Saving Graces

She checked her outfit twice that day. And then three times the day before that. Even as she told herself it was a good choice for wear on her first day of school, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She remembered tugging on the three-quarter sleeves of the gray cardigan that was buttoned over a fitting plain purple tank top. She took in the dark wash jeans and the only pair of boots she took with her. She remembered looking into the mirror, a look of fierce determination on her face.

She was ready.

When Marie had made her way through the empty halls of Charming High School, she clutched her own backpack filled with her lesson plans and hand outs for the rest of the week.

She stood in front of the mahogany door labeled Principal's Office and knocked loudly, entering when she heard a voice boom from behind the closed door. "Come in!"

Pushing down her nerves, Marie turned the knob and pushed the door open, smiling at the young man behind the desk. He looked to be no older than thirty, black hair combed into a neat mop on top of his head. He had a strong jaw, she noted, high cheekbones and a nice set of pearly whites to boot. His blue eyes squinted slightly as he smiled at her.

Nothing compared to Jackson's though, she thought to herself. Feeling herself heat up at the cheeks, Marie brushed off the sudden thought of the biker and entered the room.

"Hi there," the man grinned brightly. He stood, his six-foot muscular stature hovering over her. Holding out his hand for her to shake, he continued to speak, "You must be Marie Romero. Really, it's wonderful to meet you. I'm sure you'll make a great addition to our team. I'm Leo Graves, the principal of CHS."

Marie nodded and reached for his hand, giving him a firm handshake, "I'm only grateful that you've allowed me to teach here. I really hadn't expected you to agree to having me teach over a Skype Interview, but I'm thankful nonetheless."

Leo nodded with a smirk, "Well, your attitude, and genuine desire to help the students made me and the rest of the board say yes in a heartbeat."

He had shoved one hand into the pocket of his pristine black slacks, stretching his arm out to give view of the watch hiding under the sleeve of his crisp plain blue dress shirt. Rolex, Marie noted with a raised brow. "It's 6:15AM right now, so we could take a tour of the school, perhaps even grab breakfast at the cafeteria afterwards. Contrary to the belief, our cafeteria food actually does not suck."

When she laughed whole-heartedly, Leo motioned her to walk out of the office first, holding the door open for her like a gentleman. With a grin, Marie waited for her boss to lead the way, her hands shoving themselves into the pockets of her gray cardigan. As they walked down the hallway first to her classroom, Marie felt calmness settle around her. Leo looked down and smiled at her as they turned a corner.

She was sure she'd enjoy teaching here.

--

When he trudged his way down the hall from the dorms to the clubhouse, Jax let himself smile as he remembered the simple conversations he had with Marie. He stretched lazily before moving to the bar, making himself a cup of coffee. He saw the clock and idly noted that it was only 10:36AM.

"Boy, you're up real late this mornin'," Piney grunted as he took a seat next to Jax at the bar counter. With practiced ease, Piney reached over the counter to pull out a bottle of tequila. "Damn," the outlaw grunted. "Almost empty."

Jax grinned with a shake of his head, "Old Man," he baited. "Normal people drink coffee in the morning, not tequila or Samuel Adams."

Piney shrugged and poured himself a drink, frowning when he realized that the one shot glass emptied the bottle. "Normal people date nice women, not shove their dicks into any available hole."

Not caring for the stinging retort, Jax took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, brother, but us outlaws don't deserve 'nice women'." A cloud of silence settled over the pair. Piney had reached behind the counter again, only to grab another empty bottle of tequila. Jax could only continue to drink his coffee idly, heaving a sigh every now and then.

Taking the time to assess the man next to him, Piney stood up to make himself coffee for the first time in years. He had poured the brew into a porcelain cup, adding sugar and cream to remove the bitterness. He saw how tired Jax looked—how much of a shell he had truly become.

Piney could count on one hand how many times Jax needed help, and even then he was never so exhausted. He was never so stressed out, and he was never so subdued. As a child, Jax was a leader; he was outspoken, tough, and brave. He was loud, friendly, and caring.

When he had met Tara, everyone seemed to know that the woman would break him. Everyone seemed to know that she wasn't cut out for the life of a SAMCRO old lady. She was too conscientious of what the world thought about her, when it didn't even care much for her existence.

When she left, she had taken every bit of life Jax ever had with her. He had become so dependent on her that he lost himself when he had to go without her. Recalling the way he warmed up quickly to Marie last night, Piney had to wonder if this man could take any more heartache. Letting out a sigh of his own, Piney gruffly called out to Jax.

"You're like a son to me, Jackson. And you may think that no one paid any attention to you last night, but you are very, very wrong. Opie, Chibs and I saw how Tig joking around with Marie made you angry. We all saw how you tried to avoid any contact with her through the night, and we all saw when you cracked and just let yourself relax. Son, I have nothing against that woman, but I really hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Last thing you need is another pussy to throw you off the rails."

Jax chuckled dryly, "Yeah, Piney, I get that."

