Chapter Nine

The long, winding driveway was already packed with dark SUVs and Harleys by the time Allie pulled in. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard and shook her head. It was 7:02, and Gemma had said to be there at 7:00 - and while Allie normally prided herself on being on time, she'd blown past a turn from the directions Opie had given her, and was now twitching a little because she was two minutes late. But still, bikers weren't exactly known for their punctuality.

Maybe, where Gemma Teller-Morrow was concerned, they knew to be anything but late.

Because the driveway was already so packed, she opted to park on the street. Allie turned off her ignition and pulled her visor mirror down before she could stop herself. Her hair still pretty much looked like it had before she'd left the house - loose, smooth waves with a little bit of texture. Her makeup was light and natural, but she'd swiped an extra layer or two of mascara on just because it felt like the right thing to do, given where she was going. She'd worn her favorite dusty mauve lipstick that gave her just enough color to look like she was wearing makeup without looking overdone or heavy. Dan had tossed a pair of skinny jeans at her, along with a cream, silky camisole to pair underneath a chunky camel-colored cardigan, and he'd topped off his handiwork with her favorite leather booties.

He knew what he was doing, and she looked pretty damn good. Times like this she was pretty grateful he'd so easily moved into both her life and her house.

Allie jumped a little when her phone pinged in her purse, and she glanced at it long enough to see a text from Dan: Go get em, Tiger. You got this.

She smiled to herself before checking the mirror one more time just because she couldn't help herself. Then she blew out a deep breath, summoning the courage to grab her purse and the treats Dan had sent along, and get out of the car. That kind of felt like a Herculean effort right now. All the unknowns of tonight - that's what really had her on edge. And if she was being honest with herself, she might as well have been shaking in her leather booties.

Yet somehow, Allie found herself standing on Gemma's front doorstep and hitting the button to ring the doorbell.

She stared down at the plate in her hands, feeling like maybe this had been the wrong choice. Gemma had told her not to bring anything - very literally and directly - but it didn't feel right to show up to someone's house for a dinner party and not bring anything. A normal person would've brought a bottle or two of wine, but then Allie would have to turn down a glass when someone inevitably opened the bottle and offered to pour her one.

It was easy enough to throw out an excuse like, oh, no thanks, I don't like to even have one if I know I'm going to be driving. That one usually worked pretty well most of the time. Sometimes the old, oh, no thanks, I just don't like the taste of it would work too, but that typically depended on the audience. Bringing a bottle of wine and then refusing to drink it wasn't going to cut it.

And because she couldn't show up for this family dinner empty-handed, Dan had whipped up a batch of his homemade chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Even just thinking that...seemed really, really stupid.

But before she had a chance to backpedal to her car, the front door swung open to reveal the hostess herself. Gemma...looked just like Gemma, with her chunky blonde highlights, tight jeans, and even tighter Harley Davidson T-shirt, and Allie found herself grinning right back at her.

"Hey there, Allie," Gemma grinned. "I'm so glad you could make it, and..." her dark eyes dropped to the plate in Allie's hand, "I also thought I said you didn't have to bring anything. Did you make those? They look pretty damn amazing, I have to say."

It would've been way too easy to take all the credit, but sooner or later, Gemma would probably just find out anyway, so she opted for the truth: "They are pretty amazing, but my roommate made them. He's the chef and the baker in the house, and he didn't want me to show up here empty-handed."

Okay, so maybe she'd thrown Dan a little bit under the bus. She was the one who hadn't wanted to show up empty-handed, and he'd stepped in to save the day. But he wasn't here, right? No harm, no foul.

Gemma nodded to her knowingly, almost as if she could read her thoughts, and then scooped the cookie plate out of her hands. She gestured to the open hallway with her, signaling that it was time for Allie to finally step inside. Allie swallowed tightly, and then sucked in a deep breath, groping for courage and coming up empty. That was rough - she'd need all the courage she could get tonight.

Still, Allie trailed after Gemma down the hallway, feeling her chest tighten a little bit more as the voices coming from the kitchen only grew louder. And finally, when the table and the bodies around it came into view, Allie just switched off her brain and decided to roll with it. She was here. She was part of this now, whether she liked it or not, and she could choose to be present in it or fight it every step of the way. Fighting it would only make this more difficult.

"Hey everyone," Gemma called out as they made their way into the kitchen. "Look who showed!"

A round of loud, happy, heeeyyy's passed through the room, and almost all the gruff-looking bikers in the room shot her either a wave or a grin, and sometimes even both. Their happy greeting set her a little off-balance, and it was even more disconcerting to see every single one of them without their leather cuts. Without the leather, they almost looked...normal.

Well, some of them. Others, like Tig and Happy, were already too far gone - Tig with that crazy glint in his eye and Happy with that stoic, right-on-the-edge-of-committing-murder expression on his face. There wasn't really anything either of those two could do to look even remotely normal.

