So this story has been sitting on my computer for 3 weeks now. I just finished it with help from LowBrown. Huge shout out to ya ;) Couldn't have finished it without you! 3
I got the idea from seeing Happy wearing rings one episode, and it made me wonder... which led to this. Enjoy :)
When you thought of Happy, you would think of tools, work boots, anger, fights, and of course, genius. Secondary would be hurt, loyal, protective, and determined.
No one suspected that she made her own jewelry. Different kinds of pieces, like big chunky rings, or chains in patterns of her own design, that she would sell sometimes in a small town outside of LA. where no one knew she was a genius, just some girl that made beautiful pieces. Her favourites she kept for herself, and her own personal collection.
Her pieces were unique, like her. Some were of carbon fiber, so that she could wear them while working and not burn her fingers off. Some were of leather, mainly wrist bands. Glass, sometimes, but not often. She still couldn't figure out how to blow the shapes she wanted, even with her engineering talents.
Building engines and working on making neon signs were fun and all, and great when she had a lot of anger and needed to hammer her stress out. However, the minute details, and working with tools that required patience and time was a different form of meditation for her. Something that would occupy her mind more than putting pieces together and making it work. That was almost mindless to her now. Something she loved, but mindless.
Sometimes she made them of traditional metals, like silver and gold. Shaped them using currents, and then grounded them instantly when the design was achieved. They sold rather quickly at the little shop according to the owner. These were some of her favourite pieces, however highly impractical when working. She would wear them, and deal with the guys (read: Toby's) teasing every time she had to take them off to work on something with a current. They didn't understand why she wore them, probably thought that when she punched someone it would hurt more. They didn't know it was something she made, something she enjoyed doing.
Toby suspected something. The jewelry didn't add in somehow. She got him off it by an off handed comment that he took as hot. She knew that he hadn't let it drop, but knew she could handle him. Especially with this little crush he seemed to have. Controlling him was easier than moulding putty. She just never thought that he'd find her workshop.
She kept her workshop in the back corner of her garage; no one would question whenever she went in there. And if they couldn't find her, they'd figure she went home. In reality, she hid it quite well. There was a wall that came out, and unless you knew where to look, it was hard to tell that there was enough space behind it for a small work area. Big enough for her jewelry projects. Moving a few beat up cars in the way helped mask it further. How Toby found it she could only theorize that he was watching her sometime when she wasn't aware, or had a tracking device on her. Either were possible considering him.
She had a rough day, and needed to finish an order. Working on it now seemed like it would be good for her. Wedding bands for an electrician and his wife. Something flowery for her, and coiled shapes for him. Pausing to get the kink out of her neck, she looked up and saw him there, observing her, holding a mug of something in his hands. Happy froze, trying to process that someone learned about her little hobby. It was the human behaviourist that spoke first.
"When you concentrate really hard, you bite the inside of your lip. I'm surprised it isn't bleeding right now considering you've been chewing on it for almost 15 minutes." He stated in a matter of fact fashion.
"What do you want Toby?" Happy shot back, slightly angry, hoping to scare him off, afraid he would keep pushing.
"I came to bring you some herbal tea and see if you were alright since you seemed really stressed earlier. Along with the absence of noise, I figured something was off. I saw you come in here. I'm just wondering why you hid it from us."
"Why do you need to know. It's none of your business." Happy snapped back, before looking back down at her piece. She should have know that it wouldn't end there though. Toby was too good an analyst for that.
"Turning away, widened eyes, there's a story. And I'm not leaving until you tell me." He annoyingly replied, before walking into the small space, sitting down and putting his feet up on her workbench. Sighing, Happy realized that she wouldn't be able to continue until he was satisfied. Taking a deep breath, Happy mentally prepared herself to open up.
"It was when I was 12. I got placed with a good foster-family for a while. The mother was tired of me messing with wires around the house, so she signed me up for a jewelry making class at the community center. Told me that I could mess around with non lethal wires all I wanted. I was bored within 5 minutes. The teacher was really kind and after talking with me for a few minutes, she taught me how to use currents to plate metals and how to shape them too. After that, she would set me up separately from the rest of the class and I would do that while she taught different braiding patterns to the others. When I knew I was going to be moved again, I let her know I wouldn't be coming back, and she gave me the tools I had been using."
Happy paused, thinking back. This was harder than she thought it would be. Toby sensed that she needed a minute, and stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. It was a rare thing for Happy to open up like this, and he wasn't going to waste this opportunity.
Taking another deep breath, Happy braced herself for the hardest part. "The next couple of families I was with, they were in it for the money, so I hid it from them. They would have sold the tools for cash. By the time I hacked my way out of the system, I was 16, and it was just a habit to keep it hidden." Relieved that the story was done, Happy switched back to defensive. "Satisfied Doc?"
"Hardly, I want to know everything about you Happy." The shrink truthfully replied while getting up and stretching, and placing the now cold tea he had been holding the whole time down and replacing it with one of her works. "This is really good. Do you sell any of these, or is it just something with machines you enjoy?"
"Some. It pays for the metal I need to create them." Happy answered while watching his reactions to her work. He was entertaining, picking pieces up, widened eyes as he observed them, before putting them down and picking up a new one. They continued like that for a while, him asking occasional questions about particular designs, her answering and observing him.
Picking up one of her set pieces, Toby froze for a second before talking. "My ex fiancee and I ordered the wedding bands before we split. They were from this little shop outside LA she liked to go to. Owner said that the maker made beautiful custom pieces, and had a high satisfaction rate. When she called and said that the order was in, we had already split, and I went to go talk to her about getting our money back. Seeing these makes me realize I wish I had the chance to wear it." Carefully setting the box down, Toby changed from serious to sarcastic, "But that's all in the past now, I'm going to go make you more tea. It's stone cold now." he finished before picking up the mug and walking out.
After he was out of sight, Happy walked over and picked up the piece he was looking at, curious as to what made him freeze and open up. It was her favourite wedding band set order she had made a few months ago. They were designed to look like several small bands welded together, but was actually one long piece wrapped around and around. The sizing worked out nicely that they could stack, and when they were, the pair looked like a cyclone. The couple had split before the wedding, according to the owner, and she sent the rings back to Happy.
Grinning, Happy thought maybe one day you will.
Hi. So for whatever reason, the site removed "cyclone. The" (which is kinda important) and I've reuploaded this story as a result. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed it :)