Andy sighed as she wiped down the table her customers just finished at and pocketed the small tip they left. Great, she had dealt with grabby hands for a shitty 2 dollar tip. She grumbled and leaned over the table to grab the empty coffee cup. The bell on the door jingled but she didn't pay attention. It was the end of her shift and she was more than ready to go home. Happy, Juice, and Jax had been out on a run for three weeks. The problem? It was only supposed to take a week at most. Andy jumped as her phone vibrated.
They're back. Clubhouse now.
It was from Gemma and it made her heart leap. He was back. They were back she corrected herself. She grabbed her things from the back and clocked out, waving to her coworkers.
"I'll see you guys later."
She jogged through the parking lot and to Chibs who was waiting, bike running. She smiled and grabbed his extra helmet. "They're back Chibs! Did Gemma text you?"
Chibs was quiet and Andy looked at him. He was frowning and not meeting her eyes. Dread settled in her stomach. "We're going into lockdown Andy. The run went bad. Happy got hurt."
Andy shoved the helmet on and secured it. "Get me to the clubhouse. Now!"
The three minute ride wasn't actually longer than usual but it felt like twenty and as they pulled up Andy barely waited for the bike to stop before she was climbing off and pulling at the strap on the helmet.
"Andy, it's not bad. He's going to be fine, just a few stitches."
Andy felt her stomach settle and she nodded, holding out the helmet to Chibs. They walked in together and Andy's eyes needed time to adjust from the glaring brightness to the dark smokiness of the clubhouse. The bodies began to focus and she was able to see everyone better.
Gemma, Clay, and Jax were to the left while Tig, Juice, and Opie were to the right, in the middle was Happy and Tara who had just finished stitching his arm. Andy walked closer, "How you doin Jax?"
Jax smiled and shrugged, "Been better."
She smiled and waved at Juice before walking to Happy. She let her eyes roam over him before settling back on his face. He had a split lip and the right side of his jaw was bruised. Her hand drifted to his face without her noticing and then her lips were on his for a split second long enough for everyone to see.
"He-" Happy was cut off as Andy's fist connected with his jaw.
All hell broke loose. Tig's laughter was instantaneous and Clay was having a difficult time being serious. Jax and Tara looked stunned and Andy didn't care. Juice and Opie grabbed for Andy to stop her from punching him again but it was pointless. She wasn't going to be doing that again. Happy was rubbing his jaw and looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. Yes Happy was home, yes he was ok, but dammit he deserved it. "That's for making me worry."
She shook off Juice and Opie and walked back to her room. She could hear the clicking of Gemma's heels behind her.
"Goddaughter my ass you sure she's not yours Gemma?" called Tig.
Andy opened her door and stomped to her bed. She had just punched someone. She had just punched Happy. Shit.
"Baby we need to talk," Andy winced and looked at Gemma. Gemma looked amused but cautious, "You and Happy-"
"Won't work. Aren't good for each other. He only wants sex. I want a relationship. I know Gemma you and Chibs have told me over and over." She sighed and rubbed the knuckles of her left hand. They hurt; guess it was karma for punching an injured man.
Gemma chuckled and pulled Andy closer, "I was wrong, about that. You and Happy, well you might not work out but that's really no one's business but yours and Happy's. You're an adult…and I think you'd be good for him."
"You couldn't tell me this before I punched him? He probably won't come near me now."
Gemma laughed loudly, "Oh sweetheart I think that made him like you more."
Andy leaned her head on Gemma's shoulder and laughed, "Alright, providing he actually wants to be with me- how will I explain this to Chibs?"
Gemma looked over at Andy and smirked, "You're on your own with that Babygirl."
Andy mock glared, "If I had known saving his ass from being shot was going to bring this much trouble into my life I wouldn't have helped."
Gemma laughed again and ruffled her hair, "First things first. Talk with Happy. See what being together means for both of you. You know what life is like for the women here. Are you sure you're ok with that?"
Andy was quiet for a moment, "Maybe meaningless sex has its advantages."
"Tried to tell you that plenty of times," said a voice from the hallway, "too late for that now."
Both women jumped and looked to the doorway where Happy was standing. A fresh bruise was forming on his left jaw. His dark eyes never left Andy even as Gemma got up and left. He walked into the room, closed and locked the door. Andy looked around nervously, her palms sweating.
"Sorry about the-" Andy trailed off as she motioned to his jaw.
"That night we got you from the hotel, what happened?"
Andy pulled out her wallet and flipped to a picture holding it out to Happy. He took it but even without seeing it she knew all the details of it. It was two girls, identical in everything except hair color. Two young beautiful girls with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders smiling into the camera like complete idiots.
"Her name was Phaedra. Our mom went through a mythology phase, one of her safer phases but that's not really important. She was the older one, by 18 minutes. You know she'd never let me forget that? Any argument we ever had. Im the older one Dora I get final say. Anyway, she was the wild one. Liked to party, always had a ton of friends. She'd never leave me by myself though. No, where she went I went. She met this guy while she was out one night. I had stayed home with a cold. I remember because she came home and she was just glowing with it you know? Things moved quickly, soon they were hanging out every night and a few months later they were living together. I tried to point out that they should slow down. We were only 19 at the time. Why rush something? You're such a stick in the mud Dora. We're in love. When you fall in love you'll understand. Well she came over one night for dinner and she had this scared look in her eyes and the entire right side of her face was bruised."
Andy sniffled and took back the picture, "She said he got angry, she said it would never happen again. Well she was wrong. It happened two more times and no matter how many times I told her to get out move away call the cops…she didn't. She kept insisting that it was her fault. How fucked up is that? Anyway one day I got a call from the hospital. He had beat her so bad that she was in a coma. She didn't make it through the night. I went to his place to confront him but he was gone. It took me 3 years to find him. He had another girlfriend. When I tried to explain what he did to my sister, she didn't believe me, denied that he'd ever hit her or hurt. I could see the fucking bruises on her arms. So I waited for him outside and confronted him. Told him to turn himself in."
Andy rubbed her throat, "He pulled out a gun and tried to shoot me. The idiot was too drunk to aim properly ended up shooting his girlfriend. He tried to run again and I tripped him, I don't remember how, it all happened so fast. I got the gun from him and I just…shot him. Right in the chest. I didn't hesitate. After that I took the gun got in my car and drove. Didn't stop until the hotel. Called Gemma and here I am."
Happy sat on her bed and pulled her to his lap. She felt him play with the braid and she smiled. "Keeps my hair out of my face."
"You're mine now. You know that right? You wanted it, you got it. I get you and Chibs are close but it stays friendly. I hear about anything more than that and we're done and he's dead. I don't share." His voice was deep and his eyes locked with hers.
"Ok."
Andy felt him shift under her and found herself on her back with him above her.
"Now, I got something to show you."