Allie waved back gingerly, and she scanned the room, grinning when her eyes locked on Lyla, who waved happily back at her. Next to Lyla sat her mini-me, Piper, a tiny thing with Lyla's long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Allie waved at Piper too, and she grinned back at Allie shyly.

But the table seemed to be missing a few, larger-than-life presences, and Allie's eyes moved across the room until she found them lingering off to the side in the living room, just beyond the kitchen. Their backs were to her, but she would've known them anywhere. Opie, with his overly-long hair hidden by a black beanie, his broad shoulders stretching a white T-shirt across his back. And Jax, with his slicked-back blonde hair, his back covered in the same blue and black flannel he'd been wearing earlier at the clubhouse.

It was only then that she realized Jax held a phone to his ear as Opie hung to the side, watching carefully.

"So," Gemma's voice cut through the noise and Allie jerked her attention back to her. Gemma was gesturing to the refrigerator now with an easy smile, "I've got some wine and some mixers in there, if you want. Otherwise, there's beer in the cooler over there."

She gestured to the cooler, and Allie pressed a tight smile across her lips. After a silent prayer, Allie opened the refrigerator, scanning the contents and grabbing the first can of soda she could find just as quickly. This was why she tended to avoid things like this - away from the people, like Dan particularly, who didn't ask questions or look at her funny when she opted not to accept their drink offer. It always made her feel like a little bit of a freak - even though she knew it shouldn't, that this choice was nothing to be ashamed about, but that didn't make the excuses any easier or less awkward.

Luckily, though, most people didn't bat an eye when she took a bottle of water or a can of soda instead of the other choices. And when Allie turned back around with a hand wrapped around a Coke, Gemma didn't even blink.

There, see? Dan's voice echoed in her head. Nobody makes a bigger deal out of it than you.

That was true. And so she decided to just keep it up, to stay on this nonchalant train as long as the ride lasted.

And of course, that was the moment the two missing members of this family gathering decided to make their way back into the kitchen. Allie's heart stuttered a little at the sight of the club's president sauntering his way around the table to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. His Reaper cut always gave him a little bit of swagger with an undercurrent of sex and danger all rolled into one. Without the cut, he still had the swagger, but now, sex practically dripped off the worn flannel. Danger was still there too, but now it was a different kind of danger, that held a different kind of warning.

Gemma wrapped an arm around Jax's neck to pull him in a little closer, "What was that all about, huh? I thought we said no club business at family dinner."

Jax's gaze flitted from his mother, landing directly on Allie. For a second, she almost lost her balance. He seemed to sense it, like he could read her mind, and his lips curled into a lop-sided grin that made her chest flutter. Then she remembered the way, only hours before, he'd dismissed her, the way he'd spoken to her, the way he'd chosen not to listen to her, the way he'd manhandled her...and then her balance righted itself.

"Hey, Allie," Jax smiled at her before shifting his attention back to Gemma, who was waiting impatiently for an answer. "Sorry, Ma. Had to take the call though - it was Harrison."

Gemma's eyebrows quirked at that name, and Allie briefly considered sidestepping around them just to get away from this conversation. This was clearly club business and she didn't need to know anymore about that than she had to. Whoever Harrison was, it was none of her business.

"Any news?" Gemma was saying now, her lips drawn apart in a frown.

Jax just shook his head, shooting a quick glance Allie's way, as if he didn't want to say too much with her around. Not that she really needed to know anyway.

"Just an update that there's no update yet," Jax told his mother soberly. He smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his blue eyes. "He's workin' on it, Ma. We'll find something."

Even that was probably more information than Allie needed to hear. She politely excused herself, grateful to finally have a real reason to step away. Lyla waved her over, gesturing for Allie to take the seat between her and Piper. Allie didn't need to be told twice, and she dropped into the chair, feeling a little out of breath too.

"Hi Piper," Allie smiled at her seatmate brightly, and her grin only widened when the teen smiled back shyly. "How you doing?"

Piper just shrugged, pushing some of her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Good."

Allie smiled again, this time turning her head to see Lyla watching their exchange carefully. Allie had only met Piper a handful of times, but every time she saw Piper, it was more of the same. She was an introverted 15-year-old who was obviously uncomfortable in her constantly evolving skin, and it was clear the shyness was more a defense mechanism than anything. Allie knew a little bit about what that felt like.

"Hey, Pipes," Lyla prodded gently. "Isn't there something you wanted to talk to Allie about?"

Allie turned back to Piper with an encouraging smile, and she looked down at her hands for a moment, embarrassed by her mom's gentle nudging. Just as Piper opened her mouth to respond, Gemma started shooing the stragglers into taking their seats at the table. Piper clamped up again after that, and Allie smiled, making a mental note to ask her about this again when they had less of an audience around.

