Jax' voice was muffled as Cleo stared out of the living room window, pulling her legs tight against her body sucking in a shaky breath. The brunette felt a sharp pain in her chest and stomach area, probably from the news Jax had just given her.

After calling him for what felt like hundred times and two hours later Jax finally came back home. The moment he walked through the door Cleo knew something bad happened, something that would change their lives forever⸺ and her feelings didn't betray her, she was right.

She honestly expected a lot. At first she assumed he got a call from one of his brothers but he would've said something to her if that would've been the case. It had to be something more upsetting for him to leave without a word to her.

Turns out it was something she wished had never happened.

Her world collapsed in a matter of minutes. How could Gemma do this to them? To her own son? Cleo was drowning in so many different emotions that it felt like her head was going to explode.

Rage and disappointment was at the forefront⸺ but also guilt. Was it her fault Gemma never trusted her? Was it she herself who did something wrong? Sure, Gemma was never a fan of her ties to the Mayans, but that's no reason to hit someone with a car with the intention to kill them.

Maybe she should've tried harder to get on Gemma's good side but that's what she already did. She was never rude towards the older woman or tried to keep her away from Jax or her grandkids. But the moment she noticed Gemma was trying to sabotage her relationship Cleo stopped with her friendliness, which she would've done with everyone. Respect goes both ways⸺ that's what her mother and brother always told her.

Her heart was shattered after hearing the truth, to know it was her own future mother in law who caused the miscarriage. But most of all she felt bad for Jax and the children. Her boyfriend had threatened his mother to kill her, told her she was dead to them. She couldn't even imagine being betrayed like this by her mother. What kind of mother did this to her children?

"Cleo!" Jax shook her by her shoulder, slowly getting worried about her mental absence.

The brunette's breath hitched in her throat, startled from the sudden shaking. After blinking a few times, she turned her head to look at Jax. Her eyes still burning from not blinking for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled, wrapping her arms tighter around her legs. "I got lost in my thoughts."

Jax nodded in understanding as he slowly reached out to put a hand on her forearm. He was still upset and had no idea how to deal with his own emotions, he was sure it was just as hard for her. Especially because no one had expected Gemma and Tara being behind all of this.

"I just need you to say something..anything", he sighed deeply. "I need to know if you can even stay with me, babe."

"Why not?" Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Because it was my mom who⸺", he paused for a moment and tried to shake off the rage crawling back inside. "⸺ who's to blame for the miscarriage. Since it was my mom, it's possible I become the daily reminder of what happened to you."

Cleo shook her head with her eyebrows furrowed. "That's bullshit, Jax. You are not responsible for the decisions and actions your mother makes and carries out."

And that was the truth. It never crossed her mind in the last twenty minutes to leave Jax for his mother's actions. She had a psychotic father, too, and had no power over his actions⸺ just as little power as Jax had over his mother.

Jax sighed in relief and lit up two cigarettes, giving Cleo one of them before taking a deep drag of his own. They usually didn't smoke in the house anymore but he needed that smoke right now.

"I'm still so fuckin' sorry, babe", he told her sincerely, smoke slipping past his lips with each word he spoke. "I should've taken care of the problem way earlier. I just never thought she'd go this far."

Cleo didn't miss the change in his voice. The anger and self hate was one thing but it was also how his voice cracked towards the end that broke her own heart even more than it already was.

No matter how hard it was at the moment, she pulled herself together and let go of her legs. With the cigarette between her fingers, she used her free hand to grab his free one to intertwine their fingers.

"Stop apologizing, baby. None of this is your fault, and it's also not mine⸺ even though it kind of feels like it. She fucked up and she paid the price", she told him firmly, making him look at her thoughtfully.

"Why would you feel guilty?", he frowned at her while running his thumb over the back of her hand. "You're the last person who needs to feel guilty."

"I know that", she assured him quietly. "But my ties to the Mayans, my addiction⸺ she couldn't stand me right from the start. Maybe she would've been more accepting of other women with fewer problems. Maybe your baby would still be alive if you would've knocked up someone other than me."

"What the fuck, Cleo?", Jax huffed after he finished his cigarette, throwing the rest of the cigarette through the rim of his almost empty beer bottle since there was no ashtray on the couch table. "Stop thinking like that. The loss of our baby is her fault only. I didn't, and never will, want any other woman. I wanted you the moment I laid my eyes on you in that diner one night⸺ and no one can change that."

