Jenna watched Jax sleep a moment before getting up and starting her day. She had band practice and Arizona's first birthday to prepare for. It was a Candy Land theme. Jax had joked about hiring a clown. She sincerely hoped that was a joke. Castrated Fun Town clowns aside either way they fucking freaked her out.

She kissed him and he didn't stir. She loves seeing Jax so utterly relaxed in his sleep. She goes to move off him and grabs her wrist. "Stay." He mumbled.

"Possum." She teased smiling.

"Just too lazy to open my eyes."

"It's hard work running a kingdom huh?" She asked leaning in to kiss down his jawline.

"Since when has it ever been that? It's a clusterfuck."

"Fair point. Could you maybe pry your eyes open to look at me?"

"Are you naked?" He deadpanned.

"No."

"Then no, I can't."

She shook him. "Wake up!"

"Why?" He cracked an open.

"Because Arie is a year old today, because we made it when the doctors said I shouldn't have her! Jax I didn't majorly fuck her up and I want you to be awake and celebrate that we're good parents who try hard and fight for our kids! She's a year old today and Abe turns four in a few months! We're not my parents Jax we don't hate other our kids aren't fucked up only depending on each other. I got Arie too her first birthday! That's big!" She smiles so widely at him in her gleeful mood he can't help but smile back.

He replied petting down her wild hair. "Baby you aren't fucked up and you are a damn good mother."

"My world revolved around my big brother and I might go to jail for doing your bidding. I'm fucked up." She said plainly.

"Nah, it was the other way around. You were Ope's entire world."

"And the jail thing?"

"Otto's set to recant Darlin' we're gonna be fine. All goes well? Ope will be avenged today. So, go plan sweet Zona's party and play your music." He said dipping his head to kiss her.

They hear her chattering through the monitor. "I'll get the birthday girl. You shower." Jax offered. "I got time Jenna. "He said when she slid away from him.

"Okay."

-/-/-

As Jenna gets into the shower she hears. "Happy Birthday to you…." She stops and listens to him sing the song all kinds of awful and off key. He adds. "And you're going to have so many more you'll make Daddy feel so old he'll wanna cry!"

"Oh I get kisses! Thank you! Oh wow you have morning breath Zona." Jenna laughs at his statement and starts her water.

-/-/-

Once she is out of the shower she can hear Jax talking to Arie in the kitchen. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret Zona. Your Mom got her love of music from her Dad. I got the ability to use and appreciate words from my old man and…today there's this line from To Kill a Mockingbird I keep thinking of… Love her but leave her wild. It makes me think of you."

"You sure you wanna leave something that's half me half you wild? Seems like we're asking for it." Jenna said sitting in the door way.

"I'm sure." He turns and looks back at her Zona sits in his lap. He's tying her shoe and she looks like she's contemplating up upending the yogurt carton in his hair. It makes Jenna smile.

"Happy Birthday my wild child!" Jenna said coming around and taking her from Jax.

"Mornin Abey Baby." She said as he wanders sleepily into the kitchen and c limbs into Jackson's vacated lap.

"Mornin Mama!"

"You wanna skip preschool today and go with me to the club?" "Can I eat the left over candy decoration for Air-wee's party?" Abel asked. Jax hides his smirk in the crown of Abel's hair as he kisses the boy's head.

"Some not all. What did you do with your sound canceling headphones? I don't want to blast you out at rehearsal."

"At grandmas."

"Great just who I wanted to see to ruin my Friday."

-/-/-/-

Today is the day Jax enacts his plans tipping the first domino to finish they'd started and maybe if they're lucky they can walk away clean and the club mostly legal. Just maybe… Jenna has lived in this life long enough to know better than to hold out any real hope. So, she just smiles brightly as Jax sits her in the truck.

He leans in kisses her hard and quick. "Ewww…gross Daddy." Abel says.

"Thanks son!" Jenna feigns offense.

