Chapter 9

"Where the fuck are the guys?" Juice shouted over the sound.

"Just get your gun working again! They have to reload again sometime and when they do, we both go out shooting, charge 'em." Going back to Maddie he saw the tears streaming down her face. He grabbed her again, putting him between the dumpster and her. "It's alright baby girl, it'll be alright."

The shooting stopped. Juice stood gun drawn but Happy grabbed him with his good arm, pulling him back down. "Wait." The three of them stayed quiet, until they heard the sound of the van pulling away.

Juice peeked his head out "They fucking left! What now?"

"We fucking sit here until the cavalry comes." Happy leaned back against the wall and licked his lips, sweat pouring off him. He leaned his head back against the wall and felt Maddie stir in his arms, looking up at Juice.

"Are they really gone?" her voice wavered.

"Yeah, oh shit Maddie, are you hit?" Juice asked noticing the mass of blood on her.

"Nah, it's mine" Happy grunted, as Maddie turned herself around, crashing into his wounded arm.

"Shit Hap," she almost screamed. Her hand went to her mouth, his entire left arm was covered in blood, the arm of his shirt soaked. Her hands shot out to lift up the sleeve of his shirt to see how bad it was, not that she'd know what to do or even if it was bad. His right hand grabbed her before she could get close.

"It's fucking fine, leave it" Happy tried to reassure her even though he wasn't sure himself.

"We should put pressure on it to stop the bleeding" she said, looking around for something to put over the wound.

"Stop being a girl Maddie. I said I'm fine." She looked like she was just about to disagree with him when they heard the sound of approaching bikes. He went to get up, shoving Maddie's hand out of the way when she went to help him. It was a struggle but he wasn't going to be holding on to some woman when his brothers arrived. His hand held the wound on his arm in place to stop it from opening up further as they stepped out from behind the dumpster.

Clay was the first to speak as the rest of the guys parked, getting off their bikes "What the fuck happened? Jesus Hap you okay?"

"Yeah,a black van tailing us chased us here and shot the fucking place up."

"Goddamn Zobelle!"

"Wasn't Zobelle, guys were speaking Spanish" Happy grunted, but sighed in relief when he saw the club's van pull up. He knew he couldn't ride like this back to the clubhouse but would have done it if he had to.

"Mayans?" Jax asked.

"Not sure, didn't get a look at them. With the fire power they had coulda been." His relief from seeing the van was short lived when he saw Piney get out and walk towards Maddie looking pissed.

"You assholes were supposed to bring her in safe, this don't look safe to me."

"Pop I'm fine."

"Sure as shit don't look fine." Pointing his finger at Happy, Piney stepped closer to him while Maddie placed herself in between them. "You should have made the call as soon as you saw the fucking van, not wait till they were close enough to fire on you."

Happy inched closer to Piney, his face one of dark fury. "I fucking made the decision I thought was in our best interest old man. You don't got the right to question me now. Should've just left her in Bakersfield. Could've put a Tacoma patch on her like I said, so this shit is on you. I kept her safe, kept her whole. You're the one who wanted her in Charming, if it'd been you going to get her, you'd both be dead."

Maddie turned to look at Happy. That had stung, knowing he'd come after her out of some obligation, some chore Piney had given him.

Piney took another step towards Happy. "You fucking little prick, you don't get to make decisions involving my daughter."

Maddie put out her hands, pushing her father back slightly. "Pop, stop it, I'm fine."

"Enough!" Clay shouted, "let's get going before he bleeds to death. Jax, call Tara. Tell her to be ready. Hap you're in the van with Piney and Maddie." Turing to Piney, Clay barked "Do I fucking need to put a babysitter in with you three?" Getting no response other than a shake of the head, he walked towards his bike. "Good," he said over his shoulder. "Prospect, you ride Hap's bike back."

Happy struggled to get to the van, climbing in the back. When Maddie went to get in behind him, Piney shouted to her "You're sitting up front with me."

Maddie turned to Piney and rolled her eyes. "Jesus Christ Pop he's fucking bleeding, I'm not letting him die on the way back." She stepped into the van, taking a seat next to Happy as Piney got in the front seat.

