+++

There's a sound of a window breaking and things being knocked over and broken. Lawrence shoves the wooden chair to the floor making it crack then break. He turns to the wall covered with pictures and rips them off the wall, taking a picture of his kids' mother out of a frame and rips it into pieces, throwing them to the floor. He yanks the blankets and cushions off the couch before flipping it upside down. He then goes to her bedroom, kicking the mattress off the bed frame, throwing the lamp to the floor then rips the clothes out of her small closet. He grabs her gun and an old coffee can full of money from under her bed then leaves her apartment in shambles, leaving the door open.

+++

"What the fuck?" Alex whispers as she steps into her trashed apartment. She looks around and grabs her landline. "Where are you?"

"Huh? I just got back from Oakland. What's up?" Jax answers, staying on his bike as he's parked at the clubhouse.

"Someone trashed my apartment." Somehow she's pretty calm.

"I'm on my way." He slaps his phone shut and rides to the other side of town.

Alex is sitting on the stairs in front of her door, flicking ash off the end of her cigarette. "You okay? Anything happen to you?" Jax asks as soon as he sees her. She has her denim jacket wrapped around her torso while her long tattooed legs are exposed in those short black shorts with white slip-ons on her inward pointed feet. "Drea?"

"I'm fine." She rubs her eye with the heel of her hand. "Busted window- just go see it." She follows him back into her place.

"Who would've done this?" He asks rhetorically but the crunch of glass he steps on answers his question. He looks down and sees a torn photograph of Alex and her mom and immediately turns livid. "You fucking kidding me?" That was the only picture she had of the two of them. "Are you actually fucking kidding me!?"

"Asshole took my gun and my rainy day money." She mutters as she's bent over to look through the broken window. "My old man definitely did this." She lowers herself down the wall onto the floor, zoning out as she looks at the destruction done by her flesh and blood, her so called father. "What do I do? Do I call this in?"

"I'll take care of this." Jax heads back down to his bike.

"Where are you going?" She asks, watching him buckle his half shell helmet on.

"Where do you think?" He shakes his head, u-turning in the middle of the road to head back to the clubhouse for some answers.

"Everything alright, son?" Piney asks from his seat at the bar. "Something I can do for you?"

"You know Lawrence Miller, right?" It's a stupid question. Everyone in fucking San Joaquin County knows who Lawrence Miller is. Piney nods. "Do you know where he's living?"

"He's off Santa Ynez Drive, 227." Jax nods, patting the old man on the back as he stalks back to his bike.

"You okay, man?" Opie shouts from the garage. Jax shakes his head as he backs up then rides off to Santa Ynez Drive. The taller man gets a feeling in his gut and follows him for safety purposes.

"The hell are you doing, Jax!?" Opie whispers harshly at the VP when they park their bikes a few houses down. "What're we doing here?"

"Alex's dad trashed her place, did some damage so I'm taking care of it." He answers as he creeps his way to a bush. The two peek into the front window and see the asshole sitting in the kitchen. "I'm going in."

"What're you gonna do, man!?" Jax has no idea but he wants revenge. Revenge for Alex, her mother, her brother, hell even revenge for the club. "Dude!"

Jax slides his way around back, laughing darkly to himself when he sees the door cracked open. He slips inside of the house and makes his way to the kitchen with Opie quiet behind him.

The scrawny sperm machine has his nose in a newspaper, muttering to himself as he looks over the TV guide. He freezes when he feels a gun pressed to the back of his head. "Stand the fuck up." Jax hisses through gritted teeth. "On your fucking feet!" Lawrence rolls his eyes as he turns to meet his visitor face to face.

"How the tables have turned, huh? This time it's you with a gun against my fucking head." He laughs. "Do it. You gonna kill me? Do it! Put me outta my fucking misery, huh!" Jax wraps his leather glove covered hand around the scraggly guys throat. "Told you you were a motherfucking pansy." He forces out as Jax clenches his hand tighter.

"Dude." Ope says quietly. "Do what you gotta do."

"Yeah. Fucking do it!" Lawrence edges him on. Jax grabs the back of his head and slams it against the kitchen table, grunting when blood spatters everywhere. The older man laughs, his teeth covered with blood as he drops himself to the floor, tilting his head against the wall. "I knew you didn't have the fucking balls to do it. You love my daughter too much to hurt her old man- no matter what I fucking do to her. You love her too much, Teller." He swallows hard, blood oozing from his nose like a fucking ketchup packet.

Opie's stomach sinks at the words the old man is saying. It's true. Jax is struggling to end this whole thing once and for all because deep down he loves that girl, he's never seen Jax stick around with any girl. He can't do it knowing that it'll break her heart- it's him breaking her heart. Ope doesn't give a fuck. This asshole hurt her too many fucking times so he steps up to the plate and grabs the gun out of Jax's hand to shoot the bastard right in the fucking forehead, right between his eyes.

Jax takes a step back and exhales heavily, his heart thumping in his chest. "I gotta look for something, I'll be quick. Keep a look out." The blonde rushes to what looks like his bedroom and picks around his closet, finding Alex's stolen gun and coffee can along with a shoebox of small things. "Let's go. Let's go!" He shouts, rushing out the back door with Opie right behind him. "Clubhouse, now!"

The two make is safely back to TM. Jax snags the shoebox from his saddlebag and carries it inside to look through it. He flips the lid and sighs at the contents; it's baby pictures and childhood memories, some of her mother and brother too. "I gotta- shit. She's got a busted window at her place. Gimme your cell." Opie hands him the flip phone. "Get some shit packed and lock your door. You're staying at the clubhouse for now." He tells Alex. She surprisingly agrees with no questions asked.