Jax dropped into the chair at the head of the table, with Gemma sliding into the chair at his left. Opie, of course, was directly to his right, with Lyla dutifully seated on the other side of her husband. Allie had two seats between her and Jax, and even then, it felt too close. Part of her wished she could switch seats with Piper, if only to put more of a buffer between them.

"I'm so glad everyone could make it tonight," Gemma called to the whole table, lifting her beer as she spoke. "We'd gotten away from these dinners for a little while with...everything going on," she paused, her voice catching on those words, and she smiled tightly when Jax put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "and I want to thank you for being here these last few months. I can't tell you what that means to me, and I just...I want to get back to this. To family. To the people who are at this table - that's what really matters. Let's make this a weekly thing if we can, okay?"

A round of encouraging nods made their way around the table, and everyone followed Gemma's lead by lifting their drinks in the air.

"To family," Gemma toasted, lifting her beer even higher in the air.

"To family!" The voices echoed around the table, everyone lifting their drinks high and clanking happily with the person next to them.

Lyla was already holding up her glass to toast with Allie, "To family!"

Allie smiled back at her, clanking her soda can against Lyla's glass. "To family."

That felt good. That felt right, and so she turned to Piper, offering her soda can out for another toast. Piper gingerly lifted her own glass up, keeping her head down a little as she touched her glass to Allie's can. Then, Allie's gaze drifted toward the head of the table, only to lock eyes with Jax, who'd been observing the exchange with a smile playing on his lips. He tipped his beer bottle to her, that sexy smirk only widening.

And because she was a civil and mature adult, she returned the gesture, lifting her soda can to him with a small smile.

That was all he was getting.

Luckily enough, plates were starting to get passed around, so that was as good a distraction as any. Allie had just loaded her plate with all the fixings - mouth-watering fried chicken, mac n cheese casserole, cornbread, and green beans with bacon - when Opie cleared his throat to get the table's attention.

"Hey everyone," his deep voice rumbled through the table as everyone's movements stilled. "Lyla and I have some news," Opie glanced at his wife, who nodded encouragingly, and then he turned back to the table with a happy grin. "She's gotta bun in the oven."

A wave of cheers cascaded around the table, and the club members all thumped the table with their fists in a show of happy support. Jax was whistling and thumping his fist louder than anyone else with a wide smile. Allie, for her part, turned to Lyla happily and pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Congratulations!" Allie had to practically yell in her ear above the noisy celebration. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks!" Lyla laughed as they pulled apart. "I swear to God I had no idea when I signed my new contract. I promise!"

Allie just laughed and batted a hand at her. "Hey, you know there are still plenty of things you can do behind the scenes. No worries, Lyla."

She reached around Lyla to squeeze Opie's shoulder, and then her gaze drifted to her right and found Piper watching the whole scene with renewed embarrassment, her cheeks even a little pink at the display. Allie bumped Piper with her shoulder and then threw an arm around her shoulders to pull in her. After that, the dinner pretty much went off without a hitch. Everyone ate, chattering away happily about the evening's news, and by the time most of the plates had cleared, Allie found the opening she was looking for.

"Hey, Piper," Allie murmured to her. "What did you want to talk to me about before?"

Piper's head whipped around with wide eyes, like she'd hoped Allie would just forget and never mention it again. Unfortunately for Piper, Allie didn't forget much of anything. She could see the wheels in Piper's head turning, probably trying to weigh the likelihood that Lyla would just keep bringing it up if she didn't come out with it. At some point, Piper just blew out a breath before looking to her mom for a little help.

Lyla caught on almost instantly, and stepped in on her daughter's behalf, "Piper here told me she's thinking about going to school to be a lawyer."

Allie's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she grinned happily back at Piper. "That's great!"

At this point, she was also acutely aware that this conversation had drawn both Gemma and Jax's attention, but she kept her focus on Piper.

"And?" Lyla prompted gently.

"And," Piper mumbled, glancing at Allie quickly before shifting her eyes back to the table. "I'm supposed to find someone who's a lawyer so I can shadow them or something."

Okay, so she saw where this was going, and Allie leaned in with a smile to put poor Piper out of her misery, "I would love to have you shadow me at the studio."

It was right on the tip of her tongue to double-check with Lyla that this was really okay, given what happened at the studio, but then again, Lyla was obviously on board with this already. And it wasn't like Piper wasn't aware of what her mom did for a living either. It also helped that the studio was very strict about where filming could happen and where it couldn't - and almost always, filming took place on a closed set, with only the necessary crew around to capture the action. Not to mention the fact that Allie had purposefully chosen the office on the opposite end of the building so she could keep her distance when actors were working on set. Seeing a bunch of guys walking around in loincloths or assless chaps all the time had proven to be an infinite distraction at work until she'd moved her office to the far end of the hallway.

