As promised, my Saturday post since I will most likely not have internet Wednesday. This takes place after chapter 4 when Happy finally comes back to Charming. It is the hitchhiking scene that I offhandedly mentiond in chapter 10. Most people write Happy as not having a lot of emotion, which I don't agree with. So as I have previously stated he is very emotional with Gabby and even vulnerable.

Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

2006

Age 14

Happy was riding from his mother's house in Oakland towards Charming. He had come down special to take her to the doctor and the prognoses had been grim. His mother seemed to take it in stride. Hap on the other hand was a mess. He was pissed. Pissed that he couldn't fight this battle for his mom. And maybe, just maybe, a little scared of losing her.

He cut off the highway and set about the back roads. He needed more time to cool down before he got to Charming, and Gabby. He was nearly at the Lodi Charming boarder when he caught sight of a teen girl walking away from him on the side of the road. It only took a few seconds of watching her for his gut instinct to kick in.

It was Gabby.

He knew it, she was nearly a half mile ahead of him but he knew it was her. He sped up and pulled off just ahead of her. He jumped off his bike and was face to face with her in 2 long strides.

"What the fuck are you doing hitchhiking out here?" He demanded still taking off his helmet.

Gabby swallowed nervously and pulled her flannel shirt closed in a protective manner. "I'm not hitchhiking." She said quietly.

"Louder Gabby." He snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself when she flinched. This was why he'd wanted to calm down before he saw her.

"I said I'm not hitchhiking." She repeated slightly louder.

"You're not hitchhiking? You think I'm stupid? You're walking down the street 20 miles from home. And you think I'm gonna believe you're out for a stroll?" He was yelling. He honestly couldn't help himself.

"Believe whatever the fuck you want." Gabby mumbled under her breath and tried to walk by him. Happy turned and grabbed her elbow he yanked her back harder than he meant to and had to grab her to stop her from falling.

"Tell me why the fuck you're out here." He demanded, holding her in front of him by her forearms.

"I'm trying to get home." She finally snapped at him. "I didn't do anything wrong. Why the fuck are you yelling at me?" She tried to pull away from him and he squeezed tighter. "Jesus Hap you're hurting me!"

He let go instantly when she said it and she lost her balance, stumbling back onto the grass. Instead of helping her up Hap sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders absently rubbing at her soon to be bruises.

"Sorry Gabby. Shit I'm sorry." He leaned his forehead against her temple and whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry sweetheart." He pulled her even closer and kissed her head a few times.

"It's okay." Gabby laid her head on his shoulder. Happy had never hurt her before; never yelled at her. Obviously he was upset with more than just finding her in Lodi. Especially since he was now practically clinging to her.

"What are you doing walking home from Lodi?" He finally asked once he had calmed down.

"Mom took me. We were supposed to go clothes shopping." Happy immediately wanted to call her out for lying but held his tongue. "I know what you're thinking but she's clean again. For almost a month now. Got her job back. She's trying…was trying to make up for shit again."

Gabby rested more of her weight on Happy and excepted his support. The back and forth of it all was the hardest. Gabby had stopped getting her hopes up when her mothered sobered up and instead used the short reprieves to accomplish things like school clothes or paying back rent to avoid eviction.

Happy didn't say anything as she paused. He didn't have to. They had established what could only be referred to as a routine. He had to work hard to get her talking, but once she started she would tell him everything, no matter how long it took.

"We stopped for lunch, at a bar. 'Cause god forbid she doesn't have an afternoon buzz. Some guy started hitting on her. Next thing I know she tells me to wait at the bar and fucking takes off with the guy." She sighed and pulled away enough to look at him. "I waited 3 hours Hap."

"Jesus." Happy let out his own curse filled sigh. "Why didn't you call someone?"

"Who the hell was I supposed to call? I have no family, no friends with cars. I assumed you were in Tacoma."

"So what?"

"So it's not like you were gonna ride all the way here from freaking Washington to give me a ride home."

"Gabby I could have called one of the guys to come get you." He sounded exasperated.

"I don't like the other guys. They…they're… I don't know. I don't feel comfortable around them. The only one who ever gave a fuck about me was Opie, and he's still locked up."

"Sweetheart none of those guys would ever hurt you or push up on you. Even Tig." Happy interrupted the comment he knew was coming. "And I could have called someone else. Gemma or one of the other crow eaters." Gabby just shrugged. She didn't like being around anyone associated with the club, her mother included. They only exception was Happy.

They sat in silence for several minutes before Happy finally stood and pulled Gabby up. He pulled her helmet out of his saddle bag and placed it on her head. "Come on sweetheart. Let's get you home." She fastened the helmet and climbed onto the bike behind him. She wasn't in a hurry to go home, but she was certainly thankful for the ride.

Gabby loved riding with Happy. She couldn't care less about the scenery, she just loved holding on tight to him, burying her face in his back and feeling the rush of air around her. She felt free and light. She knew nothing bad could happen when she was with him.

Which was why when she heard him muttering curses under his breath she disappointedly pulled her head up. They were approaching her house, her mother's car parked casually in the driveway.

He pulled up behind it and started to get off after her. "No, please don't." She shoved her helmet at his chest and looked at him, her eyes pleading with him not to follow her. Since Happy came back into her life 2 years ago her mother gave her shit every time she even thought they were spending time together. The screaming hitting and flying objects always started right after he left town. She hadn't bothered telling Happy, she was afraid he'd stop coming around if he thought it caused more problems.

"Gabby she can't keep doing this to you." He hung both the helmets up and walked her inside. Gabby froze 2 steps inside the door making Happy collide with her. After all the years it was instinct that told Gabby her mother had relapsed, not the smell that hit them both as Hap pushed her further inside and shut the door.

Gabby sighed. Happy looked down at her, it wasn't a look of disappointment he saw there, but one of defeat.

"Guess you got out of that same old parenting speech." She pulled away from him and headed towards the stairs.

"Gabby…" He started to follow her.

"Thanks for the ride home." She was holding back tears and Happy could hear them in her voice. He hated when she cried. It wasn't all that often but every tear still caused a stabbing pain in his gut, just like when she was 6.

"Sweetheart." He laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her ascent.

"27 days." She turned around and was eye to eye with him 2 stairs up. "Not even a month." A single tear escaped down her cheek and Happy winced. Gabby loved her mom; she wanted so badly for her to clean herself up.

Hap pulled her down into his chest and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She started to mumble and he turned her head to the side to understand her,

"I don't want her to die Hap, she's my mom." She managed to get out before she let out another sob and buried her face again.

Her statement hit Happy like a ton of bricks. He pulled her tight again and kissed her head. "I know sweetheart, I know." He got out before he had to choke down his own sobs. Tears welled up in his eyes and he buried his face in her hair.

"I don't want her to die either." He mumbled, letting the tears finally fall for his own mother.

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