+++

When Alex finally gets back to her apartment, she sighs at the sight of clutter. There's an old cardboard box on the counter with pictures and a thick stack of paper across the laminate wood, shoes dropped next to the door in a heap, empty beer bottles next to the sink full of dirty dishes. She groans as she drops her bag and starts at the sink, quickly scrubbing and drying the plates and bowls before neatly stacking the photos and the binder clipped scripts. She gathers up the couple t-shirts along with her duffle of dirty clothes to drop them in her new-ish laundry basket. Alex picks up the hamper and heads back down to her truck to head to the laundromat.

+++

Jax trudges up the stairs to Alex's place, tossing his keys on the counter, kicking his shoes off by the door then throwing his cut on the couch before dragging his hand down his face.

He freezes.

Something is different.

Jax turns to see an empty sink, an organized stack of papers and a cleaned living room. He tosses the cap of the beer bottle in his hand into the sink then drops himself on the couch.

Alex huffs, struggling to get the hamper back up the narrow stairwell. She elbows the door open and lets out a shout when she sees someone sitting on her couch. "Holy fuck. You scared me. I forgot you were stayin here." She laughs with a hand to her chest. Jax jumps up and pulls her in for a tight hug, taking a deep breath with his nose against the top of her head. "Hello to you, too." She smiles, squeezing him back after she drops her hamper. Jax lifts her up and she wraps her legs around him, laughing as he spins. "Okay, okay." Alex laughs again when she picks up the hamper.

"When did you get back?"

"Couple hours ago." She responds as she heads back to the bedroom. "What were you up to?"

"Just club shit." He says, flopping onto her bed while she folds and puts away clothes and sheets. "How was it? Tell me all about it." She sighs as she sits next to him, telling him all about the swimming in the lake, the trip to Decatur, fixing up Ol' Gussie. "Shit, I didn't know you could work on shit like that."

"Picked it up real quick while working down on the farm." She shrugs, blushing at the memory of her and Buck rolling around in the hay. "I'm not as helpless as you think I am."

"Never said you were." He laughs. "It's kinda sexy though. Y'know, if you ever get sick of working at the bar, I'm sure we could get you fixed up with a car or some shit."

"Oh no. No, I can't be around all those boys." She shakes her head with a smile. "You talk to Nick at all?"

"He came by and asked us about..." he trails off, looking down at his hands.

"About?"

"Joining the club."

"Oh." She lowers herself on the bed. "Wasn't expecting that. Would y'all let him after what my old man did?"

"It'd take a while but I'm sure the guys can get around to trusting him. The guys are paranoid because of Lawrence and everything-"

"Understandably."

"Right. I mean, he's cleaned himself up and shit. If he was his old self, we definitely would've said no on the spot."

She chews the inside of her cheek. "Just be careful and watch his back."

"Always, baby." Jax wraps his arm around her shoulders. "C'mere." He pulls her onto his lap. "I haven't properly welcomed you home."

"God you're so fuckin cheesy."

+++

Alex is leaning against the bar, her arms crossed under her chest as she watches the news repeat itself like clockwork on the TV mounted to the wall. She sighs, relaxing her eyes as she stares at the screen. She jumps when the phone rings. "Snake Pit Alehouse, how can I help ya?"

"Dude- Donna's having the baby. I'm sorry I'm bothering you at work but I tried your cell and nothing happened. I-I-"

"Opie, calm down." She says as she picks up her purse. "Take a deep breath. I'm on my way." She waits for his response before hanging up. "Sig! It's an emergency, I gotta run to the hospital!" She calls then she's out the door.

+++

Alex hears Ope before she sees him. The tall man is sitting on a chair with his head in his hands, talking to Jax. "They wouldn't let me in there- Alex! They won't let me in there!"

"What the hell? Why? You're the kids father." She throws her purse to Jax then heads to the delivery room where she finds Donna in the middle of labor. She almost instantly rushes to her side to grab her hand and push her sweaty hair back. "You got it, baby." She whispers, Donna nods lazily with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Harry's here. He's out in the waiting room, okay?" She whines and nods as she gives the doctor another push.