"Just let me know when you want to come by," Allie told her. "I'm happy to have you in my office for as long as you want. And hey, maybe if you really like it, we could find something for you to do too. God knows I could use the help sorting through all the paperwork on my desk."

Piper appraised her carefully, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. "You mean like...a job?"

"Yeah," Allie laughed. "Like a job. But tell you what, why don't you shadow me a few times just to see what you think. I mean, you could absolutely hate it, right? Business law isn't exactly all that interesting all the time, if you know what I mean. And, after that, we can go from there."

"That sounds pretty good, right?" Lyla jumped in helpfully.

Piper bit her lip again, shifting a little uncomfortably in her chair. She glanced across the table, and Allie followed her gaze to find Gemma observing the exchange with a warm smile. Gemma's eyes shifted to Jax, who, the moment he felt his mother's eyes on him, dropped his gaze to the plate of cookies in front him and snatched one up with a ringed hand.

Gemma threw her son a side-eye before taking one of Dan's cookies for herself too. She took a quick bite, nodding to herself. "Yep, these are good, just like I knew they would be. You tell your roommate to send along more of these next week. Hell, bring him along if you want. I'd love to meet him."

"Oh, I'm sure he would just love that. Probably a little too much, actually."

Gemma shot her a conspiratorial grin, leaning an elbow on the table so she could lean in. "He's...he works for your dad, right? As an actor?"

"He does."

"And," Lyla offered in a sing-song voice, "Dan also happens to be one of the most popular actors in gay porn since...like, ever."

"Yeah," Allie laughed as Gemma's eyes widened gleefully. "Apparently, I live with a very famous man. He thinks he's got some mad skills too."

"Oh Jesus," Opie muttered under his breath, shaking his head at Jax, who just huffed out a laugh.

But Jax was listening, though. She felt like, through this entire dinner, Jax's attention had never strayed that far, always perpetually watching her, observing her, listening to her.

Gemma's lips curled, and she leaned forward even more: "So you ever seen any of his movies then?"

Allie pulled her lips apart a little in a grimace, crossing her arms on the table as she spoke. "Ah...I've seen about 30 seconds of one and that was enough for me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jax rub his thumb across his lips to hide his smile. So, she pressed on.

"I mean, that would be like watching one of my dad's old movies from the 80s. There's just no coming back from that, you know? I don't think I'd ever be able to look him in the eye again."

Gemma grinned knowingly as Lyla laughed heartily next to her. There really wasn't much more she could say about that - it was what it was. They did for a living...what they did for a living. And, again, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jax watching her with an amused grin slipping across his handsome face. She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"I know what you mean," Lyla nodded. "I've never been able to watch more than a minute or two of my friends' movies...I mean, it's one thing to watch a movie just to watch one, right?"

"Exactly!" Allie laughed, even as Gemma shook her head in amused disbelief. "Who cares! It's just sex," at that moment, Allie remembered who was sitting next to her, and shrugged at Piper, "for people who are old enough and ready to explore what they like and what they don't like in a healthy way."

Piper's nose crinkled, sliding down a little in her chair, and she shook her head, as if to will this conversation away. Against her better judgment, Allie let her eyes shift to the head of the table, where Jax was already examining her with a cocked eyebrow and a grin that sent her heart stuttering in her chest.

So, she forced her attention elsewhere.

"It's a whole other thing to see a movie with someone you know in it," Allie continued, hoping no one noticed the way her voice shook ever so slightly. "Like your friends."

"Or your roommate," Lyla commiserated with a nod.

"Or," Allie shuddered a little in her chair. "Your dad. And even worse, your dad and your mom in the same movie. Together."

At this point, she was grateful everyone listening in on this conversation laughed right along with her. She'd learned through serious trial, error, and heartache that it was better to find the humor in it, rather than focus on the negative, like the fact that starring in those movies had not only brought her parents together, but also sent them spiraling down headfirst into drugs and booze. Those movies had ruined her mother. Their continued popularity eventually resurrected her father. They'd left behind a legacy that basically made them porn royalty, despite their devastatingly different fates. And Allie had had to find a way to look that legacy in the eye.

Now, Allie shifted her focus away from the sparkling blue eyes at the head of the table and turned instead to Lyla and Gemma, who was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

"You know I found an old, old movie poster with them on it once?" Allie threw out, and even Jax's shoulders shook with laughter now. "I'm not even joking, the title of the movie was Ghost Thrusters. They had those ghostbuster gun things strapped around their waists. I'm not 100 percent sure because I'd rather die than watch it, but I'm pretty sure my parents had a lot of sex with ghosts in that one."

Even Allie covered her face to hide her laughter after that as Jax barked out a laugh. She glanced at Piper from in between her fingers to find the poor thing all but hiding under the table.

"Wasn't that their thing though?" Lyla managed in between bursts of laughter. "Like a play on all those famous 80s movies?"

