authors note; as said, I won't follow the original storylines timeline. some dead characters are still alive and some aren't. Also, the clubhouse won't be/isn't blown up. I'm sorry it took so long with the update but my kid's on school break and we weren't feeling super well but updates will come this week again. hope you had a great start into the week. 🖤

.༄. A week ago Cleo was still doubting herself about staying with Jax and his kids but now, after surviving that week, she could say she was glad that she did, that she had listened to her heart and not her anxious thoughts.

Jax had made sure he stayed with her most of the time, yet he still had to take care of business since he was Samcro's President. It was his responsibility to make sure everything was running in the right direction.

Everyone of his brothers took the information that Cleo was the sister of a Mayan different. Chibs and Bobby accepted it right away as they already had a feeling they could trust the young woman. In their eyes there wasn't a reason to be worried about anything. Their war with the Mayans was history and they were getting along just fine.

Tig and Happy were a bit more careful at first but their doubts were quickly removed. They knew that Cleo posed no danger, that she wasn't a threat to the club but their position as SAA's made the two react more cautiously.

Juice and Ratboy, who became a patched member only a few weeks ago, were neutral about it and trusted Jax that he had made the right decision by trusting her and letting the brunette into their lives.

Gemma was already aware of the brunette's family and her ties to the Mayans. In her mind Cleo was a threat⸻ but every woman at her son's side was and would always be, yet the Queen liked Cleo more than she ever liked Tara or Wendy. She was different from them, already used to the club life. Means there was a chance she wouldn't try to take Jax or her grandsons away from her and the life she had planned for them.

When Cleo wasn't overthinking and anxious about her sobriety she was confident. And the confidence the young woman held scared Gemma. Not even in her dreams would the matriarch admit that, but she knew it would be a hard battle to win if it would ever come to a little war between the two women. Gemma honestly wasn't looking for a fight, she just wanted her son and grandchildren back in her life.

It was in the middle of the day when Gemma decided she had done enough work in the office and would leave the rest to the guys. The workshop would close in two hours anyway and she wanted to find out a little more about Cleo. Not more information, she already knew a lot. It was more the woman's personality she wanted to know more about.

Was she serious about Jax? Was she honest about everything? What if the brunette decided this life was in fact too dangerous and would leave Jax heartbroken just like Tara did many years ago? Were Abel and Thomas really not a thorn in her side or was she just acting?

There were a lot of thoughts in Gemma's head, a lot of worries also. Cleo seemed to be a decent, kind and caring woman with a not so beautiful past when it came to her father, yet it didn't seem to fuck with her mind. Still, the addiction was a problem for Gemma, it didn't matter to her that Cleo was clean for now. How many times did Wendy say she would change? Too fuckin' many times.

"Come on, let's go", Gemma put her sunglasses on and linked arms with Cleo who gave her the most confused look.

"Let's go where?", the brunette raised a brow at the older woman, not sure if she should trust the matriarch. "I have to watch the boys, Gemma."

They got along, yes, but they weren't best friends and probably would never be. Cleo had a feeling Gemma wasn't a big fan of her, the older woman always acted weird when she came over a few times during the last week while Jax wasn't around. Asking weird questions about Cleo's family that were way too personal in the brunette's eyes. But she tried her best to answer as polite as possible. After all, she was her boyfriend's mother.

"We're gonna take them with us. It's the weekend, screams for a party", Gemma shrugged with her confident smirk. "Since you're an Old Lady you should be involved more."

"Involved in what exactly?" Gemma's secrecy didn't help with Cleo's confusion. On the contrary, it made everything even more confusing.

"How to organize a real Samcro party. It's a lot at first but you'll get used to it quickly. I'm sure you're gonna be great help, baby", Gemma stated, weirdly honest.

"Uh, okay", Cleo mumbled, not sure what to say. It wasn't a problem for her to help out and organize things, she had done that many times at the Mayans clubhouse in Santo Padre while she was still Adrian's Old Lady and with Enrico as her brother she was still helping now and then. "It wouldn't be my first time. But I'm sure you can still teach me some things."

"Oh, I'm sure", Gemma smiled briefly and held her hand out to Abel who ran towards them after he was done playing at the little playground at the Samcro clubhouse. "You wanna come shopping with us, baby?"

The little boy nodded eagerly as he looked up at the two women. "For what?"

"Tonight's party. We're gonna need food and some decoration. Gonna help us two ladies out?", the smirk on Gemma's face grew wider at Abel's second nod. "Good boy."

"Can I have ice cream on the way back like we always have?", Abel beamed while looking at the brunette. Everytime they went to the shop she let him pick his favorite ice cream.

