A Princess in Charming

Chapter Seven: Kristina

While Clay's gruff and intimidating demeanor had convinced her father to sit down for a meeting with SAMCRO, Jax stayed behind at the house with her and Abel. After quickly checking on his son, Jax had led her into the kitchen to sit at the table and talk.

"Your pops didn't know you were pregnant when you took off?" Jax started right in on the questioning.

"No," Kristina shook her head.

"Why'd your dad put a bullet in your ex's head if he didn't know you were pregnant?"

"Daddy killed Johnny because he found out that Johnny was the one who pulled the trigger the day Michael died. He was only using me to push Daddy out as one of the heads of the five families." Kristina started to cry. "I left Port Charles the day after I found out that I was pregnant. I'd spent my whole life being used as a pawn by my father's enemies. I don't want this baby growing up in that world."

"Why tell him the baby's mine?" He reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"Daddy's an old-school Catholic. If he thinks the baby's yours, he'll let me stay so he doesn't take a kid from its father," she explained. "Jax, I'm not going to hold you to anything. Please, just play along until he leaves town."

"It doesn't work like that, babe," Jax shook his head. "With the deal Clay is workin' with your pops right now... we're gonna have to go through with this shit."

"Really get married?" Kristina asked a little faintly.

Jax nodded. "Do you know what it means to be an old lady? To wear my crow? That's for fucking life, sweetheart. I ain't playing that take back shit again."

"I'm not an idiot. I know your mom pushed us together to get close to my dad. I'm willing to overlook that particular deceit because I saw it from the get-go and I still moved in here. I did that because I trust you, but I need an honest answer from you about one thing. Will this baby be safe?" Kristina met his eye. "The fucking truth, Jax."

"Ain't no kid of mine going the same way as Michael, I can promise you that." There was a steely determination in his voice that made her believe him. "You gotta understand, babe, I got my hands in some shady shit. Look at what my mom tried to pull with us, that's actually mild for her and she's the one that raised me. If you're looking for a good guy... that ain't me."

"You're a better man than my dad," and she honestly meant that. "And right now, you're really my only hope."

"You realize there's no turning back?" Jax asked her again.

Kristina nodded.

"Than I guess we're getting married."

Why did Jax make something so terrifying sound so simple? What the hell had she just gotten herself into?