"Oh yeah," Allie nodded grimly. "In Diana Jones and the Temple of Poon was a pretty popular one."

By now, Gemma's shoulders were shaking so hard she looked like she was having a heart attack, and she wiped a tear from her eye. Opie, for his part, was more mortified than anything. And Jax...he was laughing, sure, but he was also watching her with an expression she couldn't quite place.

"Oh, what was the name of that one..." Lyla tapped her chin in thought, her eyes brightening when she came up with it. "Add Momma To The Train!"

Gemma clapped a hand to her mouth. "I saw that one actually."

"Oh my God," Allie replied flatly.

"And," Gemma went on with a devilish grin. "Now that I think of it, I also saw The Sperminator. That was a good one."

"What?" Allie laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"And," Gemma added. "For Your Thighs Only. Now that was good fuckin' porn!"

"Oh. My. God," Allie laughed. This was crazy, right? Sitting here, with these people, talking and laughing like they'd all been together for years, comfortable enough with each other to have an easy-going conversation. Who would've thought porn would be the great equalizer tonight?

"Okay, okay," Allie wiped her eyes, taking in a deep breath to abate the laughter for just a second. "Well, how about When Harry Ate Sally?"

Lyla burst out laughing, and Gemma just sent Allie a sly grin. "I saw that one."

"What?" Allie cried out through her laughter.

"Me too," Jax chimed in with a roguish smile.

Allie's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide as she clapped her hands on the table. "No!"

She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with laughter, and when she unearthed herself, her gaze drifted to Jax as if it had a mind of its own. Their eyes locked and for the first time in...probably ever, they laughed together. Genuine, true laughter stemming from just enjoying each other's company. Jax grinned brightly back at her, and the impact of that, of seeing him smiling at her in genuine happiness, without a hint of just about anything else...it was staggering.

Allie had to tear her eyes away. It was making her feel too much, here at this table, surrounded by all these people. The way he'd looked at her...it was hard to reconcile this Jax, sitting just a few seats away from her, looking at her like she was the only person in the room, with the Jax from a few hours ago, who'd spoken to her like she was just the hired help who needed to keep her head down and her mouth shut.

Whiplash. That's what this was.

So, in pure self-preservation, Allie turned her focus to the teenager at her right, who was shaking her head in her hands like the entire conversation she'd just been witness to was all a bad nightmare.

"Trust me," Allie whispered to Piper as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you can't laugh about your parents being in porn, then what can you laugh at?"

That managed to get a half a smile from Piper. And when she glanced back to the head of the table, Jax was still watching her.

***

Allie carried the last of the dishes from the table to the kitchen, where Gemma and Lyla were already congregating, moving easily from the sink to the dishwasher and back to the sink again. She was scraping some of the leftover mac n cheese casserole into a glass storage container, when she heard a familiar, deep voice call out:

"Hey, Ma?"

All three women turned to face Jax, who'd sauntered into the kitchen, but stopped short a few feet away from them with his hands shoved deep inside his front pockets. He pressed a tight smile on his face, a far cry from his demeanor during dinner, and his blue eyes drifted between the three of them, lingering a little on Allie before settling on his mother.

"Can we talk a minute?"

Gemma just shrugged, glancing at Lyla as she nodded good-naturedly before wiping her hands with a towel and then walking out of the kitchen to find Opie. Allie started to do the same, quickly dumping the rest of the casserole into the smaller glass dish, but Jax's voice stilled her movements.

"Actually, I'd feel a lot better havin' this conversation if I had my lawyer present."

Allie whipped around from where she stood by the counter, her eyes widening with surprise. Gemma, however, narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her son and hitched a hand on her hip, a towel still in her hand.

"And why is that, Jackson? What exactly do you have to talk to me about that you need a lawyer next to you for?"

For the first time in the entire time she'd known him, Jackson Teller actually looked scared. That was real, tangible fear flickering across his usually cocky face. His back was stiff and his shoulders tensed, like he was gearing up for a fight. Considering who he was up against, he probably had every right to feel that way. And the longer they stood there in silence, the more Allie had a pretty good idea what this was about.

"Well?" Gemma cocked an eyebrow at him, and then glanced expectantly at Allie. "You know what this is about?"

Allie blew out a deep breath, afraid to say just about anything, and then shook her head. And now, Gemma narrowed her dark eyes at her, clearly sensing that Allie knew exactly what was going on here, and still opted not to say anything.

"Ma," Jax started, pausing long enough to suck in a harsh breath. "I'm givin' Wendy the house."

Gemma stilled, her eyes glinting like dark shards of ice. She tossed the dish towel in her hand into the sink angrily before turning on her heel to face her son, both hands hitched on her hips in defiance. "You're what?"