Cleo shook her head smirking, knowing exactly he would remember that for the rest of his childhood and would always ask for ice cream. And as always, she wouldn't be able to say no.

"Yes, you can", she told him with a smile and gently pinched his nose. "Alright, let's get some party stuff then."

⸻

With an exhausted look on her face, Cleo put down the grocery bags in the clubhouse kitchen. No matter how many times she did shopping for the Mayans, she had always done it herself or with other Old Lady's who weren't nearly as exhausting and bossy as Gemma. The matriarch was a perfectionist in every way and it showed.

The brunette learned one thing today and that was to better go shopping by herself even if she had to carry a hundred bags on her own. Even Abel complained about his little feet hurting after three hours intense shopping and she couldn't blame the little boy one bit. Thomas was lucky enough he was still in need of a stroller.

"Wow, you look tired. What did mama Gem do to you?", a woman around her age, maybe two or three years older, leaned against the counter and looked through the grocery bags. "She's planning to feed them for a week or what?"

"Were you ever shopping with her? If not, I don't recommend it", the brunette chuckled, resting her hands on the surface of the counter. "I haven't seen you around. Are you an Old Lady?"

The woman wasn't a familiar face and not once Cleo had seen her walk around in Charming and probably everyone in town was at least once at her mother's diner.

"Nah, not yet at least. I'm Dawn, Tig's kid", she explained with a smirk, twirling a strand of her black curly hair around her finger. "You're Jax' Old Lady, right? I already like you better than the one with the stick as far up her ass as can be."

"She was really that bad, huh?", Cleo inquired amused.

"About what I heard, yes", Dawn grinned. "How is it to be with Charming's prince? Or do we call him King now since Clay is gone?"

"Maybe you ask him that", Cleo shrugged, a smirk forming on her face as they put away the groceries and already started to chop some vegetables for later. "How long are you staying?"

Dawn tapped her nails on the surface. "Honestly, I'm not sure yet. Broke up with my boyfriend and was in need of a fresh start. Maybe I'll stay here."

"I wouldn't mind having a friend around here", the brunette replied, her smirk replaced by a warm smile. She never had many friends in her life, simply because she wasn't able to trust people but Dawn seemed to be pretty cool.

The two women got lost in a long and simple conversation. They shared a bit about their past, their future plans and just random things they liked. Turned out they had a few things in common. There was a chance they could actually become great friends over time and Cleo was looking forward to having a real friend for the first time in her life.

Once they finished chopping everything, they quickly prepared the meat for later and washed the dishes they had used so Gemma wouldn't need to do it anymore. It was getting late by the time they were done and most of the guys still weren't back. Jax had already warned her that it could be a late one today, which was fine for Cleo.

Of course she was worried, just like she was when her brother was on the road. The world could be already dangerous enough but being part of a motorcycle club made it even worse. Deep down she knew Jax and Enrico knew how to take care of themselves but she wouldn't be fully relaxed until they were back⸻ it was always like that.

"Wanna take a smoke?", Dawn tore her out of her thoughts, making her nod at her.

"Smoke sounds good", Cleo nodded in agreement.

"So, you said you have a brother. Is he hot and free?", Dawn asked with a wide grin once they took a seat outside at one of the picnic tables, their feet resting on the bench.

Cleo snorted a laugh while lighting her cigarette. "You can't ask me that as his sister", she stated, blowing out the first cloud of smoke. "But he's a good looking man and yes, he's single."

"Hmm", Dawn hummed satisfied, nudging her new friends arm with her own. "You should invite him over or introduce me to him."

"I could do that", Cleo retorted, smirking. "Or you could simply join me next time I'm giving him a visit, which would be tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm all in", the other woman grinned, which faded as she saw a fuming Tara stomp towards them like a toddler throwing a fit. "Someone's pissed."

"Oh great", Cleo muttered under her breath, already sick of Tara's bullshit before the former doctor had even started.

"Where's Jax?", Tara hissed at the women but her eyes were locked with Cleo's. "He was supposed to drop the kids off at my place. It's my weekend with them!"

Shit. Cleo had totally forgotten that it was already Friday. Tara was pissed enough she had to leave Abel and Thomas with Jax and Cleo last weekend already, she surely wouldn't let him have them another one.

"He's not here yet. I'm sure he'll drop them off once he's back", Cleo said simply, not in the mood to let Tara ruin her good mood.

"I'm not leaving without my kids. Now that I'm here already I can take them myself", Tara scoffed and was about to walk inside.