After a few more tries, Baby Winston is born.

Alex wipes Donna's face off, presses a kiss to her forehead then goes to get Opie. "Ten fingers, ten toes. Kid's blessed with Donna's looks." Jax snickers and shoves Opie's shoulder. "She's a fuckin trooper. Go see her." Opie gives Alex a quick, bone crushing hug before rushing off into the delivery room.

Jax pulls Alex down to sit with him. "You think that'll be us someday?" He asks with his hand on her knee.

"Maybe one day." She smiles to herself as she drops her head on his shoulder. "Maybe one day."

Jax holds her close, his heart swelling with love. He knows they're on the more serious side of their relationship; hell, he practically lives with her in that tiny apartment. "I sold my house." He mumbles.

"Why-oh." She swallows hard. "Where're you staying now?"

"At the clubhouse until I find another place." He looks down at her. "And I want you to move in with me."

"What? Jax I- Really?"

"I mean we practically live together now, so why not?"

Opie comes back with tears in his eyes. "You okay?"

"She's so tiny and- and I've never seen anything so beautiful before." Alex laughs, hugging him tightly. "Ellie, that's her name."

"Beautiful, man." Jax smiles, his arm still tight around Alex's shoulder. "How's Donna?"

"Huh? Oh, she's beautiful. She's fine, tired."

Alex laughs, giving him another hug. "Congrats Dad."

+++

"So, where're we goin'?" Alex asks softly as Jax runs his hand through her hair. They're laying in her bed, it's nearly two in the morning. "Somewhere warm? Somewhere South?" He laughs quietly.

"Where would you want to go?"

"I don't know- oh! We could do a lil road trip!" He smiles at her. "That's what I want. I wanna do a big ass road trip." Her voice is sleepy and soft. "With you."

"Let's do that then. We'll do that."

+++

A couple hours later, Alex stirs awake, a noise leaves her throat. "Jax?" She reaches out and feels warm sheets. "Jackson?" She slowly get to her feet, pulling a sweater on. Alex makes her way to the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. She pours herself a cup and sighs when she sees the blonde asleep on the couch. She pulls a blanket over him then presses a kiss to his forehead before retreating back to her bedroom. Alex slides back under the sheets with a book on her lap, the mug in her hand and a lit cigarette between her lips. She sits and reads until Jax wakes.

"Hey." Jax mutters, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "How long've you been up?"

"Couple hours. What happened to you?"

"Couldn't sleep. Made a couple calls and pulled a few strings."

"For what?"

"You'll see." He gives her a goofy smile before disappearing into the bathroom.

Alex laughs to herself as she shakes her head. "What did you do?"

"Clear your schedule for the next week, baby." He says around a mouth full of toothpaste. "We're going on a trip."

"What!? How- You- I- How did you pull that!?"

"I may have told Clay a white lie to do this but I mean, it's something you want to do and you're only young once."

"You are somethin else." She giggles. "We're takin my truck."

"Oh, c'mon baby. It'll be romantic on my bike."

"Where are we going?" She asks, following him out to the kitchen with her empty mug in her hand.

"New Hogan Lake. I got a cabin there for a week." Jax says, sliding his hands to her hips as she stands in front of the coffee pot. "Romantic, right?"

"Mhm." She hums, leaning back to kiss his jaw.

"I- I- I know it's not a big road trip but it's still a trip. It'll be nice to get away as Alexandrea and Jackson instead of Alex and Jax, y'know?"

"Oh I know, baby." She smiles, reaching over to pick up the landline. "Lemme call Sig." As she's having a conversation with her father figure, Jax has other plans as he plays with the hem of her shirt, his breath hot against the back of her neck. She elbows him as his hand slides into her panties. She pushes Sig off the phone then spins and looks at Jax. "When do we leave?"

"Next Tuesday."