"I'm telling you, your brother wants to see you. You have to promise me Carter James Michaels...you'll stay until your brother gets out of the hospital," the matriarch of the Michaels family ordered her son who was adjusting the long-sleeved button-up he was wearing.

"Aren't you hot in that?" Mrs. Michaels asked her son.

Carter tugged on the collar of his shirt, revealing a hint of blue ink.

"Is that a tattoo?"

Carter sighed, "No, mother. Of course not. Listen, I have to run an errand but I'll be back soon."

"What? I'm making dinner. Where are you going?"

"I have to pick up my girlfriend."

Mrs. Michaels smiled, "Alright. Your father and I will be waiting."

Carter nodded before walking past his mother and rolling his eyes. He pulled out his phone and made a few calls, "Do you know where she's at? Good. I want you all here as soon as possible. Just follow my instructions. Yeah. Blanco Motel. Burn it to the ground. I have to go. He'll be there soon so hurry."

Carter disconnected the call and stared down at the tattoo on his arm before glancing up to the full moon. So much was happening but he was flexible. He'd change his plans as needed.

"That's right Jax. You tried to lure me to the hospital but now I'll have you here," he held out his hand, "Right in the palms of my hands."

Carter threw back his head and laughed while his phone rang. He cleared his throat before answering.

"I meant to be back sooner but my girlfriend was in a car accident. Yeah. I'm sorry mother but I don't think I'll be making it to dinner tonight."

---------------
Dani's head was pounding as she slowly opened her eyes.

"I told you to be careful!"

"I was! She's not hurt, is she?"

Dani groaned, "Where...where am I?"

"Dani, are you okay? Do you feel alright?"

Dani's eyes squinted as they focused on the man standing above her, "Oliver?"

"I had no idea what he was planning," Oliver whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek. "I would never want you hurt."

"Where am I?" Dani asked. She tried to look around but a sharp pain spread through her shoulders.

"Somewhere safe," Calvin's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Calvin?"

"Who else would it be?" Calvin crossed his arms as he stood by Oliver. "Before you get mad, I'm sorry. I had to do something," Calvin explained.

"Oliver, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure what I should tell you. I don't think it's my place," Oliver looked away from Dani's confused expression.

"Let me do it," a female voice said.

All eyes turned towards the woman known as Helen Deleon.

"What are you doing here?" Dani asked, her eyes narrowing, recognizing her birth mother.

"I'm your mother. Of course I should be here," Helen said as she stood by Calvin. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Good job bringing her here."

"Why am I here?" Dani's voice grew louder in anger. "What the hell is going on? Why did you knock me out?"

"Death has been appearing in your dreams, Dani. Don't you know what that means?" Helen asked.

"I don't care what it means. I want to know what's going on!"

"I already explained it to her," Calvin said nonchalantly. "She knows."

"So you know that someone around you is going to cause your death? And you don't care?" Helen waved her arms in the air.

Dani's eyes focused on a stained floor tile. Her head was pounding and she didn't want to argue with anyone, "Why?"

"Dani-"

"Why are you suddenly showing up and acting like you care?" Dani's fists clenched as she spoke in a low but firm voice.

"I've always been watching over you," Helen Deleon admitted. "After I realized what was going on and that your boyfriend's brother means you harm, I had to get involved. If you stay around Jax Michaels, you're going to get killed! Why won't you listen to me?"

"I want to leave. Now, " Dani pushed herself up. They were in a motel room.

"No, you're not going anywhere. Not until I show you how reckless you're being," Helen forced Dani back on the bed. "You're willing to risk your life for your boyfriend. Do you think he'd do the same? Do you honestly believe that?"

"It's none of your business one way or the other!" Dani slapped her mother's hands away. "Who do you think you are to just show up and start thinking you have a say in my life? If you really cared about me, you wouldn't have brought me to a hotel room but to the hospital!"

"So you can be close to your boyfriend? Not likely," Helen shook her head. "Calvin, make the call."

Calvin stepped forward, a smile spread wide across his face, "My pleasure."

--------------------
"Dammit, why isn't she picking up?" Jax cursed as he attempted to call Dani again.

"You can't get in touch with her? She's probably in danger...like Gladys was," Tristan said, referring to his sister.