Cleo quickly got on her feet, put her cigarette out with her boot and reached for Tara's arm. "You're not taking them anywhere without Jax' permission. I can't let you take them. Straight order from him, sorry."

It was the truth. Jax told her not to let Tara take the boys as long as he wasn't around. He still didn't trust his ex fiance. Not only him but also Cleo had a weird gut feeling about Tara. She was playing the part of the nice ex girlfriend and smeared honey around Jax' mouth. That's how she wanted to win his trust but none of them fell for her little game.

"God, I'm so sick of you", Tara snatched her arm out of Cleo's grip, took a swing and hit the brunette's face, making Dawn jump up from her seat and hurry over to Cleo as she heard something crack. "Stay out of my way!", Tara snarled.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?", the Trager woman seethed angrily at the former doctor and lifted Cleo's head carefully to see if her nose was broken.

"Stupid cunt", Cleo's voice was dripping with venom as she made her way over to the brunette who quickly took some steps back. Before she could find safety inside, Cleo grabbed a fist full of the woman's hair and smashed her face into the wall.

"She fuckin' deserved that, baby", Dawn cheered in the background as if this was some highschool fight. It couldn't hurt to have a supportive friend, so Cleo didn't mind. Violence was always the last option for her but Tara was asking for it. So, she didn't feel bad at all for hurting Tara at the moment.

"Break that shit up", Bobby said as he stormed out of the clubhouse, followed by Tig and Gemma. All the other guys were still on the road.

"Why? It looks fun", Tig pouted as he watched the girl's getting into a full fist fight. Neither of them looked like they could throw fists like that but damn, he was impressed.

Gemma put her hands on her hips, watching wordlessly with a proud smirk on her face. She liked how Cleo was handling Tara, that she didn't take shit from the former doctor and already despised her just as much as she did herself.

Bobby had a prospect help him to break the women apart before Cleo would beat the living shit out of Tara because the doctor was definitely on the loosing side.

"I'll get my kids back and none of you will see them again", Tara screamed hysterically over the whole lot while being dragged away from the prospect after Bobby told him to kick her out. Maybe it would've been better to sit down with the two women but they were so deep in their hatred for each other it would've only escalated again.

"Calm down", Bobby said in a calm tone as Cleo tried to get out of his grip and after Tara again. She gave up once she realized she wasn't stronger than a man.

Tears stung in Cleo's eyes as the adrenaline slowly faded and was replaced by a feeling of shame. How could she let Tara provoke her to a point she became violent? Abel could've came out of the clubhouse anytime and she still gave Tara this much power over her.

Tig motioned Bobby to let go of the brunette and draped an arm around her shoulder, walking her inside the clubhouse. Everyone else followed closely and sat down at the same table. Gemma made sure to keep Abel in Jax' room. This way he couldn't ask any questions that would put Cleo in an even more complicated situation.

"What happened, doll?", Tig wanted to know.

"She wanted to take the boys with her but Jax told me I can't let her take them without him around. That bitch hit me first, I swear. After that I kind of saw red", the brunette explained, heaving a deep sigh.

Dawn patted Cleo's hand, resting hers on top of it afterwards. "Tara started that shit, daddy", the Trager woman confirmed the brunette's words, earning a nod from Tig.

"I never said I doubt it. You did the right thing. Jax told us all to keep Tara away from the boys if he's not around", Tig assured Cleo who seemed pretty upset about what she did. "What's the problem?"

"I'm not like this", Cleo stated almost desperately. "I just feel embarrassed about that fight. Must've looked so stupid."

"Nah, it was kinda hot", the man with the black curls grinned, earning a glare from his daughter causing him to clear his throat. "Sorry."

Cleo waved it off, not offended at all by Tig's words. Spending a week around the guys helped her to get to know everyone better and she figured Tig was a flirty guy but wouldn't touch a brothers Old Lady.

"You need to see a doctor, your nose looks broken", Dawn said concerned and asked the prospect if he could bring them a wet wash cloth so they could wipe away the blood dripping from Cleo's nose.

"Not before I haven't talked to Jax", the brunette muttered. Now with the pain, she felt a big urge to down a few pain killers, especially because she actually needed them right know. Knowing it would only make her relapse, she decided against them.

To her surprise, Tara wasn't so bad in fighting. The former doctor may seemed to be uptight but her first hit took Cleo off guard.

The next twenty minutes she thought about how she could explain all of this to Jax. Would he be mad at her? Giving Tara a beating gave the doctor a reason to file for sole custody, which she could probably win. If Jax would loose his boys over a bitch fight he wouldn't forgive her.