Piney nodded, "What are you gonna do about it?"

With a lazy shrug, Jax finished his coffee with one last swallow. He turned and leaned against the counter, facing the Chapel. "Don't know what I'm gonna do, or where this is gonna go. I'm not going to lie to you brother, talking with Marie made me feel normal. She's a nice girl, but…"

Remembering the weight of his words, the old man allowed himself to put his coffee down and rest a comforting hand on his surrogate son's shoulder. "Outlaws don't deserve 'nice women'."

Jax nodded sourly, "Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

After Piney finished his drink, he placed both cups in the sink behind him; the prospects would get to it later. Silence covered the pair again; only this time, Piney moved to head to the dorms for a shower. Just as he reached the corner, he turned to Jax.

"It's true," Piney started. "Bad men like us don't deserve nice women. It was even just one night. But Jackson, you are a good man, like your father; and I'll be damned if I see you end up with some trashy croweater as a wife. If you decide to get with this young lady, you treat her right son, full disclosure and all. I'm sure she'll stay with you. She won't have any reason to leave if you do."

As Piney left the room, Jax couldn't help but wonder if the words his second father spoke, was some sort of hidden regret.

--

While Piney had left to do whatever it was he was going to do, Jax found himself sitting at the counter drinking another cup of coffee before heading back to his dorm room for a shower. Afterwards, he had put on a clean set of jeans; a blue faded SAMCRO t-shirt, and his white sneakers before heading out. While it had been cool last night, the California heat decided to visit early afternoon.

He didn't have a destination, not that he knew of anyway. At least, that was what he was telling himself. His stare was mostly concentrated on following the cracks in the cement, occasionally looking up to make sure he wasn't going to walk himself into a tree. He heaved a sign and raised a hand to wipe away the sweat that was beginning to form.

He was sweltering.

He only kept walking though, taking a left down one street, then a right at the next corner. He was headed nowhere in particular, and with the conversation with Piney replaying in his head; Jax came to realize how fitting and metaphoric his little walk really was.

Thinking back to the dinner last night, Jax could recall the smallest actions Marie had made, refreshing the memories of the dreams he had of her before. He could remember the way she'd scrunch her nose and squint her eyes in disgust when one of the guys would say something completely ridiculous. Or, he smiled to himself, the way she'd giggle and laugh when she caught the odd ends of the many conversations between Tig and Juice.

Jax could even recall the way she'd run her dainty hand through her hair, twirling a curl absentmindedly before letting her hand rest idly on her lap. He knew her for a few weeks in his dreams, with one night in reality, and he had no clue why it was happening to him in the first place.

Whether or not he needed someone to heal from the pain and tragedy that was Tara Knowles, Jax was never superstitious. He didn't believe in magic, and he didn't believe in fate.

But having an actual dream girl? Not even the coined term 'coincidence' could explain that one. He swallowed the pool of saliva that gathered at the back f his mouth when he made a left on the corner of 9th Avenue and Luisen Road. Suddenly finding himself under the cooling shade of an oak tree, he took the time to relax and enjoy the smallest of breezes that made its way through Charming.

He leaned calmly against the gate as he welcomed another breeze. As he looked around, it took him seconds to notice the familiarity that was etched into the streets. Jax heard the loud ringing bell, and pulled out his pre-paid slightly to note that all public schools were just about letting the students out for the day.

As students left the school, he wasn't sure what to do, so he just stayed where he was, looking off into the distance. Schoolgirls eager for the bad-boy to fall in love with them in an epic romance giggled, and pointed at him as they grouped together. He saw some walking across the streets, and then others teetering on the sidewalks all trying to get his attention. He shuddered inwardly; robbing the cradle was not something he was about to do.

He ignored the whispers, instead allowing himself to light up a cigarette and smoke in peace. He supposed, taking in a long drag of his miniature escape, that allowing his subconscious to lead him to the high school was a terrible idea. He mused, remembering the lightest giggles and bright-eyed smiles she shot to him last night. As he saw her head down the steps of the school, Jax grinned slightly. Perhaps this little random visit will actually be the best terrible idea he's ever had.

--

"I think I like it here so far," Marie commented loudly. Leo stood at the entrance of her classroom, watching her with a thoughtful stare. He smiled at her admittance.

"I'm glad that you do," he replied. Walking smoothly into the room to sit at the edge of her desk, Leo took in Marie's swift like movements, as if she were gliding across the room. He enjoyed the way she seemed to dance as she walked around, clearing off the lab tables in the back of the room, and straightening the desks. He took in her delightful curves, and the brown—almost black—hair combed neatly into a ponytail. He smiled brightly at her when she placed a stack of chemistry textbooks onto her already cluttered desk. He grinned, "Your first day and you're already swamped."

Marie gave him a grin and began to clear her desk, neatly fixing the worksheets she needed to grade. "The life of a teacher is never that easy," she said, tucking the papers into a manila folder before slipping it into her bag.