Jax looked up, "Why the hell are you still here? Shouldn't you be with your sister and Roberto?"

Tristan smirked, giving Jax a mock salute, "You're right. See ya' around."

Jax watched Tristan saunter from the hospital room as his phone rang. He quickly picked it up, "Thank God, Dani. I've been trying to reach you. Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Hello Detective Michaels," the person on the other end of the line answered.

"Who is this? Where's Dani?"

"Your girlfriend is safe and sound...for now," the man answered.

"Who are you?" Jax growled.

Soft laughter filled Jax's ears, "Who am I? If you're really interested, why don't you come meet me and find out? Blanco Motel. Room 206. Come alone. We'll be waiting for you."

---------------------
The parking lot of Blanco Motel was almost empty with the exception of two cars at the end of the parking lot. Jax made his way to room 206. The door was unlocked.

"Dani?" Jax called out cautiously, his hand on his gun. "Dani are you in here?" The main room was empty. He saw a mirrored closet next to the bathroom door. He quickly opened the closet's double doors and sighed when he saw that Dani wasn't in the closet.

Jax was still by the closet, his back to the room's entrance. In the mirror's reflection, he could see someone entering the still-open door of the motel room. Jax watched and waited until Dani's neighbor was close enough to strike. He spun around and lurched forward, knocking Calvin down.

"Where's Dani?" Jax pressed his weight over Calvin, his hand wrapped around his throat.

"Jax!" Dani's voice called out to him. Jax's head shot up and his fist made contact with Calvin's jaw before he jumped up and ran towards Dani's voice.

"Dani!" he exited the room and was taken aback to see Oliver and a woman unconscious on the ground. Dani was next to Oliver. Holding a gun to her was a man dressed in a white shirt and gray pants.

"Welcome to the party," the man next to Dani sneered. "You Jax?"

Jax's fingers played over his gun, "I am. Why don't you let her go so you and I can talk?"

The smell of smoke was tickling his nose.

"My friends are a little busy right now but they'll be here soon, so don't get any funny ideas or your girl dying is the last thing you'll see," the man threatened.

Red flames started to glow in the dark and Jax looked past Dani to the room Calvin was in, "Your friends are setting the motel on fire?"

"Our boss likes fires. He almost killed that woman in a fire. I heard Chencho died. Just as well if he was undercover. Dirty cops."

"Chencho? I don't know what you're talking about but let her go. You don't have to do this."

The man laughed, "You don't know CJ. He's a crazy sonofabitch. It's killed or be killed with that guy."

"CJ?" Dani murmured. "Your boss killed my friend Donovan!"

Again, the man laughed, "He even killed the man that brought him into Los Lobos Locos. He's a bloodthirsty wolf. I've never seen a man that loved killing so much."

"He needs to be put down!" Jax yelled as he saw movement coming from the doorway of room 206.

"Yeah? Who's gonna do that? You? I don't think so. Not when I've got your girl here in my arms."

"What's your name?" Jax asked.

"Javier. You gonna try to pretend we're friends now? Try to convince me to let her go?"

"No. I just want to remind you that bad things happen to bad people, Javier. So don't blame me when your ass gets kicked later on, okay?"

Jaime laughed, "What are you-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Calvin tackled him from behind and he dropped his gun. Dani kicked the weapon away and ran towards Jax who pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead, "Are you alright, Panda Eyes?"

"Jax, I think they killed Donovan. I don't know what's going on."

"We need to get out of here," Jax pulled Dani forward.

"Oliver! We can't leave him here."

Jax turned around to see Calvin standing over an unconscious Javier.

"You get the Oliver and I'll ger her," Jax picked up Helen and rushed her to his car, Dani right behind them.

They heard shouting behind them and Jax turned around to see three more members of Los Lobos Locos coming at them.

"We need to leave now!" Calvin shoved Oliver into the car.

Jax pulled out his gun, "Stay where you are!"

The gang members laughed as the fire grew behind them, "You think we're not armed too?"

"I'm pretty sure my gun is faster than your hands."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," a voice Jax recognized called out from behind him.

Jax's neck twisted around but it was too late. A shot fired in the night, its shooter hidden in the darkness.

"No!" Dani lunged forward, pushing Jax aside and falling back herself.

"Dani!"

