie effortlessly, "No, sir. They did all the shooting, I mean they killed..." I trail off, looking towards the coroner who zips up the body bag David's body is in.
I turn back to the man, "Look, I got to get my boys home. Can we do this at the hospital? Please?" I beg, shifting Thomas on my hip.
"We'll follow you there." He says, handing me his card.
"Thank you." I whisper, taking it off of him.
I turn and look to the ambulance, Tara's blank stare looking back at me. I blow a small kiss to her before turning and making my way quickly to the car to get back towards Charming. Once I'm in the car and the boys are strapped in, I sit there for a moment as I process everything. I let out a small sob and lay my head on the steering wheel, gripping it tightly in my hands.
This was supposed to be a chance for us to get away from all the madness, to be safe at least for a few days, but it seems that trouble always seems to follow us wherever we go. I shakily reach for my phone and dial the number, it ringing a few times before he answers.
"Em's." Jax says and I let out a weak sob.
"What's wrong?" He asks, his voice on high alert.
"There's been an accident..." I whisper.
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I sit in the hospital room beside Tara, whose just come out of surgery. She hasn't said much, what else can I expect after what's happened. Jax and the others have gone off to go sort out this business, though Jax said he was on his way back to be with me. The door opens up and the doctor walks, Tara opening her eyes and looking towards him.
"How bad?" She whispers.
"Bones set easily. No issue there. The nerve damage was severe." He admits and she scoffs, "God."
"What does that mean?" I ask, looking between them.
"It means I won't have full use of my hand." She whispers.
"Is that permanent?" I ask, facing the doctor and he shrugs his shoulders, "We don't know that yet."
"Can't you do more surgeries to fix it?" I ask and he nods his head, "Yes, we'll try. We're going to consult with Lane and Delafield out of Cedars. They're the best hand surgeons in the country."
"Okay, thank you." Tara says, her voice flat.
The doctor turns and walks out of the room and she begins to whimper from beside me. I pull my seat forward and run my fingers through her hair. She begins to sob and I whisper, "I'm so sorry Tara."
"David..." She whispers and I nod my head.
"I gave his parents a call, they're making their way down to begin preparations for the funeral. His brother is coming too. The police are conducting the investigation to see who did this and they're currently doing to autopsy on him." I explain.
"It's pretty obvious what happened. He was murdered!" She hisses, her pain hitting my heart.
"Shh, shh, I know Tara, I know." I say, using a gentle voice to calm her down.
"I just can't believe that he's gone." She whispers brokenly, fresh tears streaming down her face.
She cries for a moment before turning away from me, "Please Emily, just go."
"Tara-" I begin but she cuts me off, "Go! Go! Go!" She screams.
Reluctantly I move away and get to me feet, staring at the broken woman before me. I turn and leave the room, making my way outside. I lean against the wall and lay my head in my hands, letting out a few tears.
"Em's." A voice whispers and I feel strong arms wrap around me.
I begin to cry into his chest as he holds me tightly to him, "I'm so sorry babe."
I shake my head and pull back to look at him, "Don't be sorry for me. Be sorry for her... She's lost her hand, God David! This is all because of us."
"Em's-" He begins but I cut him off, "No Jax, she came to Charming for safety and now look at her. She doesn't deserve this life Jax, danger around every corner. Those men could have killed our boys! They could be coming for us next."
He shakes his head, "They won't, I won't let them. Too many people are being hurt, too many people dying. Not on my watch okay, I'm not gonna let it. I promise."
"How can you promise me that? With everything that's going on?" I whisper, meeting his eyes.
I've heard these words so many times before and the results keep turning out the same. But as I look into the eyes I love with all my heart, I can't help but leave my trust with him. He'll make good on his promise because he loves me and the boys. He'll protect his family, after all, that's the life of SAMCRO.
He reaches up and cups my face in his hand, "I swear to you that this is going to end."