Hello everyone yes I'm back again this time with the fourth installment of this series...finally.
I've have slowly been working away on this story as I wanted to make sure (as always) that I did the show justice. But I have to admit I was excited about writing the events of season 5 as I loved the show. I was so intrigued by the changes we were shown in all the main characters of show. Something I really enjoyed watching and something I wanted to reflect in my own story.
Relationships in this story are strained to say least especially Nicole and Jax's but considering the way the show went and ended and the way I want to go with this then the change in their relationship is defiantly needed.
Anyway onto the more important stuff. I have a great deal of this story written and unlike the last story I know exactly where and how I want this story go. I will try and update every Sunday but if that isn't going to be possible (I've taken on a new job and it has me tied up so much more than my old one.) I will let you know and post as soon as I can.
So here we go I hope you all enjoy...
Samcro is all about love, family, respect and loyalty, something that Jax the newest President of Redwood Original has lived his whole life by, but what happens when those sentiments are tested or even worse broken. Can Samcro take anymore hits, can his family? Find out in the Fourth installment of this series. A continuation of Home Sweet Home, Fighting Back & Everything Changes.
Fractured
Chapter One
"Jesus Christ." Opie moaned as he placed down the last box in the small living space. It had been a busy few weeks but finally it looked like they were done, and he couldn't be happier about that.
He stood to his full 6'5 height and reached his arms above his head trying to stretch out the kink in his back.
"What's the matter, getting to old?" Nicole teased as she walked into the living space behind him carrying a leather holdall and a smug smile on her face.
Opie shook his head. "You know I could of made you move all this shit by yourself."
"Two things. One you wouldn't do that because lets face it you love me."
"Oh really." Opie folded his hands across his broad chest a smirk etching onto his lips. "And what's number two?"
"My stuff ain't shit." Opie decided not to comment on the last bit. "Anyway stop whining that was the last box."
"Finally." Nicole settled the holdall next to the boxes on the floor. Swatting Opie on the arm as she walked passed him.
"You want a beer?" She shouted over her shoulder as she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Sure." Opie looked around the modest two bed 1 and half bathroom house and then down at the pile of boxes that lay around him in her small living space. He couldn't help but wonder how the hell she was going to make it all fit, but knowing Nicole she would make it work some how. She always did.
Walking into the red painted kitchen that still smelled like paint he found Nicole standing with her back to him as she watched the kettle boil on the stove. He wasn't surprised when he saw her pull her cell out of her back pocket to check it. He also wasn't surprised when her shoulders sagged in disappointment as she placed it back into her jeans.
It was a habit of hers lately and he could take a pretty good guess as to who she was hoping to get a call from. Jax.
He himself hadn't had a lot to do with the club lately, something about Clay still breathing seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth so he thought it would be for th best for him and his brothers if he wasn't around Clay at the moment. But that didn't mean that he didn't know that Nicole and Jax were on the outs with one another right now.
In all his years he had only known the two to not speak for no more than 2 days after an argument. This was new and it was unsettling. He was worried about her and he wasn't the only one.
Truth was after everything that had gone down with Clay, Opie decided it was best to keep himself to himself. So he could have easily missed all of this and he would have if it hadn't been for a certain brother who had turned up on his doorstep in the early hours of the morning a little over a week after the whole shit with Clay had gone down.
Opie had to admit he thought Happy had come there for a different reason. Thought Clay had gotten to the killer and spread more lies. But instead of facing the reaper like he initially thought Opie was faced with a man who was asking for his help, because he had no idea what to do with the woman he was currently staring at.
Opie was reluctant to get involved in more club drama, but listening to Happy explain how bad she was he knew he couldn't just leave her to crumble. She deserved more than that, plus she was one of his oldest friends, he was already losing one he didn't want to lose another. He had lost enough.
Plus it was actually nice to be around her, act normal for a bit and nothing was more normal than decorating her new place and moving all her shit in, and Ellie and Kenny loved and if anyone needed some normality in there life it was his kids
As the kettle whistled Nicole picked it up from the stove. Opie stood straighter when she turned back to look at him, a smile on her face again. It was false though.
She had slowly gotten better over the past five weeks but that was because he knew that she had put all her focus on the move, redecorating and her new job. He wondered how she would cope when it was all done. When the last item in those boxes were put away in a specific place, how would she deal with it all.
He had tried to talk to her, tried to get her to open up about Jax but she had closed him down and if that didn't work then she would flip the conversation onto him, start asking him questions as to why he was with her all the time, why he wasn't at the club, why he wasn't wearing his cut. All questions he wasn't ready or willing to answer.
They were both to stubborn for either to win.
Nicole set down the kettle when she saw Opie standing there and moved to the fridge where she pulled out a beer.
"You and the kids staying for dinner?" Nicole asked doing a quick check of the contents of her fridge which was not a lot. Beer, bottled water, milk, cheese and eggs. If they were staying it looked like it was going to be take out again. She really needed to go to the store.
