Happy's Past

The team was gathered around Sylvester's monitors as Cabe filled them in on their latest case. It wasn't like anything they had worked on before. They were being tasked with bringing down a sex trafficking ring.

"This is our guy" Cabe was saying as Sylvester brought up a mug shot. "His name is Eric Layton. He's a suspected . . ."

"Son of a bitch!" Happy slammed her fist into the table she was sitting on and stormed out of the garage slamming the door open as she left. The entire team stared after her and then turned to look at Toby.

"Toby!" Walter said in an exasperated tone.

"What? I didn't do anything. I was just standing here listening to Cabe like everyone else."

"As I was saying . . . ", Cabe said, bringing back their focus "This is Eric Layton. He is a suspected pedophile who skipped bond 15 years ago. Apparently, he has been holed up in Mexico and has allied himself with a drug cartel. He's spent the past few years running the sex trafficking side of their operations. Latest intell suggests he is back in LA. We need to locate him ASAP and the 30 plus minors he helped smuggle across the border before dawn this morning."

"Guys!" Sylvester interrupted. "This is bad. I just pulled his record. He skipped bond so he never went to trial, but . . . there was a list of suspected victims and potential witnesses. Guys . . . Happy is on the list."

"What!" Toby and Walter said almost simultaneously.

"I had no idea. I'm so sorry", said Cabe apologetically as he looked around at everyone's faces. "Look, this Eric guy is a real dirt bag. He and his wife lived here in LA and took in foster kids. His victims got delivered to his doorstep. He would abuse them and pass them around to his friends."

"I think I'm going to be sick", Paige turned away from everyone with a hand over her mouth. "Poor Happy!"

"What are we going to do? Should someone go talk to Happy? Maybe we shouldn't take this case . . ." Sylvester suggested nervously.

"This guy is one sick bastard. Happy would want us to get this guy." Said Toby confidently. "I'm going to go outside and talk to her."

Walter put up his hand, "Toby, I'm not sure that's a great idea. She been pretty mad at you recently and this is really personal stuff. Maybe she'd be more comfortable talking to another female." He gestured at Paige.

Toby looked hurt. "I'm the psychiatrist. Besides, things have been a lot better between us since your car accident . . . I'm going!" He stood up and headed out the door.

When he stepped out the door Toby couldn't see Happy anywhere. He took some time to press the palms of his hands to his eyes and take a few deep breaths. Damn. He had no idea what he was going to say when he found her. Toby knew Walter had a good point about letting Paige talk to her but he couldn't bear the thought of Happy opening up to someone other than himself. Was it self-serving? Absolutely! If Happy Quinn was going to make an emotional connection to someone it was going to be to him.

Her white truck was still parked across the street so he knew she hadn't left although she could have walked somewhere. Toby was contemplating which direction to go when he heard a crash and muffled swearing. He finally found her sitting behind the garage next to a pallet of scrap metal. She looked small with her back against the wall and her knees pulled up.

She glanced up when he approached but looked away quickly and didn't say anything.

Toby sat down next to her and quietly waited. After a minute Happy broke the silence. "So did Walt send you out here to shrink me."

"No, I volunteered to come out here because I'm your friend. I'm here to listen if you want to talk or just sit next to you if you don't." Toby paused, ". . . and if you'd rather be alone then I'll go. But, just for the record I'd rather stay."

Happy looked up to meet his eyes and nodded. "Thanks." She whispered.

Surprisingly, Toby noted, she didn't appear angry.

"Actually, I have to admit, I kind of expected to find you back here smashing things."

Happy gave him a wry smile. "Yeah, I already did that." She pulled her right hand from between her knees where she'd been pressing it into a grease cloth. A long jagged cut marred the side of her palm and the cloth was covered in blood.

"Happy, what were you thinking. Why didn't you say something?" Toby chided while examining her hand. "You're definitely going to need stitches. Keep putting pressure on it. I'll run in to let everyone know and then I'm driving you to the emergency room."