So I tried to write a chapter between the last scene and this time jump, but it just didn't work. I got about a page and a half into it and I absolutely hated it. But I put in a few things for this one that lets us know Happy didn't just walk away completely.

Disclaimer: Do not own, not for profit

2003

Age 12

"Get your ass down here NOW" Emily screamed up the stairs.

Gabby came out of her room in a huff and stood at the top of the stair case. "I'm not going, this is ridiculous. There is no reason for us to be there."

"It is an honor to be invited to Gemma's family dinners and we are going."

"You weren't invited to the dinner, you were asked to help make it! We don't even get to eat at the table!"

Emily ran up the stairs and grabbed her daughter's arm, "you want to make it in this family you have to pay your dues. Now put a fucking smile on your face and get in the god damn car!"

"I thought you paid your dues by sucking dick!" The slap echoed in the hallway as it sent Gabby's head flying to the side. She could taste the blood in her mouth but she was more surprised that it still hurt after all these years then the fact that her mother had actually hit her.

"Car you little ungrateful bitch!" Emily dragged her daughter out of the house and threw her into the back seat.

"Emily! Look at you!" Luanne gave her a loose hug and a forced kiss on the cheek. Gemma looked up and smiled at the 2 new arrivals before handing off the bowl of potatoes she was peeling to Emily.

"You're late. Here, finish these for me. Gabby, can you stir that pot for me Hun?" Gemma had no patients for the sweet butts, she used them as slave labor, cooking, cleaning, errands, but in her mind they really weren't on the same par with 'her family'.

"Yes ma'am." Gabby dodged another sweet butt who was basting the turkey in the oven and started stirring the beginnings of homemade cranberry sauce. Gemma always did a huge Thanksgiving celebration for all of SAMCRO before the actual Thursday; she had to make sure her family got fed before men started to filter home for their own family celebrations.

"Hey, hey sorry oh my god Gemma, I could not get these little rug rats out of the house." Donna came in carrying Kenny in a car seat and pushing Ellie in front of her slowly. Gemma took the large casserole dish out of her other hand.

"Don't worry about it." She set the platter down and unstrapped Kenny from the car seat. "Hi little man" Gabby rolled her eyes as Gemma continued to play with the baby and compliment Ellie on her new dress. Of course Donna's kids got special attention, and she got to stir the fucking cranberry sauce.

"Gabby, take the kids in the back for me please, keep an eye on them. I put a movie in the player." Gabby abandoned her ladle and took Kenny from Gemma balancing the 8 month old on her hip as Donna hung the diaper bag on her shoulder.

"Come on Ellie, you know where the play room is." Gabby directed the 3 year old through the living room around several of the other arriving bikers. Opie was coming through the door with Kyle and Jax. Why the fathers couldn't ride in the cars with their wives and children boggled her mind, but she knew better then to point out the waste of gasoline to the bikers.

"Gabby, take Megan will ya?" Kyle pushed his 5 year old daughter over to Gabby as well to baby sit while Charlie his son talked to Jax. Opie walked over to kiss his baby on the head and caught a glance at Gabby's newly spilt lip.

"Whoa whoa hold up" Opie grabbed Gabby's chin and looked at her split lip closely. "What the hell Gab?"

Gabby pulled her head out of the large bikers hand and readjusted baby Kenny on her hip.

"She got into another fight at school." Emily stepped over from setting the table to cover for her earlier actions; all Gabby could do was look away from the group at the lie.

"You keep that up your gonna get your ass expelled." Gemma hit her lightly on her ass with a dish towel. "Kids out. Jackson, can you grab the beer from the garage for your dear old mom?" Jax dutifully left as Gabby herded the now 3 children into the back of the house. April kissed her husband on the cheek and entered the kitchen to help Gemma.

"Charlie, who's giving Gabby problems at school?" Kyle asked his son. He was only a year old then Gabby.

"No one." Charlie shook his head and grabbed a can of pop from the kid's cooler against the wall.

"She got into a fight today." Opie emphasized.

"No she didn't. She was fine when she got off the bus."

"Then who the hell hit her?" Opie glanced back where Gabby had retreated with the young kids.

"Her crack whore mom." Charlie laughed.

"Charlie." Kyle warned.

"Sorry dad, her illegal narcotics addicted sweet butt mom."

Opie and Kyle exchanged a look. "Charlie go help with the kids." Charlie rolled his eyes and left the adults to talk. As soon as he left Kyle started up again. "That's not okay man. I mean I sure as hell admit to knocking Charlie on the back of his head for talking back, but I don't fucking make my kids bleed."

Opie wiped a hand over his face. "Yeah, it ain't right."

"What are two sad sacks whispering about?" Tig came in with a fresh beer.

"Sweet butt's slapping her kid around."

"And?" Tig looked to Opie in an 'I should care because' way.

"And that's not okay." Kyle snapped back.