"Kids are with Lyla tonight."
"Yeah how's that working out?" Opie shrugged as he took the beer she was offering. He didn't have a clue what was happening between him and his supposed wife. It was just another thing in his life that had turned to shit and honestly he didn't know if he had enough heart left in him to try and fix it.
Nicole looked at the giant across from her. She hated what had happened to him, what was happening. She could understand his struggle. The club which had basically been his whole was responsible for the death of his father and his wife and now it seemed his second marriage. Nicole was a little hesitant when Opie had told her that he and Lyla were to marry, it wasn't that she didn't like Lyla, she did in fact she had many a good girlie nights in with the woman she was a good person and great to talk to and most of all she really loved Opie and the kids. No Nicole was weary about them getting married because she wasn't sure Opie was ready for that. But they had given it a go and it had been going well but then the club got involved again and pushed them apart. She felt so sorry for him Opie deserved so much more, he deserved to be happy.
"It will work out Ope."
"Yeah."
"So dinner?"
"Yeah why not. Hap coming?" Nicole shook her head.
Happy had been a constant at first. He trailed her to work and back and if he was unable to she was to text him before during and after her shift. He had been great.
She had stayed with him for a week at his cabin. She had been a mess, but Happy-just like he always did- managed to make her feel better, safe like not all was lost. But at the same time she watched him start to struggle with it all. That was when Opie started coming around and that was when Happy started backing off.
He was still there, still joined herself, Opie and the kids for dinner. Had helped with the decorating and the move and even now he still frequented her couch most nights, but he had taken a step back from her.
They hadn't been together intimately since the night she had turned up at his. That was five weeks ago.
She knew why. It was the same reason Jax was still avoiding her. She was fucked up.
It took her a few weeks to realise what it was that she needed to do if there was ever a chance to get either man back as a constant in her life. She needed to change. She need to grow up and prove to both of them that she wasn't that mess she had once been.
After following the great advise Kozik had given her of pawning her engagement ring she managed to rent herself a new house, get a new job,and basically a whole new her.
"No actually he's on a run." Nicole said as she finished making her tea.
This was another subject he wanted to ask her about, but after the way she had closed him down about Jax he figured she would do the same about Happy, but the curiosity was starting to get to him. Happy wasn't going to talk about it so that just left her. She seemed to be doing better now. Maybe now it would be okay. With a swig of his drink for courage he asked the question he had been dying to ask.
"So, what's the deal with you and him?" And there was the question she had been waiting for. Not wanting to go in to detail about it, for her sake not his. Nicole shrugged it off.
"You mean are we fuckin'?" She laughed when Opie screwed his face up in disgust.
"I really don't need to hear that shit, Nic."
"You asked?" She spoke she a sing song voice finding this part of the conversation highly amusing.
"No Nic I didn't...but...are you?" Nicole took sip of her tea. If only Opie realised what a complicated question that was
"Nothing is going on between us, he's just watching out for me. Like he always has, like he was told to when I was a kid."
Opie nodded. He remembered that all of them at some point had been given the you watch out for her speech over the years, no surprise that Happy would be any different.
But he swore he could see a little disappointment in her eyes as she offered him the reply.
He wondered if she wanted more. He hoped that she didn't because he wasn't exactly sure how that would work out with Happy. But then again he never thought that Happy would be the one taking care of her the way he had been.
"Yeah well whatever, you deserve to be treated right Nic." Nicole didn't know what was making her smile at Opie's statement. Maybe the fact that Opie was being all protective-his actions reminding her of Jax. Maybe.
"So Pizza good for you?"
Nicole wiped her hands on the napkin before throwing it into the now empty pizza box. She noticed the way Opie was shaking his head at her.
"I'm still amazed that you can eat like that." She had demolished the whole thing.
"I've told you before I have my dad's metabolism."
"Yeah." Opie looked at the clock on the wall. 10pm. "I better get going." He said as he got to his feet. Nicole mirroring his actions. "Your still coming tomorrow right?"
Of course Nicole wanted to go, it was a memorial for Piney and she wanted nothing more than to pay her respects to him but she would be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous about seeing Jax.
She really thought she would have heard something from him by now but she hadn't. In fact apart from the call she had made to Tara-which was one of the briefest phone calls she'd had in her life-Nicole hadn't heard anything, even Gemma had become distant.
But she had to put all of her shit to the side because she could tell that Opie wanted maybe even needed her there. He'd been so good to her there was no way she was going to let him down.
"Of course I'm going to be there."
"Good." He lent down and kissed the top of her head.
After cleaning up after dinner she grabbed herself a bottle of water from the fridge and headed into her small living space that was cluttered with boxes.
"Ope's right I do have a lot of shit." She said to herself as she put her water on the dark wood coffee table and started unpacking the first box.
