Saving Graces

It wasn't a quiet night, nor was it a quiet day. Prior to sitting and eating at the dinner table, Marie had been quaking and nervous as she prepared dinner. She remembered her hands shaking as she placed the tray of brownies in the oven to bake. Marie had been a nervous wreck all day Sunday, wound up as she waited for her company to get there. Then, as she gazed at a pair of two gorgeous blue eyes, she felt calm, and worried and nervous all on a different level.

She snorted, trying to choke back the laughter as her dinner partner for the past week devoured his steak with moans and groans of delight in between. "Jesus, Jackson, you eat like a dying man."

Jax took the time to swallow before taking a drink of the red wine next to him. "Darlin'," he drawled. "Everyday you're living is a day you're dying. 'Sides, you can't ask me to contain myself around your cooking."

With a roll of her eyes, Marie cut neatly into her own grinning as she chewed the piece of meat with more poise than the biker. A comforting silence hovered over the pair as they finished their dinner. It had been like that since the day he took her to the diner after school. They had taken their root beer floats, chatting mindlessly about her first class, then her second, and the way that Alex Walker had the nerve to flirt with her in front of the class.

She smiled to herself as she recalled the way a glint of jealousy and a whole lot of possessiveness overcame him as he yelped angrily, scolding her for not telling the principal about the kid's slight harassment against her. She could only laugh and pat his hand comfortingly as she brushed off the incident and chalked it all up to teenage hormones.

After the diner, she dropped him back off at the clubhouse, parting with only a kiss to the cheek, and a hug. They both tried to ignore the knowing looks and smug grin Queen Gemma had given them as she waved both of them into the lot.

Jax waved a hand in her face, startling Marie. She looked up at him, "Hmm?"

He shook his head and stood up; helping himself to the beer she kept stocked in her fridge just for him. "Nothin'. You just zoned out. What were you thinking 'bout?"

Marie shrugged and scooped some rice onto her fork, eating slowly. "Mm, nothing really. I just—don't you have moments where you just, stop?" She paused for a second, eyeing his curious, laid back stare before continuing, trying to make sense of her thoughts. "Like, everything. Stop talking, stop thinking, stop moving, and you're just there holding your breath when you don't have to? Do you?"

Jax smiled at her. "I get that. Kinda just take a break from everything, even when you don't need it."

Marie nodded and took a dainty sip from her wine glass. "Yeah, that's it. I just had to take a small time out. This week was a really, really good week."

He cleared his throat, leaning forward to rest his forearms against the edge of her black wooden dinner table. He smiled to himself as he took in what she said, all hidden explanations clearer to him than he had anticipated; the week with her was a really, really good week for him too. Jax rubbed his bottom lip thoughtfully before throwing the woman next to him a wide toothy grin. "This week was a really, really good week."

She felt herself blush, but accepted his repeated comment with ease. She heard every word he hadn't said.

He liked spending time with her too.

It was only a Monday, and Gemma was already wishing the week were over.

She spent her entire day trying to update the Teller-Morrow records, scanning files and receipts no more than a year old, then tossing the others into a filing box for one of the prospects to bring to the garage storage room for safe keeping.

When she looked at the clock she let out a long sigh and reached for the cup of lemonade she kept perched on the rusted metal she thought was an excuse for a desk. Deciding to take a much needed fifteen-minute break. When she looked out the door, she noticed lazily that her son brushed off the croweater that pressed a slender tanned hand against his chest as he leaned against his bike. She narrowed her eyes when the blonde batted her fake eyelashes; it was the same bitch that thought she could run her dinner.

"No good porn pussy," Gemma huffed, choosing that moment to reach into her purse. She shuffled through it, before pulling out a cigarette box and a lighter. She lit it up, taking a puff and grinned.

Jax had nodded at Ima before he pushed himself off of the bike, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans before ignoring her and leaving the lot. She knew where he was going; he had been leaving around the same time, everyday for the past week. He never took his bike out when he left either.

Although he hadn't said a word to anyone about where he was going, it was clear to a handful of the Sons where it was he was actually going. Gemma toyed with the idea in her head.

She knew he was going to see Marie, and knew that the pair went somewhere after every school day for the past week. She liked the girl; she knew that Marie would be good for her son. She'd help him get over the doctor, help him stop dreaming, and help him become a better man.

