Jax and Cori grew up together. They, along with Opie, were best friends growing up, but Cori always saw Jax differently. She watched him go through several relationships, all of them ending badly, as she sat back and waited for him to notice her. So...
Cori pulled into the lot of Teller-Morrow Automotive and parked her Jeep. She took a deep breath and looked around at the activity on the lot, thinking that it didn't look a whole lot different than the thousand other times she'd been there through the years. She finally worked up her nerve and opened her door, getting out and standing by her SUV for a moment before walking toward the garage office.
She opened the door and stood in the doorway, grinning at the sight of the woman sitting behind the desk, her attention trained on the paperwork in front of her. She didn't look up as Cori closed the door behind herself, instead speaking from her bent over position.
"I'll be right with you, sweetheart."
Cori's grin widened at the sound of that voice. Gemma Teller-Morrow had been like her own mother and she was happy to see her again.
"That's fine, take your time."
As the newcomer's voice registered with the older woman, her head swung up quickly, a look of shock on her face as she stood up and practically ran across the office to enfold Cori in a hug.
"Oh my god, baby girl! I've missed you so much! Let me look at you!" Gemma leaned back and gave Cori the once over, making the younger woman roll her eyes. "You are just as gorgeous as ever, maybe a little skinny though. Are you back to stay?"
Cori shrugged. "I don't really know."
Gemma nodded as she walked back over and sat down at her desk, motioning for Cori to take a seat on the sofa. "Well, Opie told me you were back this morning, but I told him to keep it to himself. I wanted to surprise the other guys." She nodded in the direction of the clubhouse across the lot. "They're in church, so you can hang out with me until they're done. I was sorry to hear about your dad. You need anything, you let me know, ok?"
Cori nodded and smiled. "Yeah, thanks. We're good right now though."
Gemma sat looking at her with a smirk on her face. "Jax is gonna die when he sees you. He misses you so much."
Cori just nodded and looked away from Gemma's sharp stare. "Yeah, I've missed him too."
Opie stepped out of the clubhouse and grinned when he saw Cori's Jeep sitting at the end of the lot. He pushed the door back open and yelled for Jax. Soon, Jax came out followed by most of the club as Opie looked around the lot. Not seeing Cori herself anywhere, he assumed she was in the office with Gemma. He nodded at Jax's confused look and shrugged.
"Watch this." He turned toward the office and shouted as loud as he could. "Hey, Coraline!"
Seconds later, the office door opened and Cori poked her head out. "What Harold?"
Opie turned to look at his brother, seeing the emotions fly across Jax's face. First, he was shocked, then surprised, then sad, then happy. As Jax took off running across the lot, Opie wondered how anyone could see his face and not think he was in love with the woman he was running to.
Jax stopped breathing for a moment when the office door opened and Cori looked out. It was just like the old days and he had to shake himself, thinking for a moment that he was just having a deja vu moment. He had them all of the time: someone would say or do something, and he'd think of her. He would need to take a moment and bring himself back to reality, but this wasn't one of those moments. She was really there, stepping out of the office and running to him as he ran in her direction. They met halfway, both stopping a few inches from the other and just staring. Finally, Cori smiled softly, that smile that Jax had always known was just for him, and stepped forward.
"Jackson."
Before he even realized that he had moved, Jax had Cori wrapped in his arms, her face nestled in the crook of his neck like the last time he had held her. He let his head land on her shoulder, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She'd come back to him and that was all that mattered at that moment. He knew that she was really here for her father, but Jax let himself have a moment to think that she was here just for him. He moved his head so that his lips were next to her ear and whispered hoarsely. "God, I've missed you, Cori. You can't leave again."
Cori leaned back in his hold to look at him. "I'm not going anywhere, at least not for a while."
Before Jax could reply, he was being shoved away and Tig was picking Cori up in a hug, making her giggle like a schoolgirl. "Damn, Jax, don't hog the hot chick! Cori, doll, I have missed you! Give me some lovin'!"
Jax rolled his eyes and grinned as each of the guys took their turn either greeting her or being introduced to her as his mother came to stand beside him. "She looks great, doesn't she?"
Gemma nodded, grinning at her son. "Yeah, she does. You ever going to tell her how you feel?"
Jax looked at his mom, shaking his head as he scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Gemma started to reply but groaned instead as a familiar car pulled onto the lot. "What is she doing here?"
Jax shrugged and grinned. "I don't know. Car trouble?"
Gemma rolled her eyes at her son as Tara got out of her car and walked their way. She stopped short when she saw Cori currently being hugged by Clay. "Coraline."
Gemma grinned when Cori turned from her husband's arms and looked Tara up and down dismissively. "Tara."
Some of the guys snickered as Tara rolled her eyes and turned to Jax. "You got time to look at my car? It's making a funny noise."
Jax shook his head. "Nah, I don't have time today, but Opie will look at it." He held a hand out to Cori and waited for her to take it. He smiled down at her, completely missing the dirty look that Tara was shooting his way. "Come on, I want you to meet Abel. You still remember how to ride?"
Cori winked at him as he led her to his bike. "I think I can remember how."
