Let It Be Me

Although Austin wanted to sit down and talk things out right away, Jax insisted she take a shower and calm down first.

"Give yourself a chance to breathe first, Aus."

She knew he was right. And, after having Dougie's filthy hands on her, she'd be back to washing herself multiple times for a while, she guessed. It had passed before, it would pass again.

Once out of the shower, she put on the SAMCRO shirt Jax had put her in the night of the Mayan attack and her favorite pair of sweats. She braided her hair, securing it with an elastic band before walking back to the living room. Jax was seated on the couch, elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked.

Jax looked up and sighed. "Tell me why that guy was here."

Austin took a deep breath and sat next to him. "He was a fed. I didn't know that when he came to ask me out. I had just come from work, seeing that blonde leave the clubhouse, and I wanted to get back at you. So I said I'd go out with him. Something wasn't right about it though; he kept asking all these questions about me, what I was doing here in Charming, about Teller-Morrow, about my connections to the club. I didn't tell him anything that wasn't common knowledge, just thought maybe he was some wannabe prospect or something. Then, we got back here and, just before you showed up, his badge fell out of his pocket as he stood up from the couch."

"Smooth operator," Jax snorted.

"I know," Austin smiled. "That was their last ditch effort to get me to spill what I knew about the MC. What gets me is that they think I'll spill so easily, and they think I know what they want to know."

"They're sneakier than you think. They'll use any little thing and run with it."

"I know," she replied, taking a deep breath. "You have to understand, all of this is why I pushed you away. I couldn't be the reason SAMCRO got shut down."

"I get that. You did a good job pushing me away."

Austin's breath caught in her throat and the unfamiliar sting of tears formed behind her eyes. "Did I push you too far?"

He looked over to see her teary eyes and shook his head. His hands cradled her face, and her eyes closed with an overwhelming sense of relief. Jax smiled. This was how it was supposed to be – with a girl coming out of nowhere and turning him from hardened outlaw to a big softie whenever he looked at her.

"I really am not a crybaby, but somehow you've probably seen and heard me cry more than anyone in my whole life," Austin chuckled.

Jax laughed quietly. "Yeah, I know. That tough girl thing is one of many things I like about you."

"Kind of had to grow on you though, huh?"

"Nah," Jax said, wrapping his arms around her and laying her head on his chest. "You know, that feeling I had about you, Austin, when you first came to Charming … I thought it was so negative because I didn't want you there. Because you were trouble."

"But I was trouble. I was coming to rat you out."

"Well, you changed your mind on that. The truth's out now. And, over the last few weeks I've realized that I wasn't angry you were around; I was scared. I guess somehow I knew you were going to break me."

She looked up at him and smiled. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to all this vulnerable honesty."

He grinned back at her. "Trust me, baby. Being an old lady, wanting to know what you want know, you're going to get a lot of honesty you don't want to hear."

Austin raised her eyebrows, a smirk on her face. "Old lady?"

"Am I wrong?" Jax asked, pulling her closer.

"Well," Austin replied, "I don't know what Kip's going to say."

"I think," Jax said, brushing his lips against hers, "that your brother is just going to have to deal with it."

With that, he pressed his lips fully against hers. Finally, there was no hesitation for either of them. With no more secrets, no more hiding, Austin felt like she was free to let herself be as involved in the club life as Jax would let her.

.:.

She woke up the next morning and, feeling the weight of someone's arm over her hip, panicked slightly. She took a deep breath, and his now familiar smell filled her nose. The panic resided and she pushed herself back against his chest.

Jax groaned and rolled to his back. "What time is it?"

"Time to wake up," Austin answered. She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed before being pulled back under the covers.

"Don't go yet," Jax smiled, kissing her neck. "Let's be late."

Austin laughed. "Why so I can stay here and get naked with you?"

"Exactly," Jax answered.