She had thought back to her teasing him when she invited Marie to her dinner a week ago. She saw the way his eyes seemed to follow the girls every move. As much as she enjoyed teasing him about Marie and him dating, and as much as she knew the woman would be good to and for her son, she was wary about it all.

With the Mayans stealing their guns, and loading them up to Timbuktu and Kalamazoo, the club was reaching desperate shambles. She took another drag of her cigarette. She needed Jax to be focused. She needed her son to keep his mind steady and his opinions clear and cut on the idea of improving the club.

The club needed Jax. She loved Clay dearly, but she knew that with his arthritic hands, he wouldn't be riding in more than a few years; five at the most was left in him. Him dating the new girl in town would put a big red target on the back of the school teacher, making her worry for the safety of the club, of Jax and her newfound friend and daughter.

Gemma knew though, that she had to give the girl some credit. The woman was good; she could take care of herself, and although she seemed timid, she knew that Marie had a good backbone to boot. She was a strong and opinionated, and honest. Gemma knew that she could handle the club, and its secrets if she had to, if she was ever faced with the cold truth.

Lazily, she put out the dying bud of the cigarette, and watched as Ima crossed her arms angrily, glaring at the empty entrance of the Teller-Morrow lot that Jax had left only minutes before. Instead of following him though, Ima stomped back into the clubhouse only to leave a few minutes later with her sparkling purse in hand, and the keys to her silver Nissan.

Gemma smirked as she watched Ima peel out of the TM lot. Good riddance.

Marie was good for her son, she decided. And she would help them get together and stay together. Pulling Jax away from something he was attached to or even beginning to get attached to would be like slapping a sleeping, hungry tiger. Stupid, and bad news for everyone involved.

"Right on time," he chuckled as he watched his girl walk down the steps of the high school entrance. He kept his hands shoved in his pockets until she came to a stop in front of him. Marie rolled her eyes and raised a hand to push his shoulder slightly.

"Whatever," she grunted playfully, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag. "At least I'm here!"

Jax let out a snort and swung a toned muscular arm over her shoulders, leading her to her car, like he always would. "Darlin' you could never ditch me."

As they neared the Impala, Marie had reached into her bag for her keys. She bumped her hip into his side playfully, Jax feigning hurt as he swayed only to laugh after. She pulled the keys out with a grin, unlocking the doors before he snatched them from her hand. He winked at her. "I'll drive today."

She raised a brow in curiosity while he shrugged in return. She rolled her eyes with a smile spreading easily across her face. He began to guide her into the passenger seat, holding the door open for her like a gentleman when they heard a loud call for her.

Brown hair fluttered over her shoulders as she turned to look over her shoulders to see Leo chasing after them slightly, his light blue tie fluttering around his neck as he ran. Jax frowned as the man flagged them down. He felt his frown deepen as he came to a stop in front of the pair, Marie reaching out to give a comforting pat to his forearm before slipping down. Before she could completely pull her hand away, Jax let his fingers lace around hers, pulling her into him and tucking her under the safety of his arm.

"Can I help you, Leo?" she questioned curiously, secretly ecstatic of the possessive and jealous emotions Jax was displaying openly. She moved to shut the car door after she placed her bag on the floor of the front seat, separating herself from his side. Just as quickly, Marie had reached out to him after, wrapping a slender arm around his waist, Jax moving his arm up her back and over her shoulder as he pulled her to him again. Leo frowned at the movement, but shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, running a hand through his shining locks. "If I could avoid this, I would but you're the last person I can ask."

She gave him a questioning glance. "Ask for?"

"I need someone to help out with the charity run that'll be on the grounds in a few weeks on Saturday. Perhaps you can man a booth or two. We need people at our table to help with the bake sale; a few people already dug out calling in sick. Do you think you could fill in the shift from 8 in the morning, to around 2 in the afternoon? I'd greatly appreciate it."

Jax frowned, not liking the idea of having even less time to spend with his newfound companion. Marie took no notice however, as she instead smiled and nodded her acceptance of the offer. Jax didn't like the way Leo grinned at her; the man just looked too happy. Clearing his throat, Jax tightened his grip around her waist, causing her to look up with a soft smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Leo. This is Jackson Teller. Jax, this is Leo Graves—the school principal."

Both men took notice that she left out the status of the relationship. Jax felt like the man's grin got wider with the awkward denial of Jackson's status of boyfriend. Jax could only stand taller, pulling Marie as close as he could to him. He watched as the principal raised a thick, muscular hand. Jax took it with his own, giving a firm handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jackson," Leo nodded, his monotonous tone of voice betraying the small smile on his lips.