"Let's agree that Tara and Gemma are the only ones to blame for this", she suggested with a soft sigh and squeezed his hand, taking another drag of her cigarette. The nicotine helped her to calm down at least a little. "What are we gonna do about Tara? I know I have no rights over Abel and Thomas but I don't want them with her anymore."

The brunette felt silly for asking such a thing since she wasn't even their stepmom yet, but the fear that Tara might kidnap the children scared her terribly. Abel and Thomas have become so important to her and held a special place in her heart that she could no longer imagine a life without them and Jax.

"She'll never see them again. I promise she won't make it until the end of the week, babe. I'm not letting her get away with it", Jax promised with such seriousness in his voice that it made her swallow dryly. There was something in his eyes she hasn't seen before and, as much as she hated to admit it, it scared her. Not he scared her, but the pure hate in his eyes did. Hate and rage could ruin a person and she was afraid that the whole thing would change him so much that she wouldn't recognize him at the end. That's exactly what happened to her father many years ago and turned him into the monster he was today.

⸺

Cleo stood up from the bench in the park when she spotted Tara's car parking in the parking lot only a few steps away from the playground. Since it was Abel's favorite, Cleo wanted to meet here.

It was a Friday, which meant it was Tara's turn to have the kids over the weekend. Cleo used the excuse that Jax didn't have time to bring her the kids and that she wanted to take them to the park close to Tara's new apartment anyway.

The former doctor wasn't pleased, no, she was furious that Cleo was in the park with her children and now she also had to watch how much fun Abel and Thomas were having while they were out with the woman who should have been dead. But even for that job Gemma was too stupid.

"Tara", Cleo said simply, looking at the woman through her dark sunglasses before pushing them on the top of her head. "Sit down, I wanna talk."

"I'm not talking to you. Just here to pick up my kids", Tara scoffed, turning the baby carrier with a babbling Thomas in it around so she could see him. She cooed at the baby, a small smile on her face as she listened to her son making the cutest noises.

"You better soak up those last moments with him", Cleo said calmly, the slightest smile adorning her lips.

"What the hell are you talking about?", Tara asked dumbfounded.

"Sit down and I'll explain", Cleo shrugged.

Tara cursed under her breath, yet her interest was piqued. She wanted to know what nonsense Cleo was talking. Her curiosity was the only reason the former doctor sat down.

"Last moments with him? You better have a good explanation here", Tara sneered.

The younger brunette slightly bent forward, resting her forearms on the worn wooden picnic table. With her green eyes she stared right into Tara's brown ones, wanting nothing more than to see the shock take over her face when she told her that Jax and her knew what she and Gemma had done.

"I really tried, Tara. I'm sorry that your relationship with Jax ended the way it did, I really am. It's not my thing to push myself between two people that loved each other once but⸺ it still happened because I fell in love with Jax. I just want you to know that nothing besides a kiss happened between us until Jax officially ended things with you. What I'm saying here is⸺ I understood your anger, I didn't blame you at first. But then you constantly tried to make me look like the bad one", Cleo paused to take a deep breath only to let out a bitter laugh afterwards.

"Oh please, don't act all innocent here. You ruined a perfectly working relationship and-"

"No, let me stop you right there", Cleo huffed. "Your relationship wasn't even close to perfect, Tara. Because if it had been Jax wouldn't have fallen in love with me."

"He fell in love with you because you offered him free pussy", Tara spat angrily with a scowl on her face.

"Oh, fuck you", Cleo spat back. "You know that's not true, that's why you're so fucking frustrated! Maybe your relationship would've been better if you had supported him. But no, perfect Tara Knowles only ever cared about her career."

"The career you ruined", the former doctor snorted a bitter laugh. "Where is this going? I have better things to do, like spending time with my kids."

"You ruined that one yourself, too. But whatever, that's not why we're sitting here", Cleo nodded briefly. Her eyes looked behind Tara, a small smile forming on her face as she watched Jax and Enrico coming closer.

Slightly confused about Cleo's staring, Tara turned around only to come face to face with her ex and his new Old Lady's brother. Now she was getting a little more nervous, which they could clearly see from her stiffening body.

"What is this?", she snarled, looking back and forth between the three of them.