She laughed again and kissed him fiercely, rolling over so that she was straddled over him. Jax pushed his fingers through her hair, tugging a little bit and eliciting a moan from Austin. She dug her fingers into his chest and let her lips linger before coming up for air.

"Except that I have a lot of work to do at the garage," she said, scooting off of the bed from the other side and heading for the bathroom.

Jax growled, sitting up. "That's just unfair. That really was a low blow, Aus."

She simply smiled at him. "I'll be ready quick. You can give me a ride to work with you."

Jax nodded in agreement, then got out of bed and pulled on his pants. He'd never wanted someone so bad in his life. This one, though, he wouldn't rush. He would take his time and let her know he wasn't just in it for a piece of ass.

"Oh fuck," he muttered to himself. "That's never happened."

She really was turning him into a fucking softie.

.:.

They rode onto the Teller-Morrow parking lot amidst a chorus of hoops and hollers. Apparently no one had missed out on the fact that once Jax took Austin home the night before he didn't come back – not that they expected him to return.

Kip met them first, smiling at his sister the way only big brothers can smile at little sisters to make them blush. Austin's cheeks did indeed tinge pink.

"Give it up, Kip," she said. "You knew this was coming."

He laughed and hugged her. "Of course I did, but now that it's actually happened, it's even better."

"I'll leave you two to your discussion," Jax said. "I need to go talk to Gemma."

He laid a sweet kiss on Austin's lips before walking away, giving Kip even more ammo to make fun of her. She swatted at him, but he dodged the strike.

"I just hope you were safe," Kip teased. "I don't know if the world could take any more Tellers at this point in time."

Austin rolled her eyes. "That didn't happen, so you don't need to worry."

Kip frowned. "It didn't?"

Austin turned to him and spoke quietly. "Kip, in the last three months, I've had two guy try and force themselves on me. Thank God they didn't go all the way with it, but I about had a heart attack just waking up in bed with Jax this morning."

Kip's expression turned serious, and he squeezed her shoulder. "All right, sis. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed that issue."

Austin shrugged. "You didn't push it, I'm just setting the record straight from the beginning."

Kip nodded. "Fair enough. Now, let's get in the garage. I can think of a few other guys who'd like to give you some shit about this."

.:.

Gemma was leaned back in her chair, smirking, when Jax walked in. He had that look of a little boy who wants his mother to be proud of him but doesn't want to brag.

"About time you and that girl worked things out," Gemma said.

Jax nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right. I was so wrong about her. I should have seen what was going on a lot sooner."

Gemma shook her head. "There's no way you could have known. Austin is obviously pretty good at hiding what needs to be hidden and playing a role when necessary. That's what makes a good old lady."

"Yeah. She about jumped out of her skin when we woke up this morning."

"Why?" Gemma asked. "What did you do?"

Jax snorted. "What makes you think it was my fault? I think she's just not used to it."

"Don't rush her, Jackson," Gemma warned. "She's gone through a lot in the last few months. You're liable to push her away if you move things too fast."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Jax replied, pushing from the chair and kissing her on the cheek. "I better get to work."

"Hey, I need you to go by storage for me today. Luann's got a couple of boxes in there that she needs. They've got her name on them."

"All right, I'll take them over there."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Jax walked back outside, heading for the garage. A few of the guys gave him shit about Austin, but she quickly piped up, reminding them that she was there and they could all shut their mouths – but she said it with a smile.

"I've got to go to the storage unit later on for Gemma," Jax told her. "Think Kip can give you a ride home?"

"Sure," she shrugged.

He resisted the urge to kiss her in front of everyone and went to his own work. There would be plenty of time later for kissing her.

.:.

"Think you can get that oil change done before you get out of here?" Clay asked Austin as the sun was setting.

Austin nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem."

"All right. I need to send the guys on some club business but that car's got to be ready to go first thing in the morning. Gemma will take you back to our place after you're done, that way you girls can talk … whatever it is you girls talk."

"All right, Clay. Y'all be safe."