Jax shrugged. No, it's not. "Yeah; you too. Taking care of my girl here while she's at your school?" Her chocolate colored eyes widened slightly before she moved to elbow him gently at his side.

"Jackson," she chastised, face alight with amusement. He raised a brow and looked down at her and winked before looking expectantly at Leo.

Leo frowned momentarily, before smiling. "Of course. Marie has been well taken care of."

She offered him a nod while Jax grunted. "I'd hope so."

"Jax," she murmured, her free arm moving to pinch his toned sternum. "Knock it off. I'm sorry, Leo. Jackson can be…well—"

Leo, although looking grumpy, could only shake his head and smile at the woman before him. "Not at all," he started, "he's only making sure his woman has the best. Nothing wrong there." She smiled gratefully while the blonde haired man nodded begrudgingly. "Well," Leo said, faking his happiness. He eyed the arm that was wrapped around the current object of his affections with jealousy. "I suppose I should be letting you go then. Thank you again, Marie. You've definitely made my job a whole lot easier."

He had turned away from the pair with a beam that quickly turned into a grimace when his back was faced to them. He heard laughter and turned his head to the right to spare a glance over his shoulder, watching Jax usher Marie into the passenger seat, and close the door. He faced forward again.

The bad boys always get the good girls.

But this time?

This time he was determined to not let it happen.

"He's only jealous," Gemma laughed knowingly. Marie and Jax had gone to the Teller-Morrow home early that evening to have an impromptu dinner. Jax had dragged Clay to the backyard, the men assigned to making dinner while the women made desert. Gemma watched them through the glass sliding doors that lead out to the yard; she watched her son give Clay a slap on the back, a wide grin on his face as they talked about whatever it was they found interesting.

Marie and Gemma were in the kitchen, the women making a platter of brownies and cookies. The former had told the mother-like figure about her day, more centered on Jax's small outburst than anything else. "I know," Marie muttered with a small smile. "It's still a little messed up though; Leo's my boss. He wouldn't do anything."

The women had let silence settle over them, leaving Marie to her thoughts. She remembered how he had laid a claim to her. While Marie and Jax had been hanging out for at least a week, she knew that she didn't want to rush into anything. She was aware that the club was more or less a gang than it was a social call for Harley-bike enthusiasts. Marie recalled when he'd taken calls from the club during their dinner at times, walking away into another room. Her instincts were holding up warning signs and alarms that all but told her he was a part of something dangerous.

She cherished, though, that he seemed to put that all behind him when he was with her. As much as she liked him though, she couldn't help but be worried about what being with him meant—the constant fear, and paranoia of safety and fidelity? She shook her head as she mixed the nearly finished batter; her Jackson wouldn't do that to her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Marie took a break from stirring the mix. She was so confused.

Gemma watched her with a critical eye, seeing emotions run rampant across her companion's face. As Marie poured the mix into the tray, Gemma began to speak. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say though.

"Jax is a good man," her voice started, sure and strong. "He's emotional, and he can be a hot headed jackass, but he's a good man. He's been hurt though; you know it. You can tell; the man is like a wounded animal—defensive. Do you know?"

Marie shook her head, "About?"

"Tara Knowles."

Later that night, after dinner, Jax had taken Marie home on his Dyna. He was pulling up at the small private lot and parked his bike next to her Impala. Steadily, Marie got off the bike, with the man following suit behind her.

He watched as she sighed, unclipping the helmet before. He didn't like the silence that engulfed them; it was different—not at all like the comfortable ones they've had before. He eyed her curiously as she handed him the helmet, leaning in to press a good night kiss to his scruffy cheek. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," Marie nodded thoughtfully, giving him only a slight smile.

He frowned. It didn't meet her eyes.

She had pulled back, her tan-colored fingers reaching out to pat the muscle of his arm before dropping back to her side. "Good night, Jackson."

He let her walk away from him, listening to her boots beat softly against the pavement before he called out quietly. "You been weird tonight. Quiet and all that; you all right, darlin'?"

He received a shrug. "As all right as I can be." When Jax didn't look the least bit convinced, Marie knew there was no getting around it, and no putting it to the side. She tilted her head towards the door. "Come in for coffee, or something?"

Jax gave a glance to the house shrouded in the night sky, "Sure."