Leo shook his head, both of them walking to the exit, "No, it's not."

Like a gentleman, Leo walked head slightly, and then opened the door for her. She smiled gratefully, quietly accepting his small invitation to the parking lot. "Where there any students troubling you today?"

He knew there must have been—what with her body and voice and her in all, being the issue. Leo grinned when she laughed as she nodded. "You should have warned me that Andrew Mathis was a horn dog."

With a chuckle in response, they exited the building. "Just hormones of a teenaged boy, Ms. Marie," came the drawl. As they walked down the steps of the school entrance, he noted Marie stopped, staring not too far off by the gate. He frowned when he saw the tell tale blonde hair stopping at the shoulders. However, his frown deepened when he saw traces of a smile begin to form on his new companions' face. As Marie had taken to heading straight for the outlaw having at the door, Leo could only watch grimly.

It was always the bad boys who got the good girls.

Always.

--

"Hey," Jax grinned, putting out his cigarette. Marie returned his obvious joy. She came to a stop in front of him and tried to ignore the butterflies that seemed to gather at the pit of her stomach.

"Hey yourself," she bantered playfully. "What are you doing here?"

Marie watched as he shrugged his shoulders with a small tilt of his head. Jax gave her the truth, "Not sure, darlin'. Took a walk and just sorta' ended up here."

He waited with baited breath, watching her shift from one foot to the other, a small bead of sweat dripping down her neck to only slow at the dip of her collarbone. Under his gaze, Jax saw her blush more like a schoolgirl would as opposed to being the teacher.

He liked that he was able to make her blush with only a stare.

At his smug smile, Marie straightened herself. "Well darling," she mocked playfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you knew you'd end up here."

She felt like she had to hold her breath. Such a bold statement, however, could only receive a lazy shrug and another smug grin.

"Whatever you say, babe," Jax chuckled. Inside, he was a mess though; whatever it was that was causing the verbal diarrhea (he was pretty sure it was her) was killing him. The nerves he felt doubled as he let the endearment slip, but faded just as quickly as they came when he got no rejection.

Instead, Marie gave him a coy smile and color flowing to her cheeks. Not giving her time to respond, Jax coughed slightly. "What do you say we get outta here? There's a diner down the street not to far from here that serves the best root beer floats in town."

Marie turned to look over her shoulder, noting the frustrated look on Leo's face but she can't bring herself to care. With a wave to him, she turned to face Jax fully. A tug on the sleeve of his shirt made Jax grin. He pushed himself off of the fence and rest a thick hand against the small of her back.

He groaned as the sun hit his stature, making Marie laugh loudly at his pout. He lead her to her Impala, patiently waiting as she unlocked the doors.

"It's like a fuckin' furnace out here!"

--

It was hot today.

She had the air conditioner on full blast in her apartment. The windows shut tight to keep the cool air in and the burning heat out. She heaved a sigh and tossed herself onto her bed, wrapping her arms around a pillow that smelled of stale cigarettes and beer.

Three weeks ago, she caught the eye of one man; one delicious, amazing, cute and sensitive man. She holed up with him, sharing joints, stories, and having what had to be the best sex of her life. There was something about him, about that man, which made it so easy to be with him. Maybe it was that wry smirk that he threw her way any time he took a swig from his beer. Maybe it was the way his rough, calloused hands gripped her hips and hands when she was near him. Or perhaps, it was the way he touched her.

She was a nightlife kind of girl. She liked the lights, the dancing, the heat from bodies and the scent of alcohol, smoke and sweat from bodies pressed up against each other. She liked being able to make her own choices. She liked being able to decide whether or not she'd take a hit that day, or the next, or really any time she wanted.

Idly, she wondered when the last time it was that she was able to do any of that; make a decision for herself, and only herself. She stared at her shaking hands, the veins and bones popping up slightly. What used to be tanned skin was now so pale and white. She chuckled to herself; she hadn't gone out in days, not since she found out.

She didn't know. All she knew was that she missed the normalcy he gave her. She missed the simplicity that was he and her as they holed up at one of the dorm rooms, wrapping a blanket around their otherwise uncovered bodies. She missed him.

Yet, as she lay there in her stingy room, light barely making its way through her charcoal tattered curtains, she knew that would all change.

It had to change.

She also knew that she couldn't do any of it alone.

Blonde hair laid spread out across the pillow she kept close to her. Then, with a resigned sigh, she pushed herself off of the mattress. Grabbing a bag, she opened it and random drawers of her dresser. She grabbed anything; t-shirts, jeans that could still fit, and underwear. She filled a pocket with snacks and cash, the other with various pills she knew she needed.

When she was packed, enough, to her knowledge, she grabbed the pre-paid phone she kept with her. She gave a quivering breath as she dialed a number she had memorized. It only rang twice before a gruff voice came through the line in a sour greeting.

"Hey," the blonde huffed, zipping up the duffle bag, "I need a favor."