"See you later baby." He says closing her truck door.

"See ya don't be late for Arie's party." She retorts.

-/-

Abel bangs on the drums as Jenna sets up the table scape for Arie's party. She hands Arie a jelly bean as she pours them into a canister as Wendy walks in. "You back stabbing self-absorbed little gash." She said and Jenna turned slowly around.

"Excuse me…" She said measuredly keeping her hands fisted at her sides.

"Jax came to my house claiming he wanted to talk over the thing with Abel. Then he burst in jammed a speed ball into my arm said he'd make me out to be a crazy junkie bitch if I went to child services. I can't go back to work til the shit exits my system and he flushed two years of sobriety down the toilet for me. So Thanks! If you wanted me out you shoulda handled me yourself." Wendy said exasperatedly tossing up her hands.

Jenna's brow quirked. "Wendy, I didn't know he did that and no matter our differences I am truly sorry for the loss in your sobriety. You threatened his family though and he reacted the only way Jax knows how." Jenna said.

"And just how fucked up is that Jenna! You may not be my favorite person but I know you love my kid. Same as you love your own. You should leave this goddamn sinkhole before it swallows you up and you repeat the same shit all over again."

"You think that's what I want Wendy! You think I want them to grow up being twisted by all this! I'm going to go to jail! Okay! I was trying to decide who to leave my children with should something happen to me or Jax! I even have fucking pro-con lists! I know exactly where I stand I wasn't threating you I was honestly letting you try because I will be goddamned if Gemma ruins my babies the way she did Jax. You see Jax is a lot like his mother and when you threaten what's his you pay. That's all this is. You are paying for halfhearted threats."

"You don't want me to have them?" The question comes from behind Wendy.

Jenna can see her mother in law when Wendy moves. "No, Gem I don't want you or Mama to have them. Do you have any clue how fucked up the three of us were? Hell still are? My brother gave up his life in loyalty to this…and I'm going to jail for it." She gestured about the club. "That's fine I chose my path the second Jax kissed me that first time. I was his, and this was his… it will likely kill him same as Ope, I don't want this town, this broken dream for them and you can never walk away from it. You can never have them."

Gemma simply held out Abel's sound diminishing head phones. "Thought Abel might need these since he doesn't get far from his Mama and you have your practice run tonight." She handed them to Jenna "I am staying for Baby girl's birthday." And she walked out.

-/-

Jax walks into the club to give Jenna the information he'd garnered today. Paige is standing on the arm rests of Jenna's chair to hang a birthday banner. Once it's properly affixed she jumps down. "Who needs a ladder when I have an Aunt Jenny?"

Jenna laughs and goes about fixing the tables doing her vocal exercises half singing blank space with Abel singing in an off key harmony never missing a single word.

"What the actual fuck." He said.

"Oh Hey baby!" Jenna rolled up to him and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "You're early. Can you get the present's outta my truck? What is that face for what happened?" She asked noting his dark expression.

He tugged her out the open door. "What is he singing and come outside I'll tell you."

"We're doing a mash up. What's up I need to tune my guitar?" She replied as they step into the sunny lot.

"Otto bit off his own tongue before his statement could be made so he can neither confirm nor deny your involvement in the overturning of the RICO immunities statement."

Jenna shivered. "One that is incredibly mother fucking nasty and two what does that mean?"

"It means that the only thing they can come at you with is circumstance."

"Or Joss can turn on me…" She points out morosely.

"She's not going too Happy has got that under control. You're clear baby."

"And Pope?"

"He'll be dead by night fall and Clay will fall for it."

She nods. "Alright…" She murmurs watching Jax carry in the baby's gifts before leaving again.

"Jenna." He pulls a little box from his pocket. "Zona's birthday gift from me. In case I get back too late to give it to her." He tossed it to her. She caught it shaking her head in disapproval.

"Jax…"

"I'm going to move as fast as I can Darlin' but no promises." He kissed her and headed for his bike.

