+++

Donna sighs heavily as she hangs up her phone, she's called Alex three times and she hasn't answered. "Have you heard from Alex?" She asks Ope when he picks up.

"No but she's usually up by now. It's noon, y'know? Let me try her." He hangs up then calls Alex, getting her machine. "Jax." He says when he sees him walk past the shop. "Have you seen Alex?"

"Not since last night." He says around a cigarette. "Why?"

"I'm gonna run over and check on her." He drops the tool and rag in his hands before heading to his bike.

"I'm coming with."

"I got it, VP." Ope buckles his helmet on. "Plus after last night, I don't think you should-"

"I'm coming with." Jax swings his leg over his bike then rolls out toward her apartment.

+++

"Alex!" Ope shouts, pounding on the splintered door. "Alex!" He reaches up and feels around on the top of the door frame, grabbing the spare key.

He lets them into her place. "Hello?" Jax asks when he answers the phone. "Donna? No we're at her place looking for her. Okay." He sets the phone into the holder. "Her truck is still downstairs."

"But she isn't here-"

"She could be walk-"

"We both know she keeps her mornings free when she works later." Ope sighs, grabbing her address book from the junk drawer. He flips through and calls Sig. "Have you heard anything from Alex?"

"No why?"

"She's not around."

"What?"

"We can't get ahold of her but her truck is still here."

Sig huffs. "Goddammit. I gotta get the bar ready." He hangs up.

Ope scratches the side of his head when his cell starts ringing. "Yeah? What!? Shit, do you know what for? Fuck okay, yeah I'm on my way." He tucks his prepay in the pocket of his jeans. "ATF got her."

"Shit." Jax pushes past Ope and heads down to his bike, speeding off to the police station.

+++

Alex has her head down on the table, trying to keep her eyes open. She's been awake for nearly thirty six hours. The door opens revealing a tall, honey colored haired woman in a striped black and gray pantsuit. "Miss Miller?" She asks as she sits across from the younger woman at the table.

"What." She groans out as she lifts her head.

"I'm Agent Stahl." Alex nods. "I'm trying to wrap my head around your- uh- 'record', as it were." She flips through at thick stack of papers. "You graduated top of your class from San Joaquin High. You spent a few weeks in cosmetology school then a couple semesters in nursing school. You were gone for about five years before you came back to work at a bar."

"Okay." Alex mumbles, absolutely exhausted.

"Where were you for those five years?"

"Why?"

"Curiosity."

"Huntsville, Alabama."

"How far is that from here?"

"Thirty five hours." Alex rubs her eyes.

"Wow. What brings you back? I doubt it's the bliss of being a barmaid at an outlaw biker bar." She says kind of condescendingly.

"Actually it's more along the lines of being home with my family."

"You mean your deceased mother and your estranged father and brother-?"

"Watch it."

"Ooh. Struck a nerve, did I?" Alex scoffs under her breath, rolling her eyes. "When and how did your mother die?"

"Why is this important?"

"Trying to get a clear timeline."

Alex sighs heavily as she sits back in the uncomfortable metal chair, playing with the rings on her tattooed fingers. "Cardiac arrest, ten years ago."

"And where's your dad?"

"Couldn't tell ya. Hell, couldn't even ballpark it for ya."

"Alexandrea, he's in the room next door."

Her face drops. "Wh- What!? What the hell!? Why!?"

Opie and Jax start to make their way back to Unser's office but they're stopped when they hear a familiar slightly southern voice shouting. Ope peeks into the small window on the door and sees Alex in distress with her hands in tight fists. "Dude." He elbows Jax.

"What the fuck is she doing here!?" Jax shouts, spinning on his heel to face the police chief.

"Who?" Unser looks in and immediately swings the door open. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just catching up. Girl things. Girl talk."

Unser looks between the bitter blonde and a red faced Alex. "You. Out." He says to June.

"What's the matter?"

"That bitch-" she takes a deep shaky breath. "Why am I here?"

He furrows his brows. "I was gonna ask you the same thing."

"Listen, I was lockin' up last night when two guys arrested me and brought me back here. No charges were mentioned." She runs her hands over her flushed face. "She said my old man is here."

"I'm gonna move you to the holding cell until I get answers." She nods and stands.

"Why are you here?" Ope asks when he sees Alex She says nothing as she follows Unser to the cell in the back of the building. "Why is she here?"

"Neither of us knows."

Alex lays down on the shitty bed, her hands over her face. "You okay?" Jax asks.

"Leave me alone." She whimpers in response. She just had to relive the worst memories of her life with a complete stranger. She chokes out a quiet sob. Ope and Jax share a look, she doesn't cry. Neither of them have seen or heard her cry, not since her mom passed.

"This is your territory, man." Jax tells Ope before he walks away.

"Talk to me, baby."

"Leave me alone." She whispers again. Opie sighs as he sits across from her, his long legs stretched out and his feet touching the bars in front of him. "It's been ten years since my mom died, since Lawrence split and he's here. He's in this fucking building." She sniffles, wiping her nose.

