IT TOOK MONTHS FOR HER to be where she was now. With the help of her lawyer and good behavior, she had been able to shorten her five-year prison sentence. Now Tara was free again, but the life she once had and always wanted was now history, her dreams impossible to achieve.

She couldn't make a wrong move and was under observation because she was on probation for the next four yearsᅳ this was the only way to convince the judge to end her prison sentence.

It felt good to be free, to no longer have to constantly prove herself in prison. Thanks to a small change, however, she had spent the last few months in a solitary cell anyway, which had been much more comfortable and safer.

Nevertheless, her life would never be what it once was. She would never get her job as a doctor back, which only fed her hatred of the Sons. If she hadn't come back then, she would never have come into contact with Otto Delaney and would've never brought him that damn cross with which he killed the nurse.

She had planned her comeback, and she was determined to ruin Jax' life just as he had ruined hersᅳ and that would work out easier than she had expected, through a little surprise that no one knew about, after all, Gemma had never answered her calls.

But she would ruin Jax and Jade without the matriarch. Deep down she completely wanted to mess up Jax' life, maybe even try to win him back and then drop him after she take away everything that was important to him; Jade and his kids.

After she had moved into a small house in Jade's neighborhood in her first week back outside, which her lawyer had already bought her before her release with a little extra money that he got, she had kept her eyes and ears open.

It annoyed her to the core that her ex and the brunette bitch were so happy, that their boys were so happy. So she had decided to finally let everyone know that she was backa nd if it was only to take away their joy.

Tara had already left her house early in the morning and waited until Jade left her house to drop the boys off at daycare and then head to workᅳ apparently a job as an electrician, at least that's what her work clothes gave away.

The moment Jade's car turned the corner, Tara headed towards the Cooper/Teller house and put her little gift to Jax next to her so that that her ex couldn't see it right away. Still, Tara hesitated for a moment, but then adjusted her beige denim jacket and knocked on the door, waiting impatiently.

The door swung open only a moment later, a grinning Jax now in front of her. "Jesus babe, the keys againᅳ"

His voice died the moment his eyes met hers, the light blue in them now dark like the ocean. No one had ever looked at her with so much hatred, which sent a shiver down her spine.

"What the hell are you doing here?", he spat, his jaw so tense she could almost hear his teeth grinding. "I thought I told you what would happen if you came back."

"You did, and I haven't forgotten", Tara replied calmly, but inside she brewing. Folding her hands in front of her, she cleared her throat softly. "Things have changed, Jax. I'm not going to let you tell me what to do anymore. I'm out and you have to live with that."

"Oh yeah? And I just told you that I told you what would happen if you ever came back", Jax seethed, his lips twisting in a maliciously grin as he stepped out of the house, coming to a stop right in front of her. With his menacing gaze he looked down, his voice dripping with venom as he spoke again. "And then you have the nerve to show up here, at my house. What didn't you understand about leaving my family alone?"

Tara's confident demeanor threatened to crumble as she felt Jax' breath on her face, his face so close she had to swallow. But that wouldn't make her change her plan, no, she would ruin him.

"Well, I'm your family now too, whether you like it or not", she shot back, looking at him with arrogance before spreading her hand to the side. "Your daughter."

When Jax' gaze followed Tara's hand, at first only a bitter snort left his throat, his eyes fixed on the baby seat that he hadn't noticed before. A girl was sitting in it, only now did he hear the soft snores and the cooing noises.

His heartbeat stopped for a moment, probably almost giving him a heart attack when Tara's words finally hit him. Snorting bitterly, he shook his head, staring alternately at the baby and Tara, his gaze lingering on the latter.

"Don't fuckin' play with me, Tara", he warned, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. He lifted his hand, shoving a threatening finger in Tara's face. "What makes you think I believe you, huh?"

Tara laughed inwardly, but kept her composed expression as she just slapped Jax' hand away from her face. "Believe me, I wish you weren't her father! It was too late for an abortion, so I kept her. Do a paternity test if you don't believe me."

"Oh I will", the blonde trembled with anger, a murderous glint in his eyes as he studied Tara.

He angrily ran the tip of his tongue over his lower lip before stepping back, too afraid he would lash out. "That doesn't make any sense. You were in jail for over a year, we hadn't had sex in ages before that."