Nicole made her way down the short distance from her bedroom to the kitchen. It was dark but there was a low light filtering from the kitchen. Wrapping her arms around herself she stepped into the kitchen not one bit surprised when the fridge door closed to revel Happy. She was pleased though.
He unscrewed the cap of his beer and took a big pull.
"Hey." Nicole spoke sleepily from the doorway of the kitchen. Her voice making Happy's eyes shoot straight to her.
"I wake you?" Nicole shook her head.
Truth was even though it was nearly 2am she hadn't long gone to bed herself. She had spent the best part of her evening trying to find a home for all her stuff. Glancing back over at the boxes that still lay in the living space it seemed that all her hard work hadn't got her very far.
Happy stepped back as she stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge so she could get herself a bottle of water.
The light illuminated his face as he stood next to her. He looked tired. The run had obviously been harder than he had told her it would be.
"You hungry? I could make you something."
Happy shook his head in answer to her question. All he wanted to do was get his head down, and that was exactly what he had planned to do he hadn't intended on coming to hers tonight but he just kind of ended up there, like he ever since she moved into the place.
It was a hard line he was walking right now. He was trying to keep an eye on her but at the same time trying to keep some distance. He was obviously failing on that last part considering he was here.
She had been mess when she first showed up at his place and he really thought that was going to hurt herself, do something stupid. He couldn't allow that to happen. Plus if Happy was one thing, he was a man of his word and he had promised Kozik, his brother, that he would watch out for her. He had already aloud her to fall off the wagon once he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He wasn't an idiot.
But it started to get harder as the days passed and he couldn't do it on his own that was when he sought out Opie. He knew that if anyone could help him with her it was Opie.
And he had obviously been right in thinking that because she really was doing better now. She seemed to have her shit in order and although he still caught glimpses of that sadness in her she was moving on.
Well in some ways.
She hadn't been around the clubhouse, although he had to admit that he didn't think that was a bad thing. A bit of distance would probably be good not just for but Jax to.
The new President wasn't doing so well. He seemed tense. Now Happy wasn't stupid t believe that was just because of Nicole, the gavel came with great responsibility it could easily break the strongest of men but the distance that was currently separating the once close cousins obviously was effecting him in some way. But Jax, seemed unwilling to try and do anything about it.
Happy had to physically stop himself sometimes from speaking up about it. But he always stopped himself because not matter what was going between the two it was family business, and she wasn't his Old lady. Jax outweighed him.
"Is that smoke?" Nicole's words drew him out of his thoughts.
He hadn't even thought about the smell of smoke that would be lingering on him from the truck fire, and as he watched her eyes roam over him he knew that there was a good chance that there was physical evidence of the fire on him as well.
Clearly he couldn't hide the fact that tonight's run had gone to shit, even he wanted to. But that didn't mean he had to go into detail.
"Yeah." Happy took a quick drink of his beer.
Nicole nodded. This had become another thing of Happy's, he never went into great deal about the club and he never talked about Jax in front of her. Again she knew the reasons behind it and she knew that she had no right to ask him, she wasn't his Old Lady. Plus she knew that if anyone had been gravely injured he would have broken this little vow of silence he had on the club.
"Gonna take a shower." Happy said as he pushed himself from the counter he was leaning against.
"Okay, Night." Nicole started making her way down the hall to her bedroom, she heard Happy following behind her.
She still didn't really know how to feel about him, about their situation and the longer it was going unanswered the more awkward she found herself becoming around him and the more her mind started putting imagines of Happy and various sweetbtts doing things she didn't want to think about into her head. She wasn't jealous, she didn't want to be his Old Lady or anything she just wanted things to go back to the way they were before she had turned up on his doorstep a broken mess. She just wanted to know where she stood with him.
Unfortunately the only way she could do that was to talk to him.
Happy was just about to turn for the bathroom when Nicole spun round to face him. She looked like she wanted to say something but as soon as their eyes locked it was like she had changed her mind.
"What?" He asked just as she was about to turn away from him again.
What the hell am I doing... Nicole thought to herself as she looked back at Happy. She was acting like a crazy person.
"Nothing." Nicole moved to stand in front of him and kissed him just at the side of his mouth for a second before pulling back and restoring the distance between them. "Night Hap." And with that she entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Happy watched her disappear before he entered the bathroom closing the door behind him. He ran a hand over his face as he came to stand in front of the mirror.
He wanted her there was no denying that, but at the same time he couldn't allow himself to go there. Some people may call him an asshole and sometimes he could be especially towards women but for some reason he found himself unable to take advantage of her. He didn't want to hurt anymore than she had been.
He sighed and what felt like the hundredth time when it came Nicole Teller he realised he was screwed.
A/N So I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, strangely (I have no idea why) but I was really nervous about posting this maybe it's because I know i'm stepping into new territory with my OC and Jax. Anyway please let me know what you think good or bad. Love you all x