Unexpected and unwelcome, Jax showed up at Happy and Katie's. Since the conversation they had with Tara both Lowmans had been distant, more so than usual, and Charlotte was refusing visits with her father. It didn't take a man of any considerable intellect to know something had changed or something was going on and Jax wasn't going to wait ideally for the big reveal.
Katie opened the door, knowing it was Jax, and stared at him silently waiting for his explanation or his prepared lie.
"Hey," he said casually.
"Hi."
"Charlie here?"
"She's out with Hap," Katie explained. She saw him glance over at the driveway to see the trucks both parked but Happy's bike missing from the usual lineup. "You gonna complain about her being on his bike?"
"Just about the shit I got when I wanted to take her out for a ride," he replied quickly.
Katie laughed and shook her head. "She was like five, Jax."
"This her first ride?" He asked, genuinely disappointed to have missed the opportunity.
"Sorry, no," Katie frowned. "He's taken her around the block once or twice before, now they're just going to the post office and back."
"Can I come in?"
Hesitating, Katie stepped aside and let him into the house. "What's up?"
"I wanted to ask you the same thing," he remarked.
"I'm not playing games. Tell me what you want or leave, Jax."
He could see she wasn't bluffing. "What happened here? I used to think you were my best friend, you and Ope, but now," he shrugged.
"You pimped me out to an Irish asshole and are, in my opinion, directly responsible for him taking me and Charlotte to Mexico." She said flatly. "If I'm being honest, that's just the short version."
Visibly growing annoyed, Jax huffed and shrugged. "It was shit before that."
"I can't even remember," she said softer. "My life has had more trauma and shit in it than I care to keep track of."
"I'm sorry, Kate," he sighed. "I never wanted any of this to happen, I mean it, any of this shit over the years."
Shaking her head, Katie let out a little chuckle. "I don't believe you, Jax. I don't believe anything you say. Ever."
"I get it," he nodded. "I do but I'm trying to fix everything. Us, Charming, the club, my marriage, your marria-"
"You will not SAVE my marriage, you have no bearing on my marriage and my marriage is not in any danger," she corrected him forcefully. "You have no say and no effect on anything between me and Happy. Your influence ends at the clubhouse, our home is a Jackson Teller free zone."
He drew his head back with wide eyes, her forcefulness surprised him and the passionate little speech stunned him silent.
"I can't believe you're speechless," she cocked an eyebrow. "So what is your master plan to save the club?"
"A new partnership," he said casually.
Katie inhaled sharply. "What?"
"I'm trying to expand," Jax explained. "I'm trying to move forward so SAMCRO doesn't wither like this town." He was truly conflicted, she could see some sincerity in his eyes but it was muddled and far from pure. "Sometimes I think Charming Heights would have been the best thing for this town and this club."
"What does that mean?"
He shook his head, "There hasn't been a vote yet, I'm getting ahead of myself."
"I think you got ahead of yourself when you agreed to work with Galindo without a vote," she said quickly. It was far too much information than she wanted to give away but there was taking it back now. The words hung heavily in the air between them.
Jax snarled. "Fucking Angel."
"I'm not anymore," she clicked her tongue, "But yeah, he told me because I asked and I'm asking you not to tell anyone what he shared with me. Angel and the Mayans mean more to me than you do, Jax, so I'll protect them any way I have to."
"Is that a threat?" He asked with a smirk.
"No," she shrugged. "It's just...the way things are. Now, I have a proposition for you."
Jax growled. "What?"
"You lay out your plans for the club, give them time to think about it, schedule a vote for a week or two out and Happy and I will help secure the votes."
Cocking his head to the side, Jax narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. "What do you get out of it?"
"I'm in a very unique position," she explained. "Obviously, Happy and I are married and completely devoted but Angel and I," she smiled wistfully, "There's still a lot of love there and we both want the best for each other."
"Okay, so you can pull those strings but what do you want?"
She smiled. "I keep the video recording of this conversation, the part where you admitted wrongdoing at least, and you clean your shit up. You tell your brothers what you did, the lies the manipulation, and you take what they vote on as punishment."
"You recorded this?" He asked, looking around the living room until he saw the giant teddy bear in the corner. "A fucking nanny cam?"
Smug, Katie smiled and nodded. "I miss the person you were, Jax. I miss the man who supported my decision to keep our child despite knowing what it could do to his marriage, the man Charlie loves, the man I love, my best friend. You are not that man and there is no going back, ever, but this is a step towards trusting you in the slightest."
"They could vote Mayhem," he said anxiously.
"You didn't rat, Jax," Katie scoffed. "You didn't sell anyone out, so Mayhem isn't an option and I know they'd never vote to kill you. Despite everything, they all will continue to love you. Chibs, Ope, Juice," she shook her head, "And I know, even after everything, Happy wouldn't either."
Jax whimpered, "Katie."
"You know what Charlie said to me the other day?" He shook his head so Katie continued. "She asked me about punishments and making amends, something she saw on TV and brought up in therapy, and she asked me if you would ever do that. If Daddy would apologize and make things right. I'm doing this for her because she deserves to have a father she trusts and adores, cause right now she has a stepfather and Angel fucking Reyes as the only two men she feels safe with. That isn't fucking right, Jax and she is so damaged by this life I think if you won't do it for yourself or your sons or your club, you'll do it for her. It's the last chance any of us have at a happy life here in Charming. I don't want to leave, I don't want to take her away, but we're prepared to if you can't make this right for us and for those you've harmed that don't even know it."
Jax was overwhelmed, to say the least, by her final plea. He nodded and walked to the front door again. "Can I come by tomorrow to see Charlotte? Maybe take her to lunch?"
"If she wants to," Katie nodded, "Sure. You'll have to ask her though."
"Okay," he opened the door and forced a smile. "I'll think about it, everything, and we'll talk."
Katie nodded and waved as he walked back toward his bike, "Good luck, Jax."