"Ma -"

She held out a hand in the air, and Jax dropped whatever he'd been about to say immediately. Jesus, that was like...magic or something. Allie could only marvel at the deft way Gemma handled this man, the way she completely and utterly controlled him in this moment. It was one of the most amazing things Allie had seen in a long time.

"Is she payin' you for your half?" Gemma practically snarled, and even Allie had to take a step back at the danger lurking in Gemma's voice.

Jax just sighed and backpedalled until his hip hit the stove. He kicked his feet out in front of him as he leaned back and crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

When she didn't get the answer she was looking for from her son, Gemma turned her harsh gaze on Allie. "Well? Is she payin' him for his half?"

Whoa, she was not prepared for this tonight. Not one bit. But Gemma's hard glare didn't budge, compelling Allie to respond.

She swallowed hard and tentatively shook her head.

"Jesus Christ," Gemma hissed, knifing her glare back to her son. "I told you to shit or get off the pot with Wendy, not fuckin' give her everything in the goddamn divorce!"

"Well, to be fair," Allie offered softly, sucking in a shaky breath when Gemma swiveled her head to face her. "Wendy's not getting everything, just the house and some other assets that they're splitting."

Allie's gaze shifted to Jax, and she found him staring back at her with gratitude swimming in his blue eyes. Now, she got it. She understood why Jax had asked her to stay for this conversation, even though she felt like she was intruding on a very private discussion between a mother and her son that she had no business being part of.

And, as Gemma's dark eyes darted between the two of them, Gemma seemed to understand it too.

"Okay," she huffed. "I see what this is. You wanted her here," Gemma gestured to Allie as she spoke, "because you think I'm not gonna make a big scene with her standin' here. Because you think she'll be able to help you convince me that you're making the right call when this is probably the stupidest thing you've done in a long, long line of very stupid mistakes, Jackson."

Jax blew out a breath and scrubbed his face with both hands. When his hands dropped to his waist, he shoved them into his front pockets again before glancing up at Allie, a flash of apology flickering across his face. And now she really did get it. Back-up. That's what she was here for. He needed back-up with his mother, and he'd enlisted her.

"I know you don't agree," Jax started again, this time his voice was firm and resolute. "I knew you wouldn't like this. But I...I just needed to give her somethin', okay? It didn't feel right to walk away without making sure she was gonna be okay and -"

"And you think giving her the house is the way to do that? Jesus Christ, Jax! You know what she's gonna do - she's gonna sell the house and inject herself with the cash. You know that, right? That's where this is heading. So nice goddamn job!"

Jax inhaled slowly, careful to keep his expression calm and measured. "You told me what she did wasn't my responsibility. That if she chose to go down that road again, it wasn't my fault. You're right about that, Ma. So if she throws it away and sells the house, that's her problem, not mine."

Her mouth opened to respond, but then she snapped her mouth shut again just as quickly. Allie shifted a little uncomfortably from side to side, feeling more and more like she really shouldn't be here right now. Like maybe she needed to get herself out of this while she still could.

"You know, I..." Allie pushed out, her steps starting to carry her out of the kitchen as she spoke. "I think maybe I should just -"

"Allie," Jax's hoarse voice called to her and she skidded in her tracks. "Just...stay."

Allie glanced up, finding Jax imploring her to stay in the kitchen, willing her not to leave him alone with his mother, and she couldn't bring herself to walk away. But when she dared to shift her focus back to the other person in the room, she found Gemma observing their silent exchange curiously, her eyes darting back and forth between them. Something shifted in the air then, turning this whole situation on its head and flipping it over on its side. The animosity faded from Gemma's face, and she shifted on her heels, but this time, the movement was calmer, less hostile than before.

"Alright," Gemma allowed quietly, but her voice and her eyes were still hard as she narrowed her focus on her son. "But someone still needs to explain to me why you think you need to just throw away your house like that. All that money, Jax, that downpayment you put on it, the money you spent on the furniture...you don't have to walk away with nothing just because you feel guilty."

Jax's eyes dropped to the floor, and he swallowed tightly. His shoulders were hunched a little, almost like the weight of the world had suddenly landed on his shoulders. Pain and guilt twisted his face, and then he ran a hand tiredly over his eyes.

"And what if I said I didn't want the house, Ma?"

Gemma frowned, cocking her head to the side. "What do you mean, you don't want it?"

He sighed again, letting his eyes flicker over Allie for just a second before reluctantly shifting his gaze back to his mother. "That house doesn't mean anything to me. I think you know that. Yeah, I'm paying for it right now, but I've never even really lived there. It was more a crash pad in between nights at the clubhouse anyway. Wendy's lived there for two years - that's her home, not mine. And maybe she deserves to keep it after the shit I've pulled."

Gemma blew out a deep breath, her shoulders falling with resignation. "I suppose I can see where you're comin' from with that."