"She's a sweet butt. Her kid will be a sweet butt. And oh how I cannot wait for that one. MMM man, silky hair, blue eyes, tight little 18 year old body, born and raised to fulfill our every desire." Tig grinned at his brothers and licked his lips.

"She's 12!" Opie and Kyle yelled at him in disgusted unison.

"I said 18! I'm nothing if not patient!" Tig shrugged off his brothers looks to greet his president at the door.

"Tell Gem?" Opie asked his brother.

"Nah, Hap up in Tacoma's got a soft spot for her. I'll give him a call. He'll do something."

"You two discussing tonight?" Clay came over and wrapped his arms around both men. "Plans are set, no worries boys, this thing should go off without a hitch."

Without a hitch would probably go down as the biggest jinx to every leave Clay's mouth. The men sat around the redwood table in Church discussing what had happened the night before, and to vote on Kyle. He had been asked to leave Church, and Juice the newest prospect was keeping an eye on him in the club house.

Most of the men simply wanted him gone. Dead gone. Bobby and Chibs were a bit more level headed, wanting to wait for Opie's sentencing before they went so far as to kill the man. One thing was for sure however, no one around the table trusted him. He'd let down a brother in one of the worst possible ways.

The men made their decision and quickly adjourned as Motorcycles entered the lot. "Jesus Clay, you called Hap?" Jax whispered to his step father upon seeing Hap and Kozik get off their bikes."

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Tig yelled, referring to Kozik of course, not Hap.

"Escorted Hap, Lee doesn't let his boys ride alone anymore." Bobby reminded Tig. Last year Bowie had been caught alone on his way to Charming and suffered a near fatal gunshot wound.

"Pres." Hap and Clay embraced. Happy hadn't made a trip down to Charming in 5 years. And while it was good to see his brothers and show his respect to the mother Charter, he knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from Gabby.

In truth he hadn't been all that good at it in Tacoma either. He had gotten Tacoma's own computer guy to hack into the Charming school system and get all of Gabby's documents sent to him as well as her mother. It was a way of keeping an eye on her without actually keeping an eye on her. Falling grades, an increase in absences, or a sudden change in behavior were all signs that home life was getting worse. And thanks to Charming's newfangled computer system he was able to read about all of those for Gabby. He knew that history was her worst subject, and math her best. He knew when she missed school or came in late and he knew when she got in trouble for anything and everything.

"So what's the play here?" Happy got down to business clearing all thought of Gabby out of his head.

"Excommunication." Clay said simply.

"No Cut, no Club, no Charming." Tig emphasized.

Happy nodded his head. He knew before he left that he might not get a kill. It didn't matter though; he wanted to be here to make sure this son of a bitch never showed his face to a brother again.

Happy had spent a week with his brothers pushing Kyle out of Charming. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. After all, he had a wife and 2 kids. The club was left with the decision of whether or not April deserved the same fate as her husband. In the end April had been given a choice, and chose her home and her city before her husband, filing for divorce with a promise of support from the club.

Now he finally sat across the street from Gabby's school waiting for her to come out. He had gone by the house when he saw Emily heavily engaged with Chibs and checked out the living conditions, only to find an empty house and an eviction notice instead.

He heard the bell ring and watched as kids came storming out of the school. If he remembered correctly they were done for a week, for Thanksgiving break.

He spotted her instantly it didn't matter that she was 4 years older. He watched her walk out alone, avoiding the crowd of kids; she began to make her way to a bus but froze. They locked eyes and Happy could do nothing but will her to cross the street.

She adjusted her back pack and glanced back at the bus and then again at Happy. In truth she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, but she wasn't sure she stood. Her mother had never forgiven her for what happened with him. Somehow it was the young girls' fault that Happy had left and never come back. Gabby wasn't that stupid. Her mother had used her to black mail Happy, she had driven him away. But it was the fact that he had left so easily, hadn't tried to see her or help her, that made her hesitate in crossing the street. Happy hated her mother more then he cared about her. And if he wasn't willing to take her away she had to do what would make her mother happy. She was the one Gabby was stuck living with after all. She nodded to him and then turned and got on the bus.

Happy swallowed heavily when she turned away from him. He didn't know what that nod meant. That yes, she had seen him? That she remembered who he was? That she wanted him to follow her, but she couldn't leave the school? He straddled his bike and waited patiently for the students to board and take off. He followed at a distance, not wanting to freak the driver, or worry the kids getting off at each stop.

She got off the bus with 2 others and seemed to linger until the others had left and then walked back the direction the bus had come from. Happy watched her lean against the wall of the gas station on the corner and pulled in, parking in front of the doors. He walked around to the side she was on and just looked at her.

She was so much older now. Her hair thick and styled, her face leaner, the last traces of baby fat gone. Her arms and legs were slightly longer then they should be for her body and he couldn't help but smile at her awkwardness. He remembered that stage well.