"Always," he answered, kissing her forehead.

Austin grabbed a rag and an oil pan and rolled a creeper over to the car Clay had pointed out. Oil changes were an easy task. While she waited for the oil to drain, her phone rang. She wiped her hands on the rag and reached for it.

"Wondered when I'd hear from you," she smiled.

"Yeah," Jax replied. "I was at the storage unit longer than I thought, I guess. I'm headed to meet Clay and them. Can you have Gemma take you home?"

"Clay already talked to me about it. I'm doing an oil change, then Gemma's taking me to her place to wait for you guys."

Jax sighed. "All right. I'll see you later on."

"You okay?"

"Sure," he answered. "Just fine, darlin'. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"All right. Be careful."

"Of course."

He ended the call without saying anything else, and Austin frowned. She'd been around Jax long enough now to know when he was out of sorts. There was nothing she could do about it just then, so she went back to the oil change.

.:.

Jax pulled up next to Clay in the driveway, letting out a deep breath as he removed his helmet. What was supposed to be a simple business meeting with the Mayans had turned into all hell breaking loose. Blood that wasn't necessary had been spilled, and not just from the Mayans.

"Neither of these women is going to be too happy," Clay told him. "Better let me tell them what happened."

Jax gave him a look just short of a glare and walked up to the house, holding his side. Austin had heard the bikes pull up, so she was waiting for him just inside the door.

"What happened?" she asked, smile immediately turning to a frown.

Jax looked to Clay and pushed back to the bathroom. Austin didn't wait for Clay's explanation as Gemma did; she went after Jax.

"I don't want to hear from Clay," she demanded as she helped him off with his cut and his hoodie. "I want you to tell me what happened."

Jax winced as she lifted his shirt to see where the bullet had grazed the side of his abdomen. Her eyes went to his, full of panic and worry.

"Jackson, are you all right?" Gemma demanded as she approached the bathroom.

"I'm all right, Mom. Austin's going to patch me up, then we'll go back to her place to get some rest. Don't worry, all right?"

Gemma told Austin where to find the first aid supplies, then did the hardest thing for a mother – especially Gemma Teller – to do. She went back to the kitchen to wait with Clay. Had it been any other girl, Gemma might not have been able to leave, but she trusted Austin and knew that her son was in good hands. Jax would always be her baby, but she had to let Austin have her moments if she wanted Jax to stick it out with this girl.

"Close that door," Jax instructed Austin.

"You're going to have to hold your shirt up," Austin told him.

Jax waited a few seconds while she began to clean the wound, then took a deep breath. "We were supposed to be meeting the Mayans on some business with the guns. Needless to say, it got ugly. Alvarez thinks we're holding out on giving him a good deal."

Austin frowned. "Are you?"

Jax shook his head. "We don't keep the peace that way. The shooting didn't last long, but I kind of walked into this pushing Ope out of the way."

"I guess your cut was out of the way, but I'm amazed that it got through your hoodie and your shirt and only grazed you."

"Don't let this freak you out, Aus. I'm going to be fine."

"This isn't the first time I'm patching you up," she reminded him. "Just because I'm worried doesn't mean I'm freaking out."

Jax smirked and tilted her chin towards him. "You're kind of adorable when you care."

Austin rolled her eyes but accepted his kiss. "Now sit still or I'll never finish this."

Jax did as he was told. When she was done, he inspected the bandages for himself and was impressed. "Maybe we should send you to nursing school or something."

"Fat chance," Austin said. "My school days are over."

She reached for the door but Jax caught her hand. "Listen, when we get back to your place, there's something I want to show you. Something I found in storage today."

Austin wasn't sure what he was talking about, but apparently she was going to find out. "All right."

"And I'm telling you this now because I need to not be around Gemma and Clay just now. I need to make it quick, getting out of here, and I need you to play along."

"All right," she replied slowly. "Everything's okay though, right?"

"We'll see," Jax answered, opening the bathroom door.