"It's not my home, Ma, and it doesn't mean anything to me," Jax shook his head resolutely. "The way I see it, I get to unload somethin' that's got nothin' but bad memories for me, and Wendy doesn't get thrown out on the street. What she does with it after that is up to her."

Against all odds, Gemma nodded. It wasn't a happy nod, by any stretch, but it was probably the best Jax was going to get, at least for a while. And then, Gemma tipped her chin toward Allie.

"And you," Gemma told her. "What do you think of all this?"

Allie knew she had to tread lightly here. This really wasn't any of her business, and she didn't really want anything to do with it in the first place. But Jax's swimming blue eyes held her in place.

"You mean...in my professional opinion?" she threw out unsteadily.

"Sure," Gemma nodded, a tiny smile curling the side of her face.

Allie blew out a deep breath, chewing on the side of her cheek in thought. "Well, from a legal standpoint, Jax and Wendy would split the house anyway if he didn't sign it over to her. If Jax wanted to keep it, Wendy would have to pay him for her half to settle that and...I don't know Wendy, but I get the impression she doesn't have the money to do that or good enough credit history to get a loan to pay him?"

She waited, and both Jax and Gemma sent her a tight nod in confirmation.

"So, they'd probably have to sell the house and then split the sale, which, from a financial and legal standpoint would be what I would've recommended, but here we are. It sounds to me like the end goal is for one of them to have the house and live in it, and selling it doesn't solve that either," Allie paused there, choosing her words carefully and very aware of the attention currently focused on her. "If Jax wants to give it to her...it's his property. He's always had good instincts as long as I've known him, and I think it's fair to trust those instincts now."

Something flickered across Jax's face that she couldn't quite reconcile. Maybe that was because she felt like she'd stepped outside her body and was watching this like a fly on the wall, not participating in something she had no business getting involved in. Somehow, Jax had once again strong-armed her into doing what he wanted, only this time it seemed like he'd done it more out of desperation than anything.

"And," Allie added just for good measure. "It sounds like giving Wendy the house will resolve all this faster, maybe make her more willing to cooperate when it comes time to sign the papers and not try to fight it. If that's what it takes to get it over with, and Jax is willing to do it, I guess I don't see a problem with it either."

Gemma studied her carefully, and for a moment, it felt like Gemma was taking meticulous appraisal of everything about her, from her leather booties and her skin, all the way to dissecting every word, every inflection in her voice. Whatever Gemma found in her, she played it close to the chest, giving away nothing, and it was all Allie could do to keep her knees from quaking. Finally, Gemma regarded her son with a cocked eyebrow.

"So where exactly are you plannin' on livin' then?"

A slow, confident grin spread across Jax's face. He knew he'd worn his mother down now - with Allie's reluctant help - and that arrogance, that swagger he wore like armor slid back into place.

He spread his arms out with a smirk. "Right here, Ma. I'm plannin' on movin' back in with you. It'll be just like old times."

Gemma huffed, tossing a dish towel at his face in exasperation, but all the tension had evaporated now. "Like hell you are."

Jax grinned back at her. "There's nothin' wrong with my dorm at the clubhouse for now," he lifted a shoulder, "I'll figure it out eventually."

Gemma nodded with a small smile, even if it didn't quite reach her eyes, and she finally stepped close enough to put a hand on his cheek. "I know you will. You know I just want you to be happy, and if throwin' away your house and all that money you put into it makes you happy, then I guess that's it, huh?"

"Pretty much," Jax grinned back at her.

And it was this moment that Allie knew she'd really gone above and beyond the boundaries of her responsibilities here as Jax's legal counsel. Not like she ever should have been part of this conversation in the first place, but still, it was about that time.

"I, uh..." Allie pushed out a little too roughly. "I think I should probably get going. I was planning on heading to the studio early tomorrow anyway."

"Okay, sweetheart," Gemma smiled back at her with a nod. Her eyes held just a little bit of disappointment, like she'd been hoping Allie would stay longer, but as far as Allie was concerned, she'd stayed about an hour too long. Then Gemma tipped her head toward Jax, "Why don't you walk her out? Make sure she makes it to her car okay."

Protest was right on the tip of Allie's tongue, but Gemma just shook her head at her, signaling that this wasn't up for debate. And at this point, Allie knew better than to try to argue with Gemma, especially in her own house.

So her gaze flicked to Jax. "I just have to grab my purse and say goodbye to everyone."

He nodded silently, and she didn't linger in the kitchen any longer than she had to, hightailing it back to the table where she'd left her purse, and after a hurried goodbye, a few hugs too, Allie walked back into the kitchen. Gemma was murmuring something lowly into Jax's ear, but as soon as she realized Allie was back, Gemma stepped away from her son and headed straight for Allie with her arms open wide.

"Thank you for coming," Gemma murmured in her ear as she squeezed her tight. "I'm glad you could make it."