"Stay safe baby."

-/-/-/

When the boys all roll in they look varying degrees of edgy. Especially Tig. "Made it…" Jax says striding up beside Jenna mid birthday tune.

"Barely." She murmured.

"Blow baby girl…" Happy encourages Arizona who stares utterly transfixed by the flame.

"May I help you Zona?" Jax overs leaning down beside her.

"Dada!"

"I'll take that as a yes." He blew out the lone candle. Jenna pulled it off licking icing off the candle bottom.

"You're a- possed to eat it Air-wee I can show her!" Abel added

Jax gives an approving nod. "You're hosing them down Jackson."

"I got this baby."

Jenna rolls her eyes but picks up her camera to capture more moments.

Arizona doesn't care much for the presents mostly she likes ripping the paper but likes the gift Jax had given her because it was shiny. It was a bike chain woven delicately together to form a tiny bracelet. It was feminine and tough all at once.

Jenna's breath catches when she figures it out. "You made it."

He shrugged a shoulder "The only thing I'm even halfway decent at is fixing bikes and welding. It was easy."

"It's sweet Jackson. She'll love it her whole life."

"Don't mention it to the guys alright?" He says ducking down to kiss the top of Arie's head.

"What that you love your little girl? They already know. Secret is out baby." Jenna teased.

-/-/-/-

Jax misses Paige as Jenna's Opening act for this practice show as he is outside hosing off his sticky children as promised. Abel plays laughing beneath the spray but Zona runs away chanting. "No, no, no, not, cold."

"Zona Honey, I gotta get you clean…" He chuckles following her.

"Away no! Dada No no!"

He laughs he can't help it. "Zona I have too you're going to attract ants baby."

He corners her little diaper clad but and washes her down. The whole time she is shooting Gemma Teller like daggers at him with her eyes. "I am married to your mother and I was raised by your damned crazy grandma you do not scare me little girl…with your Jenna eyes. I got you."

"Not like you!" She says pouting

Jax really does laugh now. "I'll live." Jax picks her up and sighs when she soaks his entire chest for someone who doesn't like him she is giving him her best cuddles. "Somewhere Opie and Piney are thinking I'm starting to pay for some shit you know that?"

"Shit!" She says succinctly.

"Yeah… pretty much." He agrees.

-/-/-

As they step back into the club Jax sees Jenna opening her show from the little section of the clubhouse that had been her stage since she was six years old. "We're Daughter Crow and I'm Jennasis Teller this is just a practice run but we hope you enjoy anyway. We are starting off the set with one of my brother's favorites it's called the story."

He winks at her and moves through the suddenly large crowd to change the baby and Abel's clothes. Apparently some of Jenna's friends from different places had come in for Daughter Crow's debut show.

As he passes by the bar he sees a blonde he thinks he recognizes from Opie's past from before he'd met Donna it had been a short intense affair. As he gets closer he's pretty damn sure it's Charlie Mason as she sips her beer a sad little smile playing at her lips but he doesn't have time to stop and say hello as Abel is pulling him to the apartment desperate to take the stage and stand next to his mama.

Both of his children are spotlight seeking little hams. As Jenna hits a high note the hairs on the back of his neck raise. How she does that he'll never know.

He has switched Abel's shirt and the boy had raced off refusing the sound canceling head phones. "Give them to Air-wee Daddy. So hers can listen." And he is gone.

He has Zona's clean diaper on as Jenna rolls on into Folsom Prison Blues it's fast paced and tangy and she's pushing the gravelly tones in her voice. It sounds like it fucking hurts but as she hits the chorus and guitar solo he literally laughs. "Mama is having fun Zona." He says he finishes dressing her and picks her up and carries her into the main part of the club house.

-./-

He watches her a moment as she plays alone to an acoustic version of "Sex on fire." She wears a head mic to move around the stage freely.

