Venomous (Jax Teller)

eleven

Julia sang quietly under her breath as she hammered up a painting on the wall. She had been working the past week to make sure everything was set up in the new house. Everything she put in it was for her mom. The pretty paintings, the floral decorations. It almost looked like some old lady's home, but she knew it would make her mom happy. It wasn't as if she didn't add her own flare to her room or in the hidden guns around the house or the extra locks on the doors.

AC/DC blasted from the radio, drowning out everything from the outside, even the sound of the door opening and Jax stepping inside. She had given him an extra key. He had stayed by enough times helping her move the furniture late into the night. They usually ended up falling asleep on the couches.

Jax reached over to turn the volume down, "Looking good, but, uh, not really your style."

Julia finished pinning down the painting and took a step back, "Yeah, well, my mom likes this shit. Want her to like it."

"She gonna like the two locks on every damn door?"

Julia sighed, "My mom has spent the last 32 years moving from one prison to the next. I just want her to be safe. If that means being a little extra paranoid, I'm fine with it."

"Yeah, how many guns you got in here?" Jax asked.

"At least one in every room except the one that my mom's gonna be in. I don't want her to get freaked out about it."

"Are you coming to the fundraiser?"

Julia laughed, "Oh, come on, Gemma would kill me if I didn't. I'd rather not be on her shit list."

"Look, uh, there's something I gotta tell you about. We had a meeting at the club today. Some protective detail Otto set up. Says there's some Chinese dudes waiting on him when he gets out of prison."

Julia wiped some sweat off her face with the edge of her shirt, "Ok."

"I'd stay away from him. Brought him back to the club and he was beating it the whole way there. Otto said it was some nervous tic. You should probably stay out of there until he's gone."

Julia let out a disgusted noise, "Fucking sicko. I'll keep that in mind, 'cause if he starts that shit in front of me he won't have any hands left to jerk it with."

"Yeah. Just one more thing. My mom talked to April. Said Kyle wants to come to the fundraiser to see his kid play in the band," Jax said.

"You're fucking joking me. Kyle? The same Kyle that got kicked because he bailed and got Opie put in jail? That Kyle?"

Jax nodded, "The very one."

"No fucking way. Please tell me you voted no on that shit."

"I would have, but Opie wanted him to come."

Julia groaned in annoyance, "Fucking idiot. Fine, but if that dick comes anywhere near me, I'll kill him."

"I know how you feel, but we can't start shit at a fundraiser."

"Fine," Julia threw her hands up, "Fine. But he better leave as soon as it's done."

"Don't worry. He will."

~

Julia spotted Kyle as soon as she pulled into the parking lot. It put her in a sour mood immediately. She couldn't stand to even see his face after what he did. He was dead to her when they kicked him out and she wished he had stayed dead.

A hand on her shoulder startled her from her heavy thoughts and a voice sounded right next to ear, "Not today, darling."

"I just hate his stupid face. Look at the girl he brought. Is she even legal?"

Kyle had been joined by a blonde girl that looked too much like a teenager for Julia to be comfortable seeing them cuddle up to each other.

Jax's arm rested around her shoulders, "Who knows."

"I'm telling you right now, I won't start anything. But if he tries to start some shit with me, I'll end it."

"Yeah, that's why you got a babysitter."

"What?" Julia scoffed.

"Hey, don't blame me. Blame my mom," Jax grinned.

"Of course. But if I need a babysitter then so do you. So I guess we're both on watch duty today."

"Fair enough," Jax pushed Bobby and Tig to go ahead, "Check in with Gemma."

Julia crossed her arms, "So what do we do now? Just stand here and stare or threaten him?"

"Threaten him?" Jax acted as if he was surprised by the very thought.

"Oh, please, Jax, don't bullshit me. I know you and you know me. The only words coming out of our mouths towards that asshole over there are gonna be threats. So do you wanna go first or should I?"

"Well shit, we can't both do it. Ope just pulled up," Jax directed her attention to the truck that pulled into the parking lot.

"Ok, fine. Then one of us distracts Opie and the other goes after Kyle. Done deal," Julia said.

It wasn't exactly odd for Julia and Jax to conspire with each other. They had been doing it since they met. 13 years old and they both ended up nearly suspended for tripping the creepy janitor down the stairs. He had lived, unfortunately, but Julia and Jax never parted after that.

Julia put on her biggest smile when she saw Opie's wife Donna and pulled her in for a hug, "Hey, Donna. How are you holding up?"

"Good."

Julia had been the first to offer Donna help when Opie got locked up. She understood how hard it could be, having someone you loved serve time. Hell, everyone in SAMCRO had. So she'd babysit the kids, help her out however she could.

"I'm gonna go check in with Gemma," Julia patted Jax's arm.

"Aight. I'll be there soon."

Julia just waved him off and hurried her way to the booth Gemma was at. There were several pots of chili set out on the table.

"Hey, Gem," Julia walked around the booth, letting Gemma pull her in for a side hug, "Kyle just got here. I didn't stir shit up, before you ask. How's it going?"

"Would've gone better if Elvis over there had been on time," Gemma gave a pointed stare at Bobby, who was dressed up like Elvis Presley.

"Sorry. Jax came to get me first. I'll take the blame on that one."

"Hmm, well then you better work for it, Julie," Gemma let her go.

"Yes, ma'am," Julia smiled.

She stayed behind the booth for barely a few minutes, helping dish out bowls and take money from anyone who came by. It wasn't that hard to pull them in with a sweet smile and a nice voice. She knew how to play innocent when she wanted to.

Gemma moved next to Julia, "Go get my son before he makes a scene."

Julia looked over to where she was gesturing to and saw Jax holding Kyle up against the wall. He looked pissed off and about ready to swing.

Julia rolled her eyes and cut across the area until she got to them, "Knock it off, Jax."

Jax didn't even fight her as she pulled him off by the back of his kutte.

Kyle got his bearings, nodding Julia's way, "Hey, Jules."

Jax nearly lunged forward, "Don't talk to her. Get the hell out of my sight."

Julia pulled him back again and away from Kyle, "Stop it. Come on, man. I thought we agreed we weren't starting shit today. I'm not supposed to be the one with the level head. That's why I was the one who needed a babysitter, remember?"

"Fine."

The two walked for a while, Julia keeping her grasp on his arm until she was sure he had cooled off. She knew they both had issues with their anger sometimes. Especially her. And she wished she could be the calm one who knew how to back away from a fight, but she wasn't always. She was trying her best to dial it back, but it was harder than it seemed.