He followed her into the house wordlessly, moving easily to take a seat at the island counter she had. Looking around for the small guard dog Marie owned he raised a brow when it hadn't come barreling down the hall like he was used to.

"Where's the dog?" he asked her. She laughed as she began to boil water.

"Next door; the neighbor's son is keeping her for a few days. Wants to prove to his parents that he can have a dog and take care of it."

Marie busied herself making the drinks for them while he waited patiently for an answer to a question he hadn't asked. She debated for a moment, turning the knob to the burner slowly. Preparing the cups, she snorted. There was no safe way to have a conversation of this like, without it being completely awkward.

She turned to face him, curious, and jealous as she thought about what she was going to ask. "Who's Tara?"

"Do you even feel guilty?"

The gruff, lazy drawl came from Clay as he trudged into bed with the intent to snuggle up to his wife. Gemma raised a perfectly shaped brow and tilted her head down. From her perch, she leaned against the mountains of pillows that were spread out neatly against the mahogany headboard. Clay moved to rest his head in her lap, letting a thick arm fall over her duvet-covered legs.

"Feel guilty for what?"

"Bein' a nosy-ass Ma, that's what," Clay grunted. Normally, he didn't give a rats ass about what new pussy his VP shoved his dick in. It was usually a croweater or some hang-around with a nice pair of tits and ass though. This time however, was different because it was Marie. He liked the girl—she was a spitfire, but she was also a young woman that could very well be another distraction.

He didn't need is second-in-command so far chasing tail that he wasn't able to take up his own duty. He noticed that in the past week Jax had spent quite a lot of time around the teacher, picking her up after school, and hanging out at dinner. The club needed its VP, and he was sure, so sure that Marie could do something that Tara was never able to do.

It was only a week, but the way Jax had dedicated himself to her unknowingly, and so naturally, raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He was surprised that Gemma wasn't pushing them away from each other, but to. He shook his head and sighed, as Gemma ran a hand through his hair comfortingly, noting the stress that he carried on the weight of his shoulders.

Thinking that Clay was only trying to help Jax by keeping her out of his affairs, Gemma cooed. "I'm a mother, baby. And momma's don't have to feel guilty trying to set up their sons with a good woman."

Clay grunted and stayed quiet. He saw what she didn't.

Marie could get Jax to leave SAMCRO.

He sat there, swallowing the pool of saliva that gathered in his mouth before letting out a shaky sigh. He really hadn't expected to be having this talk only a week into—well, whatever it was that they were.

Marie sat across from him, her dainty fingers circling the warm cup of chocolate she made herself instead of the coffee she'd given Jax. "I don't expect you to go into a lot of detail; I can understand that this is a touchy subject."

He rolled his eyes in ire and his jaw locked. He looked around the room, glaring at the kitchen knives that sat neatly in its holder next to the kitchen window, under one of the many cherry-wood cupboards that lined the kitchen. He glared at the otherwise bare granite counters and the pristine sink that occupied the room. He looked into her eyes though, her curious doe-brown eyes. He couldn't glare at her. Not at her.

He knew that it was better to talk about this subject now rather than later. Full disclosure, he thought, recalling the words Piney had instilled in him not to long ago regarding the beautiful young woman before him. She deserved to hear it; and he knew that he'd need to come clean about everything else as well.

If they were going to be whatever it was they were going to be, he knew he had to do this. No more running, he told himself. Full disclosure.

Jax felt his shoulders sag in what had to be exhaustion and hurt, recalling who and what Tara Knowles had meant to him. Marie stayed quiet, watching him avoid her steady and strong gaze. She was startled slightly when she heard him clear his throat.

"How'd you find out about her?" he asked her, needing to know which brother to kick in the ass for digging him what may as well have been an early grave. Marie smiled slightly and took a sip of her drink.

"Mother Gemma," she countered. "Momma Bear was protecting you today. We were talking about how Leo made you jealous—"

"Fuck if I was!" Jax huffed, red painting his white cheeks. Marie grinned cheekily and raised a hand to rub his goatee affectionately.

"Yeah, you were," she chortled before continuing. "But then Gemma began to talk about how you were hurt. You were just a good, but wounded, man. She asked me if I knew about Tara."

Jax sighed and reached out to grab her small hand, cradling it in his rough calloused one. "She means nothing to me now," he murmured, running the side of his thumb over her knuckles. "Ain't nothing to me now, babe."