"Take a picture it'll last longer." She responded to his smirk and he went serious again. "She know you're here?"

"Don't think she knows I'm in Charming." Gabby nodded her head before letting the back of it rest on the wall. Happy took a step forward. He wanted to hug her, hold her like he did when she was younger. She was too old now for him to pick up, not that she was too heavy, but she certainly wouldn't allow it, or ask for it like she did when she was young.

"You're here because of Opie?" Not knowing for sure how much she knew about events going on in the club he simply nodded his head. She looked out across the street, not really knowing what else to say to him. She was hurt by his leaving, but she still wanted his love so badly. She was afraid of opening herself up and trusting him only to have him leave again.

"Sweet heart" he took a step closer to her and ran his hand down her cheek. "I never wanted to leave."

"I get it Hap, I get what she did. You had too, or you would have looked weak. Can't let the whores dictate your life." She jerked her head to the side and Happy dropped his hand.

"What are you talking about?" Happy stepped closer, blocking her range of vision, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"She black mailed you. If you had given in-"

"That's not why I left Gabby." Happy interrupted her. "Sweet heart, I didn't leave to save face. I left because she could have put me in prison. You remember what she said?"

"Every word." Gabby whispered and Happy's heart clenched with the memory of the look of terror in the young girls eyes that day.

"I lied to the hospital to see you. And then I checked you out. Your mother could have put me in jail for kidnapping you. She told me she'd tell the cops I was molesting you."

"And she told you you could fuck me if you wanted to after you put your crow on her." Gabby spat out.

"I never wanted that. Gabby that wasn't why I-"

"I know. But you knew she was willing. And you left me there." Happy didn't care that tears were welling up in his eyes. Gabby was the only person he didn't care about being emotional with.

"Has anyone, Gabby" he grabbed both of her arms and put his face directly in front of her, "has anyone done anything to you? Anyone, any guy, my brothers have any of them-"

"No." Gabby turned her head away from his intense glare and took a shaky breath. It was the truth, no one had touched her, but more than one Son had 'complimented' her and told her 'what a beautiful woman she was growing into.' Tig more than anyone else.

Happy pulled her against his chest and held onto her tightly, kissing the top of her head and she finally buried her face into his cut. He had never considered that. Never thought his brothers would touch her, and certainly never thought she would fear it. Never in 4 years of wondering how much she must hate him did he think that was why.

They walked back to her house, leaving Happy's bike at the gas station. Happy inspected the house, it was the left half of a duplex, everything was smaller, and there were 2 bedrooms instead of 3. It seemed clean, there was a bit more food in the fridge then last time as well, but Gabby informed him they had only lived there 2 months.

He couldn't get over how much she had grown. Not just in height, but she was so much more mature, holding serious conversations with him. He learned that Emily had lost her waitressing job and stooped so low she was cooking crank in the kitchen. While she hadn't succeeded in blowing the house up she had caught fire to it last year. She had no insurance, letting it lapse to spend money else wear and they had lived with no kitchen for nearly 8 months before finally being evicted. This place they were living in now was in her grandmother's name. Emily couldn't get a place to save her life.

Happy got rather hopeful at the mention of a relative till he found out her grandmother was 82 living in a nursing home with advanced Alzheimer's and had no idea she had signed lease agreements.

He tried to read between the lines, make sure Gabby was alright. She seemed to be taking everything in stride. She seemed almost too mature in the way she approached things, but as before when she was younger, he didn't really know how a normal 12 year old girl was supposed to act. He had reacted to his father's drug use by rebelling, skipping school, getting into fights, falling into the wrong crowds. Gabby seemed different, jaded, taking on the weight of the world, becoming the parent in a sense instead of the child.

She assured him she was okay, that she was going to school, getting plenty of food to eat. Happy questioned how her mother was treating her. She had no visible cuts or bruises, her split lip having healed, and she assured him that she wasn't being beat. In her mind she wasn't. She got a slap ever now and then, sometimes she got shoved into walls, but her mother had never actually beaten her. There was a clear separation in her mind. She knew things could be worse. She also knew things could be better. But Happy wouldn't make things better for her, not unless he took her away, and she would never ask him to do that.

He left reluctantly with a tight hug and an absolute promise to come back. He gave her the prepay he had picked up before going to the school, his house number and the Tacoma garage both programmed in along with his current number. He knew things would be different now, Gabby was different, they had to hide their visits. The dynamic had changed; Happy would never have his sweet little innocent girl back in his arms, thrilled beyond words to see him ride up.

No more big time jumps for a while, we will be going 16, 17, 18, and 19 before we lose any more time. Hopefully I did this story justice.

For those of you who doubt Gemma would treat Gabby that way I direct your attention to season 4 episode 6, Gemma: This is why mothers should drown baby girls.

One of my favorite lines from Gemma.