The brunette snorted, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Do you remember our last time? That was right before you broke up, right before you chose Jade. I remember, you know why? Because you fuckin' moaned her damn name in my ear", she spat, all the anger flowing into her words.

But Jax didn't seem to feel bad. No, his expression remained cold, menacing and unimpressed. "Anyway, I found out I was pregnant in prison and decided to keep it to myself, to not tell anyone. She's five months now, add another nine months of pregnancy. So she's definitely your daughter."

"Then what changed your mind?", he asked condescendingly, still not wanting to believe that the child was his. That would mess everything, absolutely everything up. "If this is some sick game. I promise youᅳ"

"Oh cut it", Tara interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "She's your daughter. Because I knew you wouldn't believe me, I made an appointment at St. Thomas for a swab today. It's in an hour. Will you be there?"

Jax took another step back, running both hands over his blonde hair and down his face. He couldn't help but glance at the little girl, who was sleeping peacefully, again, her tiny body covered by a yellow blanket with a bee's on it.

He hated it, he hated himself for how he immediately felt when he finally allowed himself to crouch down to take a closer look at the baby. That bond that he immediately felt even though he was just watching her made him feel sick, like he was going to throw up any second.

The girl looked so much like Tara and yet he thought he was sure to see some similarities between the girl and him.

Jade would freak out, probably tell him that this was the end of their relationship. That was his biggest fearᅳ losing Jade and his little family. But if that really was his daughter, did he really have the heart to abandon her?

"I'll be here", he said coolly as he pushed himself back to his feet and looked at Tara again. "You really know how to make someone's life miserable, don't you?"

"It still takes two to make a baby", she muttered with a huff before picking up the baby seat and tucking it into the crook of her arm. "See you in an hour, don't be late."

The muscles in Jax' jaw twitched violently as he watched Tara cross the street as if she hadn't just dropped a bomb that could tear his whole family apart.

But he had to know, he had to make sure he was really the fatherᅳ and he had to talk to Jade tonight because he certainly wouldn't keep this a secret, his Old Lady had a right to know.

ᅳ

THE DOCTOR WIPED THE SWAB against the inside of Jax' cheek before putting it in an airtight test tube and doing the same with the five-month-old baby. Apparently at least one person found the whole thing funny as the little one's giggles echoed through the room.

"So, we requested extra expedited processing of the DNA test. You'll probably have the results in a day or two", the doctor explained with a polite smile. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, we're done here", Jax told the man with a huff, storming out of the room before anyone could answer him.

"Sorry, he's..not very happy about this", Tara apologized to her former colleague before rushing after Jax, her daughter always sitting on her hip. "Jax, wait!"

"What the hell do you want, Tara?!", he barked as he swept around, sighing as he caught the attention of some nurses and making the little girl in Tara's arm flinch. "Sorry", he muttered, more to the child.

"Jesus, pull yourself together", Tara snarled in annoyance, rocking her daughter as her lips began to quiver. "Don't you even want to know her name? Hold her?"

"Now why would I want that?" Shaking his head, Jax fumbled for his pack of cigarettes, which he pulled out of his kutte as he kept making his way out of the hospital. It took everything in him not to lash out as Tara tried to keep up with his pace. "Could you stop following me like a god damn puppy? You got what you wanted, didn't you?", the blonde sneered.

Tara had enough. When they were finally outside, she reached out to grab the sleeve of Jax' blue and white flannel, glaring at him. "I want you to at least look at your daughter for God's sake."

"I don't even know if she's my daughter!" Jax yanked his arm back before getting in her face, snarling the next words through gritted teeth. "Now get out of my sight until the results come backᅳ you're making it really hard for me not to forget myself."

"You really are an asshole", the former doctor remarked disgustedly as her daughter finally started to cryᅳ and that was the moment she felt a spark of triumph as a spark of guilt flashed in Jax' blue lenses. "Her name's Olivia, by the wayᅳ even if you don't care."

"Just go, Tara", Jax replied, his gaze cold and yet he couldn't deny that he felt bad for scaring the girl so much. "And don't show up at my house again."

"This isn't over yet, Jax", Tara's sharp tone cut through the warm air that was pressing down on both of them, cradling the little girl's head. "She's going to get to know her father whether you want her to or not."

"We'll see about that", Jax muttered before placing a cigarette between his lips, flashing Tara another warning look and heading towards his bike before he would do something he might regret.

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