She smiled at him, at his light-hearted endearment. She couldn't help but notice the wide berth of his statement though, hearing everything he hadn't said. "She meant a lot to you though, huh?"

He conceded, pulling his hand back to rub his gruff chin. "Meant too much, darlin'." He had paused, allowing her to think about his statement before mustering all the strength he could. "Do you want to know? Everything?"

She blinked at him, and nodded.

She knew that whatever he was going to say, whatever he wanted to say, went beyond just Tara Knowles and the damage she did to him.

He chuckled softly, and stood up, taking his and her cup to the sink before guiding her to her living room. He sat down on the couch, the seat sinking with his weight. Pulling Marie to his side, Jax wrapped his arm around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, focusing on his calming heartbeat. Jax sighed.

"It's a long story," he warned. Marie shrugged and turned to look up at him, staring into his ocean blue eyes.

Giving him an encouraging smile, she pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips. "We have nothing but time, darling."

"You're joking, right? Like, seriously, you have to be joking."

Drew Connor, prospect of the SAMTAC charter questioned, running his hands through the small curls of his head. He watched as the croweater rolled her eyes and took a bite out of the cheeseburger they had picked up from a McDonald's on the way to Southern California. They had been traveling for two days now, constantly stopping to feed and rest. Wendy Case swallowed the giant bite and reached to take a drink of her soda. "Dead serious, prospect. He's the father."

Drew nearly whimpered. Inside, he was weeping and wallowing, just because he knew he was screwed.

When he agreed to take her down to the SAMCRO charter, all he knew was that she was pregnant and the father of the baby needed to take care of her. All he knew was that the man had come down on a run not to long ago, but he wasn't sure whom. He asked Lief if he was allowed to take her down and all the robust man told him was to get the bitch out of the clubhouse and to do it fast. For someone who dragged the bitch here, he certainly didn't care about her at all.

Drew let out a nasty groan and began to pull at his hair. "You're fucking insane, do you know that? What happens on a run stays on a fucking run!"

Wendy rolled her eyes and continued to eat her burger, ignoring the panicking man beside her. What was she supposed to do? When she found out she was pregnant the last thing she wanted to do was ask for help from anyone. But she couldn't handle the amounting doctors bills' and fees for everything else.

She knew it, and it was not something she (or anyone for that matter) would ever be proud of, but she could barely take care of herself!

She watched Drew pace, and didn't feel an ounce of guilt for the strain she was putting him through. She knew that the men of SAMCRO could beat him within an inch of his life for dragging around that woman into the original county lines. E was breaking one of the most important and luxurious rules a Son could have. Runs meant cheating and not being able to get caught. If this Son had a wife, or some other bitch on his arm, Drew was as good as dead.

She stood to throw away her trash, and situated herself back onto the bike. Drew begrudgingly saddled back over his Roadster and angrily started the engine. "Fucking crazy bitch," he muttered as he slowly pulled out of the lot of McDonald's. "Gonna get me killed."

Wendy ignored him though.

Instead, she focused on the fact that she was going to see Jax Teller, and although she was worried about seeing him again, she couldn't help but feel happy. He hadn't so much as looked at another woman when he was with her in Tacoma, and he hadn't bothered taking another woman with him to bed either. He liked her, and she could feel it.

Wendy sighed.

Perhaps, this was a chance for a good start for a new life. A home, a family; man and wife and child…

She smiled, wrapping her arms tighter around the angry biker she hitched a ride with. Just maybe, things would work out for her, just once.

She didn't know how to accept what he was saying, but she knew she had no other choice. Marie took a deep breath, wrapping her arms tighter around Jax's fit and toned midsection.

"She left you?" she echoed softly, not bothering to look up at his face. She relished in the touch of his hands weaving their way through her brunette strands. "And you just let her?"

He huffed, and she could feel his chest puff out slightly in frustration. "I didn't just let her. She didn't give me the chance; when I wanted to talk about it more, she just up and left."

There was no sound in her house. It was quiet, and the only source of light came from the kitchen where they were earlier. She tried to take in every single thing he said.

Tara had gotten accepted in to college, and left Jax. Jax was a part of a motorcycle club under the pretense of being Harley enthusiasts, and was actually gunrunning. She snorted. Well, they were gunrunning up until some Mayan's decided to take every bit of their merchandise. They were still trying to get their current buyers to wait and let them rebuild their franchise again, but they didn't know how long they could wait.

