A Princess in Charming

Chapter Eleven: Jax

Church hadn't gone well, that was for fucking sure. Clay had no idea what to run in Port Charles and was playing with the idea of using the bay to sneak guns into and out of the city right under Corinthos' nose. Jax was suspicious that his stepfather hadn't even attempted to find alternative an cash stream, that this had been the old man's plan all along.

"What's wrong?" Kristina asked him from the passenger seat. "You look tense. I told you that you didn't have to come. If you have somewhere else to be, you can drop me off and I'll call your mom to pick me up.

"Naw, I told you that I wanted to come." Jax reached over and took her hand. He was being honest. Since the day that Kristina had moved in she had become, along with Abel, the happiest part of his fucked-up existence. He had quickly grown to like the idea of having her as his old lady, of helping her raise the kid that he now really did think of as his own. He had even kept his zipper up and stayed away from crow-eaters, staying faithful to a woman that wasn't even 100% his... yet. He didn't want Clay screwing up the good thing he had going. "It's business, babe."

"You wanna talk about it?" Jax could hear the slight hesitation in her tone. She still wasn't used to the fact that he had no problem sharing his world with her.

"How close of an eye does your pops keep on the Port Charles Harbor?" Jax asked as he pulled into the parking lot of her doctor's office.

"Very close." Kristina turned to look at him. "He controls the docks and knows everything that comes in or out of Port Charles via the water."

"Fuck!" Jax slammed his fist into the steering wheel.

"You know, black market antiques are easier to run than guns or drugs. They turn a better profit too. Not to mention my dad wouldn't have a problem with them coming through Port Charles."

Jax looked at her in shock. He was completely floored by what she had just said. He hadn't told her about the guns.

"I have ears, Jax," she laughed. "Even when the club speaks in code, I understand you. You don't survive in my dad's world unless you know how to read between the lines and listen for what isn't being said."

Holy shit. He had found the Gemma to his Clay. Kristina was just sweeter and way less demented and jaded. It was in that moment that he realized that he was actually in love with his old lady. He didn't tell her that though. He had never been good with words or emotions in general. Instead, he leaned forward and, tangling one hand in her hair while the other cupped her cheek, he kissed her, hoping that maybe he could convey by his actions what he wasn't yet able to say aloud.

"'Jax, what's going on with us?" Kristina was panting a little when they finally came up for air.

"Just go with it, babe," he told her before kissing her again.