Someone to save you

- Teaser –

The first day of the rest of your life.

Happy jolted awake, sweating and heaving. Chest pounding, he looked around, taking in his surroundings for a moment before realising where he was. The screeching of tyres, those eyes...her eyes watching him her body upside down, held by the seat still strapped to her, her mouth murmuring words he'll never hear. And that smell...the overpowering, acrid smell of burnt rubber, spilled oil, and blood. He could still smell it as if it was still in the air. It never let him forget about that night, it was constantly with him. He shook his head to chase the dark thoughts away and checked the alarm clock on the bedside. Eight a.m. time to wake up anyway.

The first few weeks after the accident, he hadn't been able to find any rest, his nights filled with memories of that day running in a loop in his head. As his scars healed, as his body got better, so did his mind and he no longer spent entire nights awake wondering if he'll ever find peace again. Nowadays, he could actually manage a full night sleep from time to time.

He turned to get off the bed, the cold floor against his feet sending a shiver through his body. Using his hand to propel himself up, he stood up. The simple movement, which was once upon a time so easy he wouldn't have even though about it, was now laboured and slow. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the pain and took the few steps separating the bed from the bathroom. The room was still impersonal, he had brought very little with him. First of all because he didn't own much, he had never felt the need for more. As he saw it, the fewer shit you have, the easier it is for you to pick up and leave at a minute's notice. The second reason was that in the six months he had been here, he had refused to let himself get comfortable, refusing to think of this place as anything else that a temporary situation.

He walked into the shower and dropping his boxers to the floor, he turned on the water. For the next few minutes, he let the steaming water batter his body, his aching bones finding relief in the power shower. When he felt warm enough, he stepped out and reached for a towel. After patting his body dry, he wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way to the sink. Using the back of his hand, he wiped the mirror clearing the fogged up stea. He looked at his reflection almost with a certain sense of curiosity, almost as if the man staring back at him was someone he hadn't met. His fingers brushed the round scar on his chest as he had done every morning for the last six months. After almost 20 years spent in the MC, after serving in the Tacoma and the Nomads Charters and making unscathed, his state of grace had ended in Charming with the Redwood original charter when a bullet had found it's way into his chest before lodging itself a centimetre shy of his spinal cord. But it had only been the first of the chain of events that had led him to this place.

"Happy?" he heard a soft voice calling.

He felt a smile creep up his face. He loved hearing that voice say his name. He peered into the room and spotted Jo Manning, the woman he had to thank for being able to stand. She noticed him too and he saw her eyes take in his naked chest and the towel that did little to hide his intimacy. She spun around in a flash turning her back on him. "I'm so sorry" she blurted out. "I knocked and didn't get an answer."

"Don't worry about it Doc." He walked to the chest of drawers by the bed and took out a tee-shirt and boxers before slipping them on. Resting his body on the wall, he crossed his arms on his chest to look at her. She had her back to him but he could picture her rosy cheek aflame with embarrassment, and couldn't help a smile. "Were you worried I'd leave without saying goodbye or you just wanted to sneak a peek before I left?"

She scoffed and even with her back turned he could tell she was smiling. "You're enjoying embarrassing me, aren't you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

She turned her head, her hand hiding her eyes. "Are you decent now?" she pointedly asked before stealing a glance through her fingers. She saw his devious smile and dropped her hand, opening her eyes.

"Morning Doc."

It was something he had done ever since they'd met. Even after she had clarified that she was a physiotherapist and not a doctor, he had continued to call her Doc and it had stuck. She let out a little laugh, tilting her head to the side. "I'm going to miss you calling me that." she stated her voice barely above the whisper.

He stared at her, fully taking her in. Jesus, she really is gorgeous. And the worst thing was that she didn't even realise the effect she had on men. In the three months he had known her, he had only seen her wear make up once. She didn't have to; it almost hindered her beauty. Her classic features, perfect smooth porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, bright blue eyes that seemed to be perpetually smiling and full lips most women envied were counterbalanced by a mass of unruly curly blond hair that fell just above her waist. She would normally wear them in a side braid as to not get in her way but he had seen them cascading free once and had to stop himself from running his hand in them. She was wearing her usual blue scrubs that hid her petite frame showing little of the perfectly proportioned body she maintained thanks to a strict sport regimen necessary in her line of work. It was a body that begged to be explored, inch by inch, like an island hiding a treasure.

She fidgeted under his intense stare as she always did when she felt him inspecting her. "I was just coming to see if you were all set?"

The question brought him back to the reality of this day, a day he had been waiting for, praying for in the last few months. "All set."

"Your ride will be here soon."

"Yeah. " It hadn't been a question, but he didn't know what else to say.

Jo knitted her brows and bit her lip. Something she did often and drove him crazy. "You're ready for this?"

He couldn't help but smile. "You worried about me doc?"

"You know I am."

"I'll be fine."

"This is serious Happy. You're still healing, You have to take it slow. Don't go playing big badass biker just yet."

"Still bossing me around even today."

She let out a heartily laugh. "As if that was possible." She joked.

They fell silent, neither of them knowing what to say next, except goodbye. He took a few steps towards her, closing the gap between them, his massive body suddenly crowding her, her head barely reaching the base of his neck. Her smile faltered as she nervously looked up to him. She didn't step back though. She never had. Even at first when he'd tried to scare her into leaving him alone, she never even blinked. That had been new to him, most women he met were instantly scared of him and he had always liked it. But with Jo, no matter how hard he'd pushed, she had pushed back.

He raised his hand, caressing her cheek with his knuckles as she gazed into his eyes. "You saved me Doc. Hope you know that."

He meant every single word. This wasn't just some parting bullshit. He wasn't in the habit of saying shit he didn't mean. She had saved him. Without her, Happy had no doubt in his mind that he would be dead. When she had entered his life, he had lost any hope of walking again, let alone ride and he knew he could not live a life without riding. Might as well be dead. He'd almost made a big mistake and given up when she opened his eyes and saved him in more way than one. He owed her his life and they both knew that.

"You did the work Happy."

"Couldn't have done it without you."

She grinned at him. "Sure you could have. It would have been a lot less fun without me yelling at you though."

They fell silent for a minute, their eyes still on each other until she looked down. "I should go. I have patients this morning."

"You should."

She didn't move though. Her eyes were still glued to the floor as if she was afraid of looking at him again. He hooked a finger on her chin and pulled up, forcing her to raise her eyes to him. "Look at me doc."

She did, and her eyes told him what he needed to know. She wanted this as much as he did. He leaned over and his mouth descended on hers. He had wanted to do this for six months, taste her, possess her mouth. He almost had a couple of months ago but she had made it clear that as long as he was a patient, she couldn't get involved. And now he was leaving, returning to his life in Charming and he would be hours away from her. But he still had to kiss her. At least once.

He wasn't surprised when she opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as she brushed her soft hand to his face. She smelled nice, she always did. It was a pleasant, heady aroma, not the usual girly fruity shit girls usually covered themselves in. No, this was musky and subtle, almost like a man's perfume but not quite. He had always wanted to ask her about it, but never had.

As their tongue melted together, he heard her moan in pleasure and it took all he had not to push her onto his bed and take her, like he had dreamed of doing so many times over the course of the last few months. He knew that he had to let her go or he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He pulled away, resting his forehead on hers and touching the tip of nose, "You be good, Jo."

Her hands still locked around his neck, she grinned. "You never called me that."

"I know."

"You be good too, Happy." She stood on her toes and quickly kissed his lips again and offering him one last smile before hurrying out.

Thanks for reading!