Sirens wailed in the background while Jax held Dani in his arms, her blood staining his clothes.

-------------

As they sat in the waiting room, Jax cursed himself. Oliver and Calvin were each holding one of Helen's hands as they waited for Dani who was in surgery.

"It's a fatal wound," Roberto whispered. "You need to prepare yourself."

"No, not Dani. Not Dani!"

"I'm sorry," Roberto sighed.

Jax swiped the wetness from his cheeks, "I...I didn't even get to say I'm sorry. What the hell kind of man am I? Every woman I love ends up dead. I can't...I can't protect anyone. This is my fault. All my fault."

He was sobbing and Roberto sat next to his partner in silence.

"We fought the last time we saw each other. I'm such an asshole that I wouldn't listen to her. I should've hugged her. Kissed her. Told Panda Eyes how much I loved her. Why is this happening?"

"She saved your life."

"You think I give a damn about myself?"

"Jax-"

"He's gone too far this time. Too damned far. I'm going to have to kill him."

"Jax, you're too upset to think clear right now."

"No, this is the clearest I've ever seen. If you can't beat them, join them, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jax stood up, determination in his stance, "I'll be back."

"Dani's still in surgery! Where the hell are you going?"

"When that Javier-kid was holding Dani, he mentioned their leader's name. CJ. We've been wondering why Los Lobos Locos kept getting involved with us. CJ. Carter James. That's my brother."

"You're saying your brother is a gang leader?" Roberto's eyes widened.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"So what? You think you can take on an entire gang on your own? That's suicide and we both know it," Roberto had a hold on Jax's bloody shirt.

Jax pushed Roberto away, "Let go of me."

"You can't leave. What about Dani?"

"She's better off without me. I'm what got her here in the first place."

Roberto shoved his partner against the wall, "Do you hear how stupid you sound right now?"

Jax looked away, chocking back a sob, "Let me go Montoya."

"No, not until you start making sense. The woman you claim to love is fighting for her life right now and you want to jet? What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Let me go!"

"No! You need to be here."

"For what? So she can wake up and see me?"

"Yes, you dumbass," Roberto's fists dug into Jax's shoulders.

"Then tell me how to face her," Jax whispered, tears falling from his eyes.

"What?"

"How am I supposed to face her? Knowing that I couldn't protect her? That I still can't protect her because Carter's out there just waiting for a second chance at her."

"Jax-"

"Do you know how ashamed I am right now?"

Roberto's grip loosened.

"I have to do something. I can't just wait here for them to tell me she d-" Jax stopped talking but the words hung between them.

died

"Dani's strong. She'll pull through."

"And if she doesn't?" Jax whispered. "Either way, we're doomed as long as my brother is alive."

Roberto took a step back, "Go. I'll stay here and call you if anything changes with Dani."

"Thank you."

Jax made his way down the hall before hearing Roberto shouting his name, "Jax!"

Jax turned around.

"Happy hunting!"

--------------------
Pain overwhelmed her as Dani heard sirens blasting around her. She could've sworn she heard Jax calling her but he sounded muffled and distant. She couldn't see anyone but she heard voices.

"She's crashing!"

Images of Helen and Oliver flashed before her. She saw Jax smiling at her, winking at her, calling her Panda Eyes. She saw Dolores pinching Donovan's rear. Donovan helping her the day Jax pretended to break up with her. Billy with his glasses. Gina asking her if Donovan was her boyfriend. Calvin also appeared, his words haunting her.

"You're going to need something meaningful to him. Something he's touched."

Dani was lost in thought, wondering what she could obtain when a bright light blinded her. A small dark figure in the middle of the brightness began growing, blocking the light.

She felt a stab of pain and her knees buckled. Dani looked up to see Death standing before her, his robes floating around him like smoke.

"No, I'm not ready to go yet!" Dani groaned as another stab of pain hit her.

Death held out a hand and Dani felt numbing warmth pulling her forward. Her pain began to subside the closer she was to death. He was offering her a world without pain and the numbness was intoxicating. As though it would fix everything. Erase everything. No more nightmares. No more life-and-death situations. No more sadness. No more fear. That paradise was all within her reach. Without thinking Dani reached up and placed her hand in Death's.

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A/N: Thank you @cizna_stha for the new DAX artwork!