About an hour later, Alex rolls in and parks her truck. She hops out and grabs a cardboard box from the bed of her truck along with a small duffel bag. She lets herself in and awkwardly stands by the bar.

Shit, the bar.

She has to work tomorrow.

"Hey, darlin'." Jax forces a smile as he takes her things, carrying them back to his dorm. "We're gonna get your place cleaned up- what?" He asks when he sees her pointing at something.

"You've got something on your shirt." She gets a closer look. "Blood. You've got blood on your shirt, Jax." Her face drops. "Why-why do you have blood on your shirt, Jax?" He's quiet. "Who were you with?"

"Ope-"

Alex pushes him out of her way and stomps out to the parking lot, her eyes landing on her ex. "Opie!" She shouts, grabbing his arm, pulling him inside the clubhouse. "What the fuck? You too?" She runs her hand over his more blood splattered shirt and neck. "What- what did y'all do?" She looks between the two. "What did y'all do?" Her bottom lip trembles. "C'mon now." She puts the pieces together. "Re-really? Y'all k-" she chokes on her words when the look on Ope's face gives it away. "Oh my god."

"Drea-" She pushes Jax back, going to get her bag. "Alex!"

"You killed my dad." She doesn't know how to feel. She's relieved, at peace but also heartbroken. "Jax, I..." Alex picks up her duffle and heads back out to the lot. "You." She looks at Opie. "I just- I don't-" She sniffles.

"Drea!" Jax shouts after her as she hops back into her truck. "It was to protect you. If that asshole destroyed your place, he swung at you, his next move was probably to end your life! We did it to keep you safe!" He yells to her through the open window, standing outside her truck. "We did it to keep you safe."

"You did it to keep me safe? You did it to keep me safe!?" Alex's voice gets louder as she steps out of her truck. "I was totally fine with him being around. I was totally fine with the thought of leaving. I was fine when he hit me but this-"

"You were gonna leave us again. I wasn't fine with that."

"It's not your life! It's mine! I'm a grown ass woman who-"

"I love you." He says quietly. The words Lawrence said to him about Alex keep ping ponging around in his brain. He really does love her.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat it in front of the guys." She rolls her eyes as she glances at the group they've gathered. "The thought of you leaving again hurts and now... don't go." He can't hide the blush that colors his hairline down to his neck. "We'll talk about it later."

"You tell me you love me after you murder my old man? Does that logically make sense to you? Is this how outlaws treat their women!? Y'know what? I need to clear my head. I gotta get outta here." She turns and hops back into her truck. Jax swings the drivers side open, grabbing her by her jacket to pull her down for a kiss. She fights him slightly before she melts into him. Alex pulls away and looks down at her hands.

"Don't go anywhere, please. Just-" She gets to her feet and kisses him, bunching his shirt up in her hands. "Stay." He whispers, bumping his nose against hers.

Alex takes a deep breath and nudges him away. "Fine. But don't think you're gettin' off the hook that easily, Teller." She sniffles, her cheeks have mascara trails down to her jaw.

"I totally accept that, darlin." He grabs her bag and carries it back into the clubhouse. She lays down on his bed and sighs, burying herself under the blankets and pillows. Jax rubs her leg then leaves her alone, shutting the door behind him.

+++

Alex runs from the clubhouse to the Snake Pit. She overslept and her truck didn't start. She bursts into the bar, "Sig! I'm here!" She pants, throwing her purse behind the counter as she picks up her apron. "Sorry!"

"What the hell's going on with you?" He asks from his office doorway. "You look awful."

"Thanks." She rolls her eyes. "Everett, how ya doin?"

"Alex, c'mere." He puts his hand on her shoulder, directing her to the kitchen. "What's up?"

She can't keep her feelings in when she makes eye contact with her father figure. "My apartment got broken into." She looks down. "And my dad died."

"Holy shit." His jaw drops. "Woah. I am so sorry, kid." Sig pulls her in for a hug. "When did all this happen?"

"Yesterday." Alex laughs weakly. "I didn't get any sleep last night but when I did it was like an hour before my shift and my truck didn't start and I had to run here-"

"Alex, you shouldn't be here. Not with all this shit happening to you. You should be-"

"I gotta be here. I'd just be sittin and thinkin and dwellin on what happened."

"I get that, kid. Where are you staying?"

"With Jax." She wipes her nose with her sleeve.

"Good." He nods, his arm around her shoulders as they head back to the bar.

"Opie, hey." She sighs, wiping her eyes. "What's up?"

"I need your keys." She hands them her keychain. "We got Half Sack cleaning up your place and Lowell working on your truck. Jax and Clay are handling a funeral for your old man."

"No. It's cheaper to cremate him." She sighs. "I think I have $100 I'm able to spend for that."

"We're taking care of it, the club."

"Yeah. Bet all y'all feel bad about killin him." She hisses under her breath.

"Hey! We did what needed to be done." He snaps. "If we let him go, we'd be planning your fucking funeral right now instead!" Those words make tears spring to her eyes. "Shit." Opie slides behind the bar, grabbing her in his muscular arms for a hug. "I am so sorry that it had to happen this way, baby." He whispers, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm still mad at y'all." She whimpers, taking a deep breath. "I think." Opie nods and squeezes her shoulders. "I mean I love y'all and everythin but y'know..."

"I know yeah. So, guess we'll be seeing you around then." He hits his knuckles against the counter.

"You got it." She nods him off, turning back to the sink. "My god, what's my life come to."