Happy felt Maddie's hands on him tugging his shirt. He tried to tell her he was fine but didn't have the energy to push her away as she pulled his t-shirt off, peeling it away from where it had stuck to the wound. She balled up the shirt and pressed it against the still-bleeding spot on his upper shoulder. They rode that way in silence to the clubhouse, Chibs and Tig helping him out of the van and dragging him to where Tara had set up a makeshift triage. Maddie followed behind her father, cringing when she heard the shrill of her mother's voice. "What the hell happened Piney?" Mary asked, going to inspect her daughter.

"She's fine, get her cleaned up" he said, passing the two.

Mary ushered Maddie into the clubhouse past the crowd of onlookers who were staring at the blood bath that covered her once-white top like some sort of wet t-shirt contest gone wrong. She pushed her into Jax's dorm room. "Come on, you can use the bathroom in here. We don't have one in our room."

"Our room?" she asked, hoping that she'd heard the woman wrong.

"Too many people, we'll be sharing a bed in your dad's old dorm room."

"Awesome" she said sarcastically.

"Madelynn, don't start with me. This is a serious situation, and nobody needs your shit right now. You've already got one member shot and the rest had to leave us unprotected to go rescue you."

"I don't doubt that this is a serious situation, for once can you just be a mother? Jesus I got shot at today! Somebody shot at me and you don't even ask how I am. I'm standing here in front of you covered in blood and you say nothing. And, for your fucking information they were after Juice and Happy so I didn't cause anyone to get shot."

"Think of somebody besides yourself Madelynn! A man took a bullet for you today."

"You don't even like the club!"

"I may not like it and what it's done to my family but I still respect it. You should too if someone's putting their life on the line for you."

"Well maybe you should respect your family as much. Next time you want to give me lecture about respect, why don't you think about you bailing on me. You knew I was headed back to Bakersfield and you fucking cut out and ran, leaving a fucking note. How long are you gonna stick around this time Mary?" she shouted, slamming the door to the bathroom.

After her shower, she went to the main room of the clubhouse. Seeing the Winston's all at one table porn star included, she bypassed their table saying hi to the kids as she took a seat at the bar. Looking for Happy but not finding him, she approached Tara who let her know he was all stitched up and sleeping off a pain pill in his dorm. When she saw Opie get up and go outside, she followed him. "So you still mad at me?"

"Yep."

"Looks like you forgave Ma."

Turning around and looking at her he said "that's because I expected it from her, didn't think you'd follow in her footsteps." Opie walked back inside, leaving her standing there like an idiot.

She awoke early the next morning and took an inventory of her family situation: the woman currently snoring next her was pissed at her, her brother was still mad at her and her father was indifferent to her as always. She thought about talking to Happy to see if he'd do a cover up over the Winston tattoo on her back or maybe just black it out. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a Winston and it seemed that she wasn't wanted in the Winston family either.

Her thoughts now on Happy, she realised she hadn't even had the chance to thank him for essentially taking a bullet for her, hadn't seen him since he was pulled out of the van. His comment about it being Piney that wanted her here, not him had stung. She wasn't the type of woman to question words spoken, but she knew Happy well enough to know he didn't say things without a reason and the fact that she was now lying here in bed questioning what he said had her worried. Her relationship with Happy was the longest ongoing relationship she had ever had and she wasn't ready to give up yet. Getting out of bed quietly, she went to door and opened it softly while watching the bed for movement from her mother. She closed the door and padded down the hallway dressed in only an oversized t-shirt, making her way to Happy's room. The clubhouse took on a blue cast in the early morning light, making it seem much less seedy. Seeing and hearing no signs of anybody being awake, she raised her hand to knock on his closed door. She stopped hand frozen in the air, suddenly riddled with insecurities. If she knocked, would everyone hear it and catch her standing outside his door? Would he even hear it? What if he was still crashed out? Would he even want to see her? She lowered her hand and began to pace back and forth in front of his door trying to rein in her thoughts. She wasn't used to questioning herself when it came to him; this non-relationship was now becoming a relationship full of hesitation. Everything between them had been so easy. They were honest with each other, never holding back thoughts or feelings. This was stupid, she thought after pacing for ten minutes. They were fucking for Christ's sake, they were friends. She stopped again in front of his door with her hand raised. Suddenly the door was flung open and Happy was standing there staring her down. Maddie almost screamed in surprise, but with lightening speed, Happy grabbed her and pulled her in. Peeking out into the hallway, he closed the door behind him.

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