"You're leaving again?" Donna asks sitting between her and Opie on the couch in their living room. "Again?"

"For education." Alex says, looking down at the mug of wine in her hands. "The school I'm headed to is like 4k compared to 26k here. Plus, I can apply for scholarships and grants and shit like that."

"What about Jax and Anthony?" Ope asks.

Alex sighs heavily. "I told Jax about it a couple days ago and I haven't seen him since. And for Tony, he's either going with me or staying here with Jax."

"Uh, he should go with you." Opie says. "With Jax as president, he really doesn't have the ability to watch him." Alex nods.

There's a slim chance that Jax is able to quit the club now, being president and all. Alex's heart feels so heavy. She lives Jax but this is her education- her dream-

"This is such a hard thing to think about, Lex. I'm sorry we don't know how to help."

"Just look out for Jax and- and Nick. And Sig and Marge and, obviously y'all and your lil family." Her voice is shaky and choked up. "I don't even want to think about what's gonna happen between me and Jax." Donna sighs, leaning against her fiancé. "Why is this so difficult? A couple years ago, I wouldn't have even thought about leaving; I woulda just left."

"But now you have a beautiful boy and a future husband." Donna says softly. "You have a family."

"I can't just ask Jax to come with. We just fuckin left Texas! I can't keep asking him to leave just to move back to here in a year or so. I can't keep asking him to leave the club."

"Jax will do what he thinks you want. He won't ask you." Ope sighs. "He'll do what he thinks is right" Alex says nothing. "He loves you, you know that right?"

She snorts. "I fuckin hope so. We've got a kid together and we're engaged."

"Whatever happens, happens." Opie says, giving her knee a friendly squeeze. "It'll work itself out."

"Shit. I gotta get goin'." She sniffles, standing. "Thanks. Love y'all." Alex slowly makes her way out to her truck then rides back to the house.

~

Alex wakes to an empty bed, again. She sighs heavily as she swings her feet to the carpet, pulling on one of Jax's sweatshirts before heading out to the kitchen to make some coffee. She rubs her eyes, freezing when she sees something on the counter. It's a bouquet of flowers with a small note. Alex blinks back tears as she reads the scribbled words in black ink, a smile on her face as she tucks the note into her sweatpants pocket.

Jax sighs to himself as he stands in front of the bike at the end of the hall. He runs his hand over the seat up to the handlebar and shakes his head.

It ain't easy being king.

There's a cough behind him. "You okay, man?" Opie asks, standing next to his childhood friend.

"Yeah." He breathes, his thumb brushing over the Harley Davidson name on the side. "Missin him, y'know?" Opie squeezes his shoulder. "All this shit with Alex is just weighing on me." Jax runs his hand through his too long hair. "I don't want to be the reason why she doesn't finish school." Opie stands quiet. "She's gotta do this. She's been wanting to be a nurse since her mom died and now that she can afford it and she has the time for it- shit, Ope." He takes in a shaky breath, keeping his head down while he runs his hands through his hair. "She has to do this."

Opie sighs. "It'll be for a couple years; nothing too crazy." Jax nods. "I mean, you can always visit her." He nods again as he spins on his heel, heading out to his bike so he can see his fiancé one more time before she leaves.

~

Alex sighs to herself as she slides a box into the bed of her truck. She sits on the tailgate, her head in her hands while her feet dangle. "You alright?" Jax asks from out of nowhere. He jumps up to sit next to her, folding his hands together.

"Yeah." She mumbles back, pushing her hair back. "Almost all packed up. Sig and Marge are gonna watch Tony for us while you're busy with the club." She sighs as Jax reaches over and gives her hands a squeeze.

"I love you, you know that right?" He says, looking at her. "And you going to Alabama won't change that, this love I got for you."

"I love you too." She whispers. "You look after yourself, Jackson. You look after our boy."

"Always will." His voice shakes as does his lip. "As long as you keep yourself out of jail." She chuckles weakly, tears in her eyes as she looks at him. "You better get this degree, Drea."

"If I don't, I'm comin straight home." She promises. "If anything happens to anyone, you gotta let me know, okay?"

"You got it." He leans over and kisses her temple, rubbing her back. "When're you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"The hell are we doing talking then? C'mon baby." He hops off the tailgate, pulling her to follow before he throws her over his shoulder, taking her to their bedroom, the two laughing on their way there.

~

Alex strangely doesn't feel like crying. She's hugging her son one last time before leaving for a while but she doesn't feel like crying. She looks at Jax who's teary eyed but still nothing from the blonde. She stands and hugs her parental figures. "Thank you." She whispers.

"Of course, baby." Marge whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You be careful, okay?"

"You got it, momma." Alex passes her boy to her father figure. "I love y'all."

"We love you too, kid." Sig smiles sadly. "We'll look out for your boys. Don't you worry about that." Alex gives Jax a look that makes him laugh. "Take care, kid." Sig presses a kiss to the top of her head before heading to the porch of their house with Anthony in his arms.

Alex turns to Jax who's already looking back at her. "This is the hardest one yet." She sighs. "It's not like I'm gonna be gone forever. It's just a couple years, less if I know me." She gives him a soft smile that turns ornery. "Well, Mister President," Alex slides her hand up Jax's chest, his lips turn into a sly smile. "I think I forgot something at the house." Jax smile widens as he leads her back to her truck, speeding back to their house.