"Whatever ATF has on you is complete bullshit. You're not in the club."

"Yeah obviously. Except for the fact that I'm y'all's back pocket nurse if the situation calls for it."

"Just because you've patched up a few of us doesn't make you a member. You-"

"Okay. They said they have a charge on you from eight years ago." Unser says. "Illegal and underage possession of a firearm and trespassing."

She laughs as she sits up. "Eight years ago and they're here now? I was seventeen for fucks sake!"

"That's ridiculous." Ope huffs. "It's a dead case!"

"I'm talking her out of a trial and shit like that but I have to hold you for a few more hours."

"Fuck- why is my dad here?"

"She won't tell me."

"Where's Jax?" Opie asks, Unser shrugs. "Shit. You gonna be okay, Lex?"

"Yep." She lays back on the bed. Ope leaves her alone and goes to look for Jax.

He finds the VP sitting on the steps at the front of the building, his hand in his hands with a lit cigarette between his fingers. "They got a charge on her." He looks over his shoulder at his buddy. "Possession of an illegal firearm, underage and trespassing."

"Listen, we were let off the hook and that old geezer didn't know what he saw-"

"This is your fault?"

"Pfft. No." He takes a deep drag. "Maybe- I don't know. We were young."

"Unser has no idea what they're gonna give her."

"That's just a few months at the most." He scoffs. "She's not as delicate as you think."

"Dude-"

Jax stands and flicks his cigarette away. "They're not gonna charge her. They're doing this to get answers outta her. They'll say they'll charge her for shit on Samcro so she'll snitch but you and I both know she wouldn't sell anyone out for anything."

"You're right but-"

"She'll be fine, Ope."

"You're such an ass." He spits, stuffing his hands in his front pockets. "You really are. She's in there crying because of what that bitch did to her- because of us- because of you! And you don't feel bad at all?"

"Of course I feel bad, man." He shakes his head.

"Go talk to her." Jax sighs and nods. "I'll see you back at the clubhouse." Ope leaves as Jax heads inside.

"Hey Unser. Can I talk to Alex?" Unser sighs and stands, grabbing his keys. He lets him into the cell with her.

"Why are you here?" She mumbles, the bags under her red eyes are dark. "I thought you left." She sits up as he sits next to her on the shitty bed. Jax wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side. She melts against him and with closed eyes she whispers, "I wanna go home."

"We're working on it." He rubs her back, she somehow dozes off with her head against Jax's chest.

+++

Jax somehow convinced Unser to let him stay the night with Alex so she could try to get some rest. She hums as she wakes, scrunching her face up when she sees a tattooed arm across her and a ringed hand on her tit. "Jax?"

He stirs, rubs his face with his hand and yawns. "Hey." They both groan as they sit up, things cracking and squeaking.

"Shit. I gotta call Sig-"

"Already did. He took over last night and will until you get out."

"Did they tell you anythin about when I get to get outta here?" He shakes his head. "That old man said he wasn't gonna press charges."

"ATF's got nothing on you, baby."

"I know." She rubs her eyes. "You gotta get me outta here." She whispers to Jax as Unser comes around the corner.

"Listen, this case has to sit for twenty four more hours until it's dead and they can't hold you anymore. I'm doing everything I can to keep it dead." He tells Alex, running his hand over his thinning gray hair.

"Thank you sir."

"Jax, you gotta get outta here." She says as he unlocks the cell. Jax leans over and gives Alex a soft kiss before leaving her alone in the cell.

+++

True to his word, the case is dead and Alex's free to go. She smiles in relief as she picks up her things from Agent Stahl's desk then she's out the door. "You have some explaining to do, kid." Sig shouts from his car.

"They had some old charge on me from when I was seventeen and it sat so they let me go." She's exhausted; mentally and emotionally drained. "I'm sorry you had to take care of the bar when I said I would."

Sig takes the hint and drives quietly back to her place. "Y'know I'll handle the bar tonight, don't worry about it."

"No it'll be good to talk to everyone."

"You need to get some rest, kid." He pulls off to the side of the street. "Melinda and I got it handled."

She nods quietly as she gets out of the car. "Thank you."

"See you tomorrow." She waves to him as he drives off.

Alex trudges her way up the steps to her door. "Hey! Welcome back, jailbird." Ope says as he pulls a pan out of her oven. "We've got some lunch made." She smiles tiredly at her friends that are sitting on the couch. "Donna's idea."

"Thanks y'all." She drops her purse on the counter before she heads back to the bathroom to take a shower.

When she steps out with a towel wrapped around her body, she jumps slightly when she sees Jax sitting on her bed. "Hey." She whispers. "Thanks for staying with me." He nods in response. "Can I help you?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you this but your dad was at -is at the clubhouse."

"Right now?" He nods. "Seriously? Did he ask about me?"

Wishful thinking.

"No. He wants back into the club."

"Don't let that happen. You remember what happened last time, right? He almost killed you!"

