Aftermath

I sat on the couch, feet curled up underneath me, tears flowing from my eyelids, my hands stroking both Whiskey and Diesel.

"Baby it is going to be okay." Emmett tells me.

"They're going to kill me for killing him." I cry out.

"They won't fucking touch you, if Jax even thinks about allowing that, I'll put a bullet in his skull." Ope growls.

"Ope, he's your brother." I say reluctantly.

"Yeah? Well you're my baby sister and I couldn't give a fuck less about a guy who turned his back on one of his kids and our sister." Ope replies.

"He's right, Nova. They won't touch you. I've already reached out to Jimmy." Otto says warmly but his face is stone cold and deadly.

"Little girl, I'll gut the whole crew of SAMCRO. They ain't touching you. Them guys broke in here and last I checked; they were with SAMCRO." Happy says.

"Why would he come after me?" I ask looking at each man standing in front of me.

"He probably thought you were a threat." Juice says.

"How? I haven't been to Charming since the guys got out of prison. Gemma hasn't even spoken to me since before I had Leilani, unless you count the voicemail about Dawn. I don't see how I would be a threat." I whisper.

"Your connection with Jimmy..." Juice offers

"Nah. I'd say somehow, he found out about me not being dead and He came here looking." Otto says.

"What did you do to piss him off?" I question.

"Piney and I had suspicions about John's death. Gemma and Clay got heated way too quickly for it to be after... the way they moved. John was picky about who fucked with his bike." Otto says.

"Lowell Sr... was killed a week later." Emmett says as it dawns on him.

"Yep. Piney and I found it weird. Then not long after I was locked up, doing bids for the club to keep Luann safe and protected on the outside... I got my stay extended." Otto says.

"Then Jimmy faked your death and got you out here." I whisper.

"Who would know that? Jimmy would never snitch on me, especially not to Clay. He hates Clay with a passion." I say.

"One of the guards maybe?" Ope adds in his opinion.

"Nah couldn't be. Everyone was fooled by that. I even thought he was dead." Happy speaks up.

.......

The sound of bikes pulling and screeching into my driveway, probably would've woken up neighbors if I had any besides Lyla, Ope, and the kids. SAMCRO made their way off of their bikes, Jax and Tig stepped forward followed by Bobby and Chibs. Jax's face was unreadable, and that right there irritated the fuck out of me.

"What happened?" Jax asks through gritted teeth.

"We were on a run, Lyla and Madelyn had the kids here... Whiskey and Diesel alerted Nova, so she sent Lyla into the panic room with the kids... Nova hid with the pups, it was four guys.. first two came in the kitchen area and the dogs attacked and Madelyn shot them... Silencer was on... after a while the other two made their way into the kitchen. Dogs did what they were supposed to and Mads delivered the kill shots. Clay is one of them, the other three were nomads turned SAMCRO..." I tell them.

"Clay?" Jax asks.

"Yep. Nova is in there bawling her eyes out thinking you're gonna take mayhem over this." I inform Jax.

His face still remains unreadable, I want to know what the fuck is up with this guy lately. He turns and looks at the guys behind him and they all look at him strongly with a no. Tig silently asks me if he can go inside and I give him a nod of approval. Happy and Ope stand close to me waiting for Jax to make his decision.

"You aren't touching her, Jax." Ope says.

"Did I say that I was?" Jax asks.

"No, but you didn't say you weren't, either." Ope replies.

"This isn't her fault. They broke in our home armed, guns drawn, and searching the house. I have video footage all over my house." I say.

"I know that it's not her fault." Jax says.

"Boyo, you need to tell your sister that she's safe." Chibs tells him as he places a hand on Jax's shoulder.

"He touches her and I'll kill him." Happy growls quietly into my ear as the guys make their way into my house.

Madelyn is still curled up on the couch crying her eyes out, but Tig has his arms wrapped around her. She's zoned out so bad that she doesn't even see any of us walk into the living room.

"Nova?" Jax asks as he sits in front of her.

"You gonna kill me?" She asks him.

"No. No one is going to kill you." Jax says firmly.

"Do you know why Clay would come for me?" Madelyn questions.

"Not a clue. You haven't been involved since you left. Only showed up when I asked you. I don't know what the hell was up with Clay." Jax replies.

I look towards Hap and Ope, silently communicating with them but still paying attention. One thing comes to mind, well a person, Tara. Those letters were sent to her from Belfast; everyone knew that Mads and I made that trip to see Jimmy. She easily could've told Clay that it was Nova or Nova had a part in it.

"You're safe, Mads. We're gonna go home so I can see my wife and kid." Jax says.

"I'm gonna take a few days and stay with Mads." Tig tells him.

"Alright." Jax nods and the guys follow behind him.

I watch as Jax and the others mount their bikes and go down our driveway.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Ope asks.

"Tara." Happy pipes up.

"Yep." I reply.

"She would do anything to save herself." Juice says.

"I'll kill her myself." I growl.

"Jax would kill all of us including our families if you did that, Em. I have no clue why he's so obsessed with that uptight bitch." Ope says with a groan.

"You think it was Tara?" Tig asks as he comes walking up to us.

"It's the only plausible explanation." Juice says.

"With Madelyn gone, Tara could get Abel back and take off." Ope offers.

"No, she couldn't. Abel was signed over to me as well. Jax hasn't seen nor spoken to Abel since he was released. Abel calls me daddy." I state firmly.

"Does she know that, though?" Hap asks.

"Probably not." I reply.

"Why would Clay come after Nova about letters?" Tig asks.

"If Tara told him that Nova is where she got the letters.... She would be considered a threat." Ope tells him.

"Fuck this shit man. I try to be better after all this shit and then the man who has made my life hell goes for my baby." Tig speaks out loud but more to himself.

"I got her, Tig." I remind him.

"I know that you do." He says with a smile.

We make our way back into the living room, Madelyn is still in a state of shock. A big fucking Thank you to Lyla for getting all of our kids to bed.

I sit beside my wife and pull her into my lap; she buries her head into my chest.

"I love you, Mads." I tell her.

"I love you." She replies with a sniffle.

"It's okay baby. You did what you had to do." I tell her.

"I'm still ready to slaughter the whole crew." Happy says earning a small chuckle from Mads.

"Hap you can't kill your brothers." She says softly.

"Fuck, if I can't. They even attempt to come near you, and they will meet the reaper." Happy replies.

"I agree." Ope adds.

"Definitely." Juice says.

Juice has honestly made me proud since he showed up, he's coming into himself, and he's not terrified of what Clay or anyone else will do to him.

Word count: 1,328