Jax pulled up to the Charming Diner, looking to grab a quick bite before meeting up with Happy and Opie to take care of some club business. He wasn't wearing his cut, just in case shit went south, but most of the people in the diner knew him. He went to the counter and sat down, ordering from the same waitress that had been there for ten years.

He looked up, and saw a new face. She was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her curves, and a T-Shirt that said CAPS STAFF on the front. Her light brown hair had blonde highlights in it and was pulled up into a high ponytail. She had bright green eyes, and was wearing very little in the way of makeup.

She wasn't his type of girl, nowhere near a Crow Eater, but she was cute and he was bored. He got up and sat next to her, she glanced up and smiled at him, no attitude, no sexy stare, just a nice smile. "Hi." She said, her eyes flitting between him and the counter.

"Hi darling." He said, flashing a smile. "Haven't seen you around before."

"I moved here about a year ago, I haven't really had a chance to meet many people." She said with another sweet smile.

"Well, I'm Jackson, but most people call me Jax." He said, offering her a hand.

"Bethany… most people call me Beth." She responded shaking his hand. He stared at her a minute, and she bit her bottom lip; she was nothing more than a deer in the headlights. He thought about inviting her to the club tonight, but that place would eat her alive.

"So what's CAPS?" He asked, taking a drink of coffee.

"Its Charming Animal Protection Services." She told him. "The animal shelter?"

"Oh yeah? What do you do there?"

"A little bit of everything. Mostly marketing and public affairs stuff." She said, taking her check from the waitress. "What do you do?"

He thought quickly, most chicks saw his cut and knew exactly what he did, but not this girl; he wasn't immediately defined to her. "I'm a mechanic." He said simply.

She pulled out some cash, laying it on the counter in front of her, and standing up. "Well, it was nice to meet you Jackson." She said with a smile. "Maybe I'll see you around."

SOASOASOA

After finishing up their 'business' Opie and Jax sat in the clubhouse shooting pool, when Jax turned to him, "you ever wonder what it would be like to have someone who didn't know about the club, what we do?"

Opie looked up at his friend. "I don't know brother, not really."

"Everyone in this town has an opinion about the Sons, what we do, what we are. I just think it would be cool to have someone not judge me based on my cut." Jax explained.

"The cut IS who we are brother." Opie told him. "You can't separate the man from the club."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Jax said, lining up another shot.

SOASOASOA

Jax pulled up to CAPS on the outskirt of Charming. He didn't know what he was doing here, something about the girl he met at the diner the day before that he couldn't get out of his mind. He got off his bike and, after a short hesitation, took off his cut, folding it and putting it in his bag before walking in.

An older woman was sitting behind a desk, holding a small kitten. "Are you here to adopt?" She asked, not looking up.

"No, I'm actually looking for Bethany." He said, looking around the small office area.

"Oh?" She said, finally looking up and giving Jax a once over before smiling. "She's back in her office; right through there last door on the right. Go on." She urged, pointing through a back door.

He gave her a smile and thanks, and walked through the door, down a small hallway, and knocked on her office door before opening it. She was at her computer, and a large boxer was lying next to her desk. The boxer raised his head, giving a small woof before lying back down. Bethany looked up. "Jackson." She said with a smile, leaning back in her seat.

"Hey Beth." He said with a lazy smile, squatting next to the dog. "Who's this?" He asked, petting the dog.

"Rocco. He was abused, so I'm trying to get him more socialized before we try to adopt him out." She explained, smiling at Jax and Rocco. "He likes you." She said quietly.

"He's cool." Jax said standing back up.

"I don't want to sound rude but, why are you here?" She asked him, looking up at him through heavy lashes.

"I wanted to see if I could buy you dinner." He said with a smile.

"Oh, um… I have to work…" She started when the older woman at the reception desk stuck her head in.

"She can leave." The woman said, before shutting the door.

Jax looked at Beth. "She's very nosy." Beth told him. "But I guess I could get away for a little while."

Jax offered her his hand, and pulled her up from her chair. "Ever ridden on a Harley?" He asked her with a cocky grin.

"No, not a Harley." She said trying to match his grin. "A couple sport bikes."

Jax snorted, "You're missing out." He told her as they walked out and got on his bike.

SOASOASOA

Beth laughed as Jax told her story about he and Opie as hell-raising teenagers. "You sound like a handful Jax." She said smiling at him.

"You can't tell me you don't have skeletons in your closet." He told her.

"No, I can't but they aren't nearly as interesting as yours." She said.

The check came and Jax pulled out some cash, leaving a sizeable tip. He had a great time with this girl, she was sweet, nice, laughed at his jokes, and was cute. She also didn't know anything about the Sons of Anarchy beyond it was a motorcycle club in town.

"Can I see you again?" He asked her after dropping her off at her car.

"I guess so." She said slyly, biting her lower lip.

Jax stepped closer to her and put a hand on her waist. She looked up at him, and he kissed her lightly, then again when she leaned back in.

Jax had a problem. He liked this girl, a lot. He also liked not being Vice President of Sons of Anarchy around her. Eventually, she was going to find out, but Jax liked the idea of controlling how much she knew.

SOASOASOA

Jax pulled up to the clubhouse, and Gemma watched him carefully. There was something different about him; a glow. "Where have you been?" She asked, eyeing him.

"Just out for a ride." He said, kissing her cheek.

She nodded, but didn't quite believe him. "What are you up to?" She asked him as he walked in the clubhouse.

"Just gonna talk to Clay about the run, then heading home." He said.

"When's the last time you got laid?" She asked bluntly.

"What?" He asked with a laugh.

"It's a serious question."

"Jesus Christ Ma, it's not really any of your business." Jax said, brushing past her.

Gemma watched him walk away. She knew he was hiding something, and she was going to find out what.

SOASOASOA

Jax pulled up to Beth's house around 8pm, after church with SoA. He'd seen her every day for close to two weeks, and they'd talked about almost everything. Everything but the Sons of Anarchy. He knew he needed to tell her something if he wanted to keep seeing her. It was only a matter of time before she talked to someone who knew him, so tonight, he left his cut on.

Walking into her place, he kissed her on the cheek, and smiled at her. She looked at him, and put a hand on his cut. "What's this?" She asked him curiously.

"It's my cut for the Sons of Anarchy." He said with a guarded tone.

"Oh. It's like a motorcycle club, right?" She asked him.

"Yeah, just a bunch of guys getting together and working on bikes and shit."

"Cool." She said, dropping the issue. Jax let out a breath and smiled. That wasn't so hard. "Do you want a beer?" She asked him, walking to the kitchen.

Jax grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. "I'd rather have something else first."

"Oh yeah?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He nipped at her neck and scooped her up, taking her back to her bedroom.

A/N- AS USUAL, SLOW FIRST CHAPTER TO ESTABLISH THEIR RELATIONSHIP. NEXT CHAPTER, A MAYANS RUN IN, AND GEMMA'S MEDDLING. ALWAYS FUN! PLEASE REVIEW!