Soon, Alex has her hands pressed against Jax's chest as her hair falls in her face. He wraps his strong arm around her waist to change positions. She lets out a soft giggle as her fiancé starts kissing her neck. "I'm gonna miss this." He breathes against her skin, his voice husky and airy. "Don't think I can survive two years without this pussy."

She laughs, hooking her leg over his hip. "Hope I can handle two years without your dick." Jax runs his thumb over her lips then kisses her softly. "Holy fuck, I'm gonna miss you."

"But I know you have to go." Jax whispers, pulling out then laying next to her. "I know you have to go." Alex leans up on her elbow, pushing her hair out of her face. "Do this for you."

"Huh?"

"You're always taking care of everyone else before you take care of yourself. This is for you. Do it for you." He says, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. "Don't rush it. This is your time."

She sniffles, "I love you."

Jax smiles, wiping away her tears. "I love you too."

~

"Long time, no see, huh?" Will smiles at Alex. She forces a smile after parking her truck in the driveway. "What brings you back?"

"Education." She sighs, pushing her hair back with her sunglasses. "Thanks for takin me in, again." He wraps her in a strong armed hug. Will wasn't expecting that response, he just figured shit happened with Jax. "I'm finally finishin my degree."

"Hey! That's great baby!" He grins, squeezing her shoulders. "It's nice to have you back." She sighs with a nod, grabbing a box to take up to the spare bedroom Will's letting her stay in.

Alex feels tears in her chest. She sits herself on the bare mattress and finally lets herself cry, her head in her hands. She's thirty five hours- five whole ass states- away from her family. It's finally hit her that she can't see Sig every time she steps into the bar, she can't give her baby boy a kiss every morning and night, and worst of all, she can't see her fiancé.

These two years are going to the brutal as fuck.

~

Alex has been gone for about six months. She's been crazy busy with her schooling and the jobs she's juggling on top of that but, she finally has a week off from everything. Currently, she's sitting at the end of the dock with her toes in the lake on West's land. She's leaning against a cooler while she has a beer in one hand and her cell in the other. She hasn't had much time to talk to Jax; he doesn't have enough time to talk to Alex. She's been trying him all day but nothing. She tosses her phone onto the cooler before she stands and strips off her denim shorts and lose tank top down to her bikini then dives in.

Will smiles to himself as he walks toward the pond. "How're you feelin?" She's been pretty down and quiet since she's been back. Alex swims her way to the dock and nods him over. Will sits on the edge, taking his boots and hat off, setting them out of the way. He cuffs his jeans and lets his toes take a dip. Alex bites her lip, wrapping her fingers around his ankles before pulling him into the lake with her. "Hey!" He laughs, throwing his head back to shake water off his face and hair. "You've done it now, girl!" Alex squeals as Will grabs her around the waist, pulling her under with him. They resurface, laughing together.

After a couple hours of fucking around in the lake, they decide to return to his house for some late lunch. Alex dries off then pulls on Jax's white Reaper Crew t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweats that might also be her fiancé's. Alex sighs, plopping herself on the couch with a beer and a plate in her hands. Will sits next to her, kicking his Carhartt sock covered feet up on to the coffee table. "How're you feelin? Still stressed?"

"Always am. Always will be." He cackles, buzzed from the drink in his hand. "I'm feeling better than I was before." She takes a swig from her beer. "I miss everyone."

"I don't blame ya." Will smiles, resting his head back against the couch as he keeps his eyes on the TV screen. "It's been nice havin you back, though."

"It's been nice to be Alex again." She admits. "Not someone's daughter or someone's fiancé." She sets her empty beer bottle on the coffee table before sneaking a drink from the one in Will's hand.

"Hey!" He laughs, pushing her playfully. "C'mon now, baby!" She stands, rushing out of his grasp as she chugs the rest of his beer. Will grabs her with an arm around her waist, stumbling to the floor. He keeps her against his chest as his back hits the hardwood floor. He gasps, trying to catch his breath after getting the wind knocked out of him. Alex laughs slightly, leaning up on her elbows to look up at him. "You okay?"

"I should be askin' you that." The two share a look that has both of their bodies heating up. "No, we shouldn't do that."

"Do what? I didn't say anythin'." Will bites back a smirk with his hands creeping to her waist.

"C'mon Will." She can't help the smile on her lips. "We really shouldn't." Alex lets out a laugh as his hands slide to her ass. "Hey!" She giggles as Will sits back against the wall in the hallway.

He manhandles her to sit on his lap. "If we don't tell no one, it'll be like it never happened." He tries to reason, that look on his face that has her curling her toes.

She bites her lip, "that's a good point, I guess." The cowboy under her leans up and presses his lips against her jaw, moving up to her lips while his fingers tug on the hem of her big

t-shirt. She pulls it up and off her body then starts to undo the tie on his sweatpants. Will pushes her off his lap then pulls her back to the couch, dropping himself against the cushions. Alex returns to his lap, kneeling as she kisses him, her ringed fingers twisting in his brunette locks. His hand slides between her thighs, dipping into her panties as she deepens their kiss.

Alex knows she'll regret this but she hasn't been fucked since she left Charming and she's been under a lot of stress recently.

It's a nice reward for working so damn hard.