As Gemma let her arms slip away from Allie's shoulders, Allie found herself smiling back at her. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Any time, sweetheart. Now, you're gonna come back for the next one, right? And bring your roommate too. I really wanna meet that guy now."

"Okay," Allie laughed. "Sure."

They stepped away from each other as Jax held open the side door in the kitchen. Allie waved a little to Gemma before stepping through that side door, knowing Jax was right on her heels.

***

Jax trailed after her, finally feeling like he could really breathe for the first time tonight. He'd known that conversation with Gemma wasn't going to be an easy one, but it'd gone as well he probably could've hoped for. Relatively speaking. With a deep exhale, he felt a little more like himself. A little more like things were really going to be okay.

He slid his cigarette pack out of the front pocket of his flannel shirt, brought one to his lips, and lit it, sucking in a quick hit of nicotine. Now, normalcy felt more within his grasp.

"You know, you could've warned me," Allie called out over her shoulder.

"'Bout what?"

Allie's steps slowed just long enough so she could shoot him an exasperated glance. "Seriously?"

He held up both hands in defense, grinning at her as he took another long drag from his cigarette, careful to blow the smoke away from her. "Alright, alright. I guess maybe that wasn't fair."

She just lifted an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled.

"But in my defense," he laughed. "I figured if I gave you a heads up, that would give you way too much time to consider throwin' me under the bus with Gemma."

Allie's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but her lips still turned up into a soft smile. "I suppose."

"But thank you, by the way," Jax grinned down at her. He liked the way this felt, how easy it was to fall into step beside her. "For havin' my back with her like that. I really appreciate it."

"Well," Allie just shrugged, and he found himself wishing Gemma's driveway was just a little bit longer. "I just told her the truth. That's what you pay me for, right?"

He hesitated at that. It was a cold dose of reality - the reminder that her responsibility to him had more to do with the fact that she was on Samcro's payroll now than anything else. That maybe she'd stayed in the kitchen with him, not because he'd asked, but because she felt like it was part of her job to explain the legalities of his impending divorce to his overbearing, stubborn as hell mother.

And honestly, if that's the way Allie felt, it was probably just easier that way. They really should stay professional and keep their interactions solely to matters at the studio and with the club. But then Gemma went and invited Allie into the fold, and he wasn't sure if there was any coming back from that now. Seeing her sitting at the table, sandwiched easily between Lyla and Piper, sharing stories, laughing with them like it was the most natural thing in the world...it had felt right, having her there.

He didn't know what to do with that. Didn't know how he was supposed to feel or what he was even supposed to do about it.

So, the best he could do was let a grin curl around his lips, and reply, "Sure."

"You know," Allie shot him a quick glance before squaring her shoulders again. "That was actually half-way decent of you - giving Wendy the house, I mean."

"Well," he smirked. "Good to know you think I'm a half-way decent guy."

Maybe, somewhere deep down, it did matter that she thought he was a half-way decent guy. Only a few days ago, she'd referred to him as a dick and an asshole, maybe not to his face, but still...half-way decent was a step in a different direction.

Against his better judgment, he glanced over his shoulder and back at the house. A few of the blinds were open just a hair in the kitchen, and they snapped back into place almost immediately. Jax just shook his head - his mother really needed to get a life.

"So, um," Allie was saying now as they approached her silver BMW. "If you can have Bobby send me the info on those buildings you mentioned earlier, I can get started on that first thing tomorrow."

"Alright," he nodded easily. "I'd like to hear your thoughts."

And, as she opened her driver's side door and slid inside, he realized just how much he meant that. He really did want to know her opinion. This was different than other club business, different than whatever the fuck Georgie Caruso thought he was pulling at the studio...this was real business, legitimate business, and the further he dipped his toes in, the more he realized he didn't really have much experience to light his path. This was exactly why the club hired her in the first place. They needed her to not only draft the deals, but help them make the right deals too.

"Okay," she smiled softly. "We'll be in touch then, I guess."

"Sounds good, darlin'."

Allie rolled her eyes a little, and then promptly shut her car door in his face with a laugh. When she waved before starting her car and driving off, Jax found himself staring down the street long after her car disappeared into the horizon.

He'd managed to go the whole night without finding some excuse to touch her. Granted, he was in his mother's house, surrounded by the club, but he'd missed it. Feeling her stiffen underneath his touch, watching her cheeks flush pink, leaning in close enough to breathe in her musky perfume. Sometimes, he caught a whiff of lavender too.

But, he would never touch her the way he had at the clubhouse ever again. Even he could see that had gone too far, that he'd been too rough, too violent.

Well, Jax thought as a sly grin slipped across his face. I guess I'll only be touching her when it's clear she wants me to.

With that, he flicked some ash from his cigarette, his eyes still lingering on the empty street, and then he headed back inside the house, satisfied with how this night had played out.