Abel stands to next to her totally unfazed. Jax on the other hand feels a little creeped holding his daughter while she sings…that.

They move into the mash up she'd mentioned earlier. "Blank space and Stand By me?" Charlie says walking over.

"Jenna's always been eclectic, my kid knows the words."

"Ah so Ope's worse nightmare came to pass huh?" She says chagrined.

"Love of my life…nothing and no one was going to stop me." Jax confesses with a smile and sway for Zona's benefit. He doesn't dance but he can sway.

"Not all of us are that lucky. Hang on to her." Charlie advised with a swig of beer following the words.

"Everyone finds it eventually."

"Where's Ope?" She asks. "He'd never miss her on stage."

Jax almost literally flinches. "No, he wouldn't not for the world." He sighs and rips off the band aid. "With Donna in Charming Cemetery. Big black marker he's an easy man to find. He liked you Charlie it was nice seeing you." And Jax walks away suddenly uncomfortable.

"Uh yeah you too. Take care Jax." She says to his retreating form.

-/-

He walks around with the baby as Nirvana turns into Mariah Carey… "Show off!" He shouts as she hits the high notes in Always Be My Baby.

She flips him off. He just stands and listens to the sound of her voice as she sings. Then she plays "That's how strong my love is." And Tig comes and asks if he can hold Arizona. Jax gives her to him knowing he must be thinking of Dawn.

Then she does a duet with her guitarist and ex Tomas even as it gets under his skin he's not really mad because she loves the song. It's about holding back rivers of emotion and trying to find the person you love. He gets it.

She ends her set with a Sam Smith cover he's heard a thousand times because Paige loves it but there is something about hearing the gentle tone of her voice singing "Like I can." That makes him feel like she's singing solely to him.

He realizes suddenly that she is her eyes have not left him as she sits simply in her chair no guitar. Just a microphone and her voice. This song feels like a statement about their whole life. A tight lump rises in throat.

She smiles softly at him head tilted just so on the final lyric.

She hands over the mic to let Paige close with a cover of Chasing Cars. She makes her way too him and wraps herself in his arms. "Nice job baby."

She gives him thumbs up. "Vocal rest. I'm sorry baby, I forgot."

She shrugs.

"Jackie boy. Roosevelt's here…" Chibs says into his ear.

"Really he has to do this now?"

"He says he's not here about Clay. He's here for Jennasis." He clarifies eyes shifting to her.

"Do what?" She asks.

"I'm not sure of his reasoning love I made him wait outside just in case."

-/-/-/-

In the light streaming from the shop illuminating the night her world stops spinning.

"Jennasis Indigo Winston-Teller you're under arrest for accessory in the attempted murder of Jossara Violet Toric- Martinez…" the cuffs slip around her upturned wrists cool metal clicking closed resoundingly.

She wants to cry. She will not. "I know I'm not meant to speak Eli but may my husband put me in the squad car? I can't move cuffed." Roosevelt searches him then gives an affirming nod.

"Don't let my children see." She tells Chibs as Jax lifts her up into his arms.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes setting her gently into the car. He kisses her. "I will get you out Jenna. I will." He looks like he's about to cry and it makes tears spring to Jenna's eyes. She sees Gemma over his shoulder.

"For the first time I'm glad Daddy is dead at least he's not here to see this. At least he will never know this woman." She said darkly.

"I love you. Jenna it's going to be fine." He assures leaning in to kiss her again.

"No, Jax it's not call Lohan." Roosevelt forces Jax away from her.

The door closes and they drive off.

Her tears fall silent and slow but they fall all the same.

AN: This is it for this particular installment. The ending installment will begin posting in the next month or so. Thank you so much for the support as always. I own nothing but my characters and separate plot lines. I own none of the music mentioned and or alluded to in any of the chapters. If you liked it please drop a line or two. Tell me if you even want more of Jax/Jenna at all! Thanks again. Always, MM