"I wanted to give my kids the chance to say goodbye to the woman they know as their mother", Jax sneered at her while he put on his black leather gloves. "You have five minutes with them before Cleo will take them and leave. After that you're coming with me and Enrico."

"No, I won't do shit. It's my weekend. I⸺I'm taking them home", she stuttered in a whisper, her breath shaky.

"No, you won't", Cleo clarified quickly, a cold look in her eyes. "You and Gemma tried to kill me, which is horrible enough."

"Alone for that I want to see you beg for your life before my new friend and I are gonna end your miserable life", Enrico stated, his hands spread to the side before folding them behind his back. "But you also killed my unborn niece or nephew, that's unforgivable."

Tara's face lost all color as she stared up at the two men. She slapped her hand over her mouth, uttering a sob. Gemma's and her plan went wrong but she never expected anyone to find out⸺ they made sure to get rid of everything that could led to them.

"Please, Jax, you can't do this to our kids!" Tara was already begging, her hand gripping Thomas' tiny hand as if her life depended on it. "They'll never forgive you for this!"

"You killed their sibling", Jax seethed before he grabbed her by her arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. "They will never know about you, Tara. Abel is too little to remember you when he gets older and Thomas is more used to Cleo already then he ever was to you!"

Cleo watched the change in Jax eyes, how the anger took control over him. That was exactly what she had feared, yet it had to be done. Two days ago she told him about her worries, about the fear of him becoming something he wasn't if he'd cross the line and kill a woman⸺ but he assured her that it wouldn't turn him into a cold-hearted monster. Tara deserved it for what she did and Cleo knew that. Hell, she wanted revenge, too.

The brunette stood up and slowly walked over to Tara, brushing a strand of the former doctor's hair behind her ear.

"I hope your little Vendetta was worth it all", Cleo whispered into Tara's ear, the woman too petrified to move. Instead, the former doctor burst into tears and slumped down.

"I love you. You and your brother", Tara kept repeating those words while staring at Thomas, her hand resting on his tummy. Her gaze then wandered off to watch Abel playing in the sand for a moment.

Jax wrapped his arms around Cleo from behind after hearing her swallow dryly⸺ and she immediately leaned into his embrace, taking a few deep breaths. His Old Lady didn't take shit from anyone and was confident, but she wasn't a murderer, not like him or Enrico. She still had a conscience and Jax wanted it to stay that way.

"Take the kids, babe", he told her after another few minutes, turning her around so he could look at her. The blonde cupped her face in his hands and kissed her in the most loving way. "I'll be home in two hours."

"Mom's already at Jax' house waiting for you", Enrico informed his sister, a encouraging smile on his face. "I'll check on you later, okay?"

Cleo took another deep breath before slowly pulling out of Jax embrace and nodding at the two men. "I'll see you guys later."

After she got Abel, she walked back to the picnic table and picked up the baby carrier, giving Tara one last look of disgust. She watched Tara embracing Abel in a tight hug, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Her crying confused the little boy and it made Cleo nervous. What if Abel thought they upset his mom and would be mad at them?

"Come on, grandma is already waiting for us", Cleo said softly, gently dragging the three year old away from Tara by his little hand.

"Uh, grandma Katelynn?", Abel asked excited, the confused look replaced by a happy smile as Cleo nodded. "Bye mommy!", he said cheerfully.

Tara wasn't able to say a word. Instead she waved at the blonde boy and watched Cleo leave with her kids. That finally broke her heart completely but she still didn't want to see that she was to blame for the situation. Secretly Tara kept blaming Cleo for everything and hoped that Gemma would stick to their sick plan since she knew there was no chance for her to survive the day.

"Get up", Jax demanded, his black sunglasses covering his eyes. There was nothing to see in them anyway. Because of her, what she did, they were dull and empty.

"You're actually able to kill me? Look what happened to you. All the lies and violence turned you into a monster", Tara chocked out, new tears streaming down her face.

"You're part of what I am, Tara", he replied simply with a nonchalant shrug. "And now get up before I make you."

With her lips pressed together, the brunette stood up, reached for her bag absently and let the two men lead her to a black van.

At the end of the day Tara was dead and buried somewhere in the woods by Happy and Tig while Jax was back home with his family, the first time in weeks a relaxed smile on his face as they all sat together having dinner.