He walked past us; I shared a look with Chibs, then let him go and quietly followed him away from the others. The entire room stared at him. Clay stepped forward. "Where the hell have ye been?" His voice boomed, but Jax didn't answer; he just walked to the back of the room. I felt his head move to where his mother was standing. For a moment, he said nothing. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I stepped closer. "Jax?" I was finally able to say quietly, knowing he heard me. He finally looked at her. "I'm here," he quietly said. I swallowed the lump I had in my throat. "You didn't find him," I said quietly, and Jax slightly shook his head. "I did find him; he was happy with his new family," Jax told me. I leaned against the wall when I heard footsteps walking closer to where we were standing. "What happened?" Gemma asked, joining us. "I found out where Abel was." Jax finally said. "He was with his new family, this really sweet couple. When we returned to where they were, the couple was dead, and Abel was nowhere near them." Jax said, his voice sounding rough and dried up at the end. I looked over at Gemma's face, crumpled with Emotion. "When I tried to see if I could follow, but there was no trace of him," Jax added. Jax paused. His expression hardened. "He's gone again." Jax finished, and I felt his eyes getting full of tears. Just then Father Ashby walked over where we were. Gemma pulled me out of the clubhouse and up the stairs into Maureen's apartment. Fiona and Kerrianne were there too. "This was Clubbuisness, and I knew all we had to do was wait. And waited. The apartment was quiet, with nobody talking while we waited. I sat next to Gemma, patiently waiting until I couldn't sit still anymore, getting up from the couch and starting slowly to walk around the room we were in. Into the small kitchen and back out, heading around the couch and back towards the kitchen. "Riley." Gemma softly said, and I just gave her a slight glance. "Forget it; she wouldn't listen to me, too," Fiona told Gemma when the door opened and Juice walked inside with Opie and Jax behind them. I immediately stopped in my tracks and looked at Jax. "So?" I asked, staying where I was, not wanting to move. Jax sat down where I sat before holding his face in his hands. The Council gave Jimmy free passage out of Ireland," he said through his fingers. "What about Abel?" Gemma asked, and Jax lifted his head. "He's coming back to me, but I have to meet Jimmy with the priest," Jax replied, and I looked around. "What has Ashby to do with this?" I asked, and neither Jax nor anybody else answered. When I realized what this meant. "No." I let out a quiet, but Jax saw it and quietly nodded. I looked towards the door and saw Clay and Ashby walk into the apartment; I walked over to where he was standing. "Don't do this." I quietly said as I reached him. "It's okay, my child. Be safe; take care of your little family," he calmly replied softly, taking my hands in his, squeezing them before looking at Jax. I heard footsteps behind me stopping next to me, and a hand landed softly on my shoulder. I turned my head, looking at Jax. "I know you're mad, but this is the only way to get Abel back without a hitch," Jax whispered, and I felt tears build in my eyes again. Jax released my shoulder, walking past me and me out the door; with a last look around the room, Ashby followed, and I knew I would never see him again. I stayed where I was until Chibs softly hugged me from behind, turning me around and leading me to the couch, where he sat me down on his lap, just holding me. Although I had the freedom to move if I wanted, I just couldn't; neither of us spoke, just listened to the others quietly talking or walking by us. Every few minutes, I looked toward the doors. Nothing. Gemma paced by; I could see that from the corner of my eye, seeing Clay and Opie talking at the kitchen counter. Juice kept checking the windows. Nobody said what they were all thinking. What if Jax wasn't able to negotiate with Jimmy and Abel would still be in his grasp? Eventually I broke the silence. "How long has he been gone?" I asked. I felt Chibs move slightly. "Too long," he quietly replied. "You think Jimmy will give Abel over to Jax voluntarily?" I asked, and I felt Chibs move his shoulder; I could feel it in my back. "I don't know." Chibs replied; I could feel his chest moving as he spoke. That answer scared me more than anything else could have. Hours passed. The sun disappeared. Finally, after what felt like hours, I heard an engine outside stop, and I immediately got up from where I was sitting, heading to the door and out down the stairs where the jeep was parked just as Jax got out. "Jax." I said, stopping at the end of the stairs. He walked around the car and opened the passenger side. I waited for him, and I saw something as he turned around and Abel was in his arms, alive and well. Immediately, the lump in my throat disappeared. "Hey, little guy." I whispered, stepping closer as Jax closed the door. I reached out and carefully touched Abel's cheek with my finger, and I could feel his finger wrapping around my finger. "You're back. Finally, you got us all worried." I whispered. Just then, Gemma reached us; she moved around me and hugged Jax. I felt Jax push something towards me, and I instinctively moved my arms around Abel.