"He did not almost kill me."

She spins and pops a hand on her hip. "He had a fucking gun against your forehead." He rolls his eyes as he stand with her. "You'd be fucking dead if-" She's cut off with a kiss and hands on the sides of her neck. She lets their lips linger before pushing Jax away to get dressed in clean clothes.

"How was Unser's Cage?" Opie asks as he sits on the couch.

"A hoot." She says as she grabs a bottle of tequila and a few shot glasses. "Glad to be back but I lost two or three days of work."

"I know, Alex but you're here with us, relaxing." Donna says, a plate in her hands.

"I got tonight off but I'm working tomorrow." She forces out after she takes a shot. "They got that bullshit charge from that old asshole at that rundown crack house from eight years ago on me and they couldn't do anything with it."

"That's in the past now, baby." Jax says from his spot on the wooden chair. "You look exhausted."

She throws back another shot while her free hand flips him off. "You got any bud?"

"Always." Jax says as he pulls a small plastic baggie out of his sweatshirt pocket. "Here."

"Hell yeah." She snags a joint and lights up, taking a deep drag, passing it around the group. "Hell yeah."

After a few hours, Opie and Donna leave Jax and Alex alone, her body is buzzing from how bad she wants the badass outlaw biker.

She gives Jax a look as she heads back to her bed, biting her lip. He catches on and follows close behind, swallowing the rest of his drink. Jax grabs her arm and spins her, kissing her roughly as he pushes her down to her mattress. She breathes out a moan as his hands trail from above her shoulders to her hips.

Soon, the room is filled of loud moans and heavy pants. Alex rolls off of Jax and onto the mattress, her thighs trembling as her chest heaves. "Where are you going?" Jax asks as he sits against the wall on the bed, naked. He watches her stand on her wobbly legs with that panty dropping smirk on his face.

"The clubhouse."

"Why?"

"See my old man."

"That's a bad idea, Drea." He says as he lights a cigarette. "With what just happened to you and all."

"I'm not helpless, Jackson." She huffs as she pulls on a pair of ripped jeans, somehow still held together with how big the tears are, and a tank top. "You can come with if you'd like." She picks up her purse.

"Fine." He grabs his keys and leads her down to his bike. "C'mon."

+++

Alex takes a deep breath as she hops off Jax's bike. He takes her hand as they walk towards the clubhouse. She swings the door open and her eyes land on the scrawny deadbeat in a ripped and stained denim jacket that seems to swallow him up. "Hey Jackie Boy." The man with the cheek scars says in a strong Scottish accent.

"Sup Chibs." He nods back, grabbing a pool cue, handing one to Alex. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Just catching up with Lawrence." Tig says.

"Ah." Alex sets up the billard balls then uses the small cube of chalk to freshen up the tips of the pool sticks. She bends over and hits the cue ball.

Lawrence turns on the barstool and looks around, his eyes narrowing at the familiar looking sliver haired girl that Jax is flirting. "Who's that?" He asks to anyone who'll listen. "The girl?"

"That's uh Alex." Tig says, leaning against the bar.

"She looks familiar."

"She's a bartender at the Snake Pit."

Lawrence hums in response. "That's not it." Jax whispers something that makes her laugh. That same laugh that the woman he married had before she passed. The same laugh that was passed down to his daughter. "Alex." She looks up and feels her chest get extremely heavy. "That's my kid."

Jax puts his hand on the woman's shoulder. "Lawrence, long time no see."

"That's how you greet your father?"

"Why would I treat you like a father when you've never been one." She spits back.

Lawrence gets to his feet, Jax moves closer to Alex. "You've got a mouth, just like your bitch of a mother."

Ouch.

She doesn't like talking about her mom.

"Fuck you."

"That's no way to talk to your father- the man who gave you life and can just as easily take it away."

"Are you threatenin' me?" She laughs incredulously. "Are you seriously threatenin' me?"

"You better show me some respect."

She laughs again, shaking her head. "You haven't been around in what- ten years- and now you show up all of a sudden and for what? Not to make amends with your kids but to beg to be let back into the club that kicked you out. You tell me how that deserves my respect-" He suddenly back hands her across the face, his rings breaking her skin and the hit catching her off guard, knocking her to the floor.

"Hey!" Jax shouts, glancing back at the bleeding woman.

"You're still alive? Thought you'd take the cowards way out by now-" Jax chuckles sarcastically at the comment before he starts fucking roundhousing the asshole.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Woah!" Clay shouts from out of no where, shoving the VP back from the older man. Jax gets a kick in before he stalks away, heading to the kitchen. He grabs a nearby glass bottle and throws it at a wall, letting it shatter everywhere.

Alex.

Where's Alex?

He returns to the main part of the clubhouse, panic setting in when he doesn't see the girl. He shoves his way outside, she's not there. "Tig." He waves the man over. "Where did she go?"

"No idea. After he hit her, I saw red." He rolls his lips in his mouth as he starts pacing.

Where the fuck did she go?