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...
Opie, Donna, Cori, and Jax sat around the fire for a while, chatting and laughing about the old days when they were still in high school and the messes they regularly found themselves in. After the laughter died down, Donna looked over at Cori with a small frown on her face.
"So what's next for you? I mean, after your dad... well, after."
Cori sighed as she felt Jax sit straighter, pulling away from where he had been leaning against her. She shrugged, looking into the fire for a moment before answering. "I don't honestly know. I know that I'll have to deal with dad's stuff and his will and whatnot but after that... I just don't know."
Donna nodded. "Yeah, but you wouldn't really have to go back to Michigan. You could stay here. I mean, you can write anywhere, ya know?"
Cori nodded, giving her friend a small smile as she felt Jax relax back into her side. "Yeah, it's certainly an option." She heard Jax's phone ringing from his pocket and looked at him. "You should answer her."
Jax shrugged, looking into the fire. "It's probably just mom calling to ask me something stupid. It can wait."
Opie chuckled as Cori just continued to stare at Jax until he finally looked at her with a raised brow. "You know it's not your mom. We all know it's not. Just call her back and be done with it."
He leaned in, letting his forehead gently butt against hers before he smiled at her and winked. "It's fine. This is our night out. I'll handle it tomorrow."
Cori shook her head as Opie's phone began to ring. With a sigh, he reached in his pocket and looked at the display, frowning. "And now she's calling me. Handle your shit, man."
With a growl, Jax snatched Opie's phone from his hand and jumped up to stalk off a few feet away to answer. They could hear him getting frustrated from where they were seated. Cori smiled and shook her head as she stood up. "Looks like the fun is over for the night."
Finally, after several minutes of yelling, Jax hung up and strode back over to the group, shaking his head as he looked apologetically at Cori. "She's having a meltdown. I need to get back. You mind riding back with Ope and Donna in the truck? I can make quicker time that way."
Cori scoffed and nodded as Donna and Opie frowned at Jax. "Yeah, it's fine. God knows we can't let Tara be upset about anything."
Jax shook his head and took a step closer to Cori. "Come on, don't be that way, ok? It'll get worked out."
Cori just nodded and gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I know. It's fine, really. Go do what you need to."
Opie nodded as Donna wrapped an arm around Cori's shoulders. "Yeah, man, we can get Cori home. Go deal with Tara."
Jax nodded, stepping closer to kiss Cori on the cheek but she moved back out of his reach. He sighed and nodded before turning to walk around the side of the house to where he had parked his bike. Cori looked at Donna. "Am I stupid to think I can have him? I mean, she's not going to let go of him is she?"
Donna sighed and squeezed Cori closer as they slowly walked a few steps behind Opie to the truck. They heard Jax's bike start up and soon he was gone, peeling out of the driveway as they came around to the front of the house.
"No, sweetie, you're not stupid. I believe things happen for a reason and they happen the way that they should. You just need to hold on." She grinned as she winked at Cori. "Besides, while you're waiting? You can drive Jax crazy and give Tara some real competition."
The next morning, Cori opened the front door to find Jax standing there, a smile on his face. She sighed as he stepped closer, leaning on the door frame right in front of her. "I came by to see if you wanted to go get some breakfast."
Cori shook her head. "I can't. Dad's having a bad morning. I don't want to leave Sara alone with him, in case she needs help. I'm just going to stick around here today, do some writing."
Jax nodded before reaching out and running a finger along her jawline to her chin. "Are we ok? I mean, after last night?"
Cori gave him a small smile and nodded, taking his hand from her face and holding it in hers. "Yeah, we're good."
Jax smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand as he let his forehead rest against hers. "I just need time, Cori. You have to give me that. You can't leave before you give me that."
Cori sighed and nodded. "I won't. I'm not going anywhere."
Jax grinned and leaned in to kiss her quickly on the lips. "Good. I'll call you later, ok? Maybe we can catch a movie or something."
From inside the house, they both heard Sara calling for Cori. "Cori? I need you!"
Without a word, Cori left Jax standing at the front door and took off through the living room to her dad's bedroom. When she got there, she found Sara putting an oxygen tube in her dad's nose. She felt Jax behind her as she stared at her father lying in the bed. Sara sighed and looked at Cori and Jax before shaking her head.
"Honey, I think he's getting closer. I went to get him a cup of coffee and came back to find him collapsed on the floor. He's unresponsive and his breathing is really irregular, along with his heartbeat. I think we need to call the EMTs."
Cori would have fallen if Jax wasn't standing right behind her. He grabbed her around the waist and supported her as she woodenly nodded. "Ok. Let's call."
Jax held out his phone for her to take. She quickly called 911 and once they were on the way, she handed the phone back to Jax. He held her tighter for a moment before letting go. "I'm gonna call mom and let her know that I'm going with you to the hospital."
Cori put a hand out to stop him. "You don't have to. I'll be ok by myself."
Jax shook his head as he flipped his burner phone open. "You need to learn, you're not by yourself, Coraline. I'll go with you."