That was all it was in a nutshell. She shuddered inwardly, incapable of thinking of her Jackson as a man who was able to kill with intent. "Why did you tell me about the club?" she asked him. She felt him tense under her, but only held onto him tighter, rubbing the side of her face onto his chest comfortingly. Jax kissed the top of her forehead.

"Full disclosure," he mumbled. "If I want us to work, and good God do I want us to work, I've got to tell you everything. SAMCRO is dangerous," he warned her. He let the fact sink in, waiting for her to pull away or reject him. Yet, when he received none, he continued, his raspy low voice flowing gently through her ears. "We're dangerous, but we don't kill without reason. I don't kill without reason. I'm a bad man, darlin'. I can understand if you don't want this anymore, but I can't lie to you. I can't tell you nothing, and expect you to understand everything because of it."

Marie felt her heart jump through her throat and back down to her stomach, beating quickly and wildly. Jax gave her no time to reply as he kept going, however, his grip seemingly tighter than before. "I like you, Em. I really, really like you. Tara has nothing to do with me anymore, and I want nothing to do with her. You're not a rebound. You're more than that. And I'm telling you about SAMCRO because I am SAMCRO; I bleed SAMCRO. I need you to know that I'm always going to be with or dealing with something about the club. I need you to know now that I'm not a monster. I'm not. I need you to know everything because if you know nothing then we can never work out."

She stayed quiet for some time, letting his words of affection; worry and fear stretch its way through her system and mind, clouding every single thought. He liked her, and she knew without a doubt that she felt the same. She knew that at some point, her Jackson was going to be dealing with club things that could change him, or hurt him, or break him. And she knew that in his own subtle way, he was asking her to be there for him, to help him so that if he does change, it's for the better. If he does get hurt, she'll bandage him up; and if he does break, she'll pick up the pieces.

And she'll fix him. She hummed, and nodded, pressing a small hand to his chest. He wrapped his hand around hers, and raised it to press a kiss to her fingertips before rubbing soothing circles onto her palm. "Tara," she started softly but bravely. "You didn't tell her everything?"

He grunted. "Didn't tell her much; just that we did bad things. She didn't know how deep I was into SAMCRO, but she wanted me to change. She wanted a safer life, and a better one and I couldn't give that to her. I'm a drop out, babe. Hated school then, and I hate school now." With a dead chuckle, Jax moved so he situated himself more comfortably against the couch. His back was getting stiff. "I don't understand how you'd want to go back to school to teach a bunch of bratty hormonal kids."

She swatted him on the chest, light laughter filling the tense air around them, alleviating some of the stress. "Stop," she scowled playfully. She turned to look up at him, watching him grin and wink at her, before pressing a kiss to her cheek. "That's horrible," she huffed quietly. Marie had shifted to sit up next to him, and took his face into her hands. She pressed a palm against each cheek, forcing him to keep a steady gaze. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead, then his nose, and then his lips. Pulling back she nodded at him. "You're not a monster," she acknowledged. She continued to cradle his face. " You're just a good, but wounded, man."

Jax stilled himself, recalling the phrase from their conversation in the kitchen. "Will you stay?" he asked her, pulling her closer to him. His front pressed against her front.

Jax frowned when she didn't answer. He felt his heart beat faster with every second she didn't speak.

Marie smiled and moved a delicate hand from his cheek to trace the edge of his lip with a soft fingertip. She pressed a kiss to his lips again before pushing away.

As they stared into each other's eyes, they knew that the conversation was far from over. But it was a good start.

It was a really, really good start.

She moved first; standing slowly, she tugged her shirt down as it had ridden up slightly. She reached forward and pulled his hand, leading him to her bedroom. Jax slipped his shirt off, and kicked off his shoes as neatly as he could before tugging his jeans off. He crawled into her bed, watching as Marie disappeared into the bathroom with a handful of clothes only to return moments later in just a simple t-shirt and shorts. He tugged her to him when she was done tossing her laundry into the basket in the corner.

They cuddled under the warm duvet, the cool air from the outside bothering them none. He wrapped his arms around her again, securing her snug at his side. Jax toyed with a strand of her hair.

"Will you stay?"

He couldn't really see her smile, but as he felt her cheeks widen against his firm and taut chest, he knew that she was. Marie nodded at his side, pressing a soft kiss to his bare chest.

"For as long as you'll let me."