AN: Think my motivation to write is back! The power of music as a motivator. Thank you Coolio for making the song "Gangsta's Paradise", got me through the last chapter. Thank you to the Civil Wars for making the song " Devil's Backbone ", it's getting me through this chapter.

SN: I don't own anything recognizably Sons of Anarchy (sadness every time I type that). That honor belongs to the awesomeness that is Kurt Sutter (he did give us awesome characters with which I can write this story). I do own my OCs (some of whom are scerwed, maybe all of whom are scerwed). I don't own any situations, sceneries or scenarios that are recognizable from the show. I do own all situations, sceneries or scenarios that pop out of my head (which mean anything could & probably will happen).

Disclaimer: I was asked if Rizzo/Happy were an interracial couple. And the answer is yes. I know that I've never specified Rizzo's ethnicity but every time I picture her in my mind she pops up as a black woman. Sometimes not gonna lie she pops up in my head as me.

Chapter 8: Motherhood, Old Ladyhood & WTF Happened to Manny

I was thirty weeks pregnant, big as a fucking house and totally annoyed with everything and everyone. I wasn't moving at my usual pace so I was on light duty at work. The lighter workload was irritating my entire soul and I was contemplating using my vacation time for the duration of my pregnancy. " How was work?" Happy asked as I walked through my, wait, our front door. I throw my pregnant body down on the couch as gracefully as possible. "Exhausting as hell. With the exception of Tara, the entire staff was on my nerves. Tomorrow I'm putting in my request to use my vacation. I'm tired all the time and I'm always thinking about burning St. Thomas to the ground at the end of my shift."

"If that's what you want."

"Oh please. Don't act like you're not squealing like a cheerleader on the inside. You're thrilled I won't be working."

"First I don't squeal. Even on the inside. Second, yeah I'm glad you're finally gonna listen to me and stop working."

"It's only temporary, so don't get to happy about my not working. I'm going back after my maternity leave."

"If that's what you want do." I eyed Happy suspiciously. I had I gut feeling this man was going to spend the rest of my pregnancy and all my maternity leave trying to convince to be a stay at home mom. I decided to change the subject before yet another argument about me not being the stay at home type happened. "You never told me what happened to Manny."

"You really wanna know?"

"Yeah. I was unconscious but I do remember hearing you guys talking around me but I'm fuzzy on the rest. Also I know you said he's gone for good but I wanna know how."

"When we got there it took everything in me not to lose my shit. You were unconscious and bleeding. The guys got Manny tied up and carted off for me to deal with later. Ambulance came, you coded, I died a little inside thinking I'd lost you. Once you were stable and in ICU, I went to take care of Manny. Not to get too graphic, I used my unique skill set to torture his ass. It was slow, painful and gratifying. Then I sat by your hospital bed praying to a God I'm not sure exists or that I actually believe in, that you'd wake up. Had to deal with Tig calling me constantly for updates. He's unofficially adopted you."

"I've noticed. Just my luck I'm in love with one of the club crazies and the other becomes the closest to a dad I'm gonna get."

Two weeks into my vacation and I had cabin fever so I decided to go to the clubhouse and see if there was any entertainment there. When I pulled into the lot the garage was busy so I decided to just stick my head in the office to say hi to Gemma. She was sitting at her desk neck deep in paperwork and I barely got a head nod of acknowledgement. As i was walking across the lot to the clubhouse I was joined by Tara who had pulled in shortly after me. "Hey, preggers." Tara said by way of a greeting. I waved my greeting with my middle finger. Tara laughed. As we entered I saw some shit that instantly sent me into bat shit crazy mode. Some insignificant bitch better known as a croweater was in Happy's face trying her hardest to get him to pay her attention. I blacked out forgetting I was extremely pregnant and beelined for the bitch. But before my fist could connect with the croweater's face I heard Tara say 'I got this', next thing I know I heard the unmistakable sound of a nose breaking. "Next time and I hope you're smart enough for there not to be a next, you'll come up missing. My Old man, my dick, off limits." I said as I turned to Tara and high fived her. I really wanted to hit that bitch myself but couldn't in my condition. "Well didn't know I was gonna get a show with my lunch, kid." I hugged Tig as he was laughing at his own comment. Someone, I don't know whom nor did I care, was helping the bleeding, crying hoe bag of the floor and out the door. "Who made the croweater bleed?" Asked Jax, joining the party.

"Your Old Lady." Jax raised an eyebrow in curiosity at my reply.

"I didn't do anything. So why is Tara making croweaters bleed?"

"Because I couldn't. Croweater was in my Old Man's face. Like the awesome homegirl she is Tara handled my light work since I can't right now." The guys all laughed.

"You know I wasn't entertaining her." Happy finally spoke.

"I know. But that fact that she was in your face got her nose broken. And from the sound of the bone breaking Tara landed a pretty solid punch."

"I got ya back, Riz." At that Tara and I did this elaborated handshake we'd come up one time while we were being silly. It had become our "thing" during moments like this. It was also our way of agreeing that we both saw cute guy without our guys going apeshit. Hopefully they never caught on. "They do know they're in the middle of a biker clubhouse and not the hood, right." We heard Tig say as we completed our antics. All I could do was laugh. "You can take the girl out the hood, Tig, but you can't take the hood out the girl. Every now and again it'll come out."

A few weeks later I was at Jax and Tara's place have our weekly girl's night. It was a time to have our shits and giggles without our men around and to catch up since I wasn't currently working. In the middle of dinner I went into labor. After a frantic dash to St. Thomas, Harley Carter Lowman was born. Happy was by my side the whole time. I'm pretty sure I cursed him to high hell and blamed him for the pain I was in. I decided to go through labor sans epidural. What the fuck was I thinking? Some time later Harley's godparents, Jax and Tara walked in. "Damn, looks just like his dad." Jax said as I handed my son to his godfather.

"Drop my kid and I won't stop Happy from killing you, Jackson."

"I know how to hold a baby."

"Just sayin."

"My turn to hold the kid." Tara said while removing Harley from Jax's arms.

"Sorry to say Rizzo, but looks like you had nothing to do with making this kid."

"Yeah I know." I heard Happy laughing from his observation spot. The man was ecstatic that our kid looked like him. If I hadn't just pushed him out of my vagina I wouldn't think I was Harley's mother.

"You look good with a kid in arms, Knowles." Tara looked at me like she wanted to kill me. I knew something that Jax didn't know and I was trying to get Tara to open her mouth and tell him. "I've been trying to talk her into having one of our own." Jax said. I looked at Tara. Bitch, if you don't tell him you're pregnant, I'ma punch you in your trachea. "Well you can stop trying. I'm eight weeks along." Bout fucking time. Jax looked stunned, happy and confused all at the same time. "Is that how I looked when I found out?" Happy mused as he took our son from his godmother. Jax was still processing Tara's proclamation. "Tara, think your baby daddy's in shock." I laughed. The term baby daddy must of snapped Jax back to reality because he said hugging Tara and exclaiming how happy he was. As they were walking out of the door I heard Jax say 'holy shit I'm gonna be a dad', I laughed. The last thing I remembered before drifting to sleep was the sight of my Old Man holding our son and thinking I now had two loves of my life. The next chapter of my life was starting and I was sure motherhood was going to interesting at best.