Henry and Ellie walked into the kitchen and frowned as they saw Jasmine and Opie sitting beside one another at the table. There were four steaming mugs of hot chocolate at each place setting and a warm plate of double chocolate cookies in the center of the table.
Jasmine was clutching a tissue in her hand and her eyes appeared red from crying. Henry had an uncomfortable knot in his stomach because he was almost certain why this little meeting had been called after the younger children were in bed for the night.
Jasmine had a habit of baking sweets when she felt anxious or had to tell him bad news. Henry gained a couple pounds right before their move to Charming because of his mother's non-stop baking.
The teenagers each took a seat at the table and looked at their parents warily. Henry grabbed a couple cookies figuring it would be better for him to stay quiet. He didn't want to volunteer information if his assumption was wrong.
Ellie followed suit and started munching on a cookie.
She asked, "Are we in trouble for something?"
Jasmine forced a smile and said, "No, no one is in trouble and we aren't upset with either of you. Opie and I just needed to have a serious conversation with both of you. Afterward we want both of you to know that you can talk to the two of us about anything that you might have questions about or anything that concerns you."
Opie was suddenly glad that he added a couple of shots of Bailey's Irish Cream to his hot chocolate before the kids came into the kitchen. He took a sip and said, "Ellie, Gemma overheard you telling Tara about my conversation with Jasmine from this afternoon. She said that you were crying."
Ellie felt like a deer in headlights. She froze for a moment and just stared at Opie.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hear that. Henry and I think that you are dating and I thought that if I listened I would get proof, but then I heard…I promise I stopped listening as soon as I figured out what you two were talking about but it was too late. I'm so sorry," said Ellie, fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
Opie took in a deep breath and reached over pulling his daughter out of her chair. He wrapped his arms around Ellie and just held her there. Opie wanted to kill Jacob Hale even more. His past sins were causing his children pain in the present. After all the pain Hale caused Jasmine, Opie couldn't imagine letting the bastard live.
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, sweetheart. I'm just sorry that you felt that you had to go to Tara to talk about something that upset you so much. I know I haven't been a great father but I'm here now. If you need to talk about this then I will listen," said Opie, his voice was soft and as soothing as he could manage.
Ellie shook her head and said, "You were both so sad and Jasmine was crying. I didn't want to make you any sadder, Daddy. I didn't want to make either of you any sadder."
Henry's fist clenched at his side but he remained silent. His initial fears had been right. They were here to talk about what Ellie overheard.
Opie's hold on Ellie tightened even further, "It isn't your job to worry about me. Let me worry about you for a change, kiddo. It's my job to protect you from all the bad shit life has to give. I'm sorry I didn't do that today."
Jasmine took in a sharp breath watching the anguish on Ellie's face. She couldn't imagine what Henry's reaction might look like.
"Henry, the conversation that Ellie overheard…it is something that Opie and I think you need to hear too. It is something I should have already told you but I didn't have the heart. I didn't know how to tell you. I still don't," said Jasmine, she glanced over at Opie.
Opie shifted Ellie so that she was seated on his knee. One of his arms kept her supported against his chest as she continued to cry.
"Henry, there are some things that parents just can't tell you when you're younger because we worry that you might not understand it. You're at an age now where you can understand this. Well, understand it as much as any of us can understand something like this," Opie said.
Honestly, Opie still had a difficult time understanding how Jacob could have done something so despicable. The more he heard about the attack the clearer the picture of what happened that night became. Today he learned that Jasmine's ordeal hadn't been quick. Opie was going to make sure that Jacob's death wasn't quick either.
Jasmine began, "I lied to you when I said that I had more than one boyfriend when I was dating Opie. He was the only person I was dating because I loved him. I didn't cheat on him with anyone, but it was easier to tell you that than to say that…"
Henry cut her off and said, "Stop. You don't have to tell me, Mom. I already know."
Opie raised an eyebrow and asked, "You know what, Henry?"
"I know that my mom was raped and that she thought the guy was my father. Ellie came out of the house and ran off this afternoon. When I caught up to her down the block, she was crying and throwing up. I convinced her to tell me what made her so upset."
Jasmine couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer and she broke down.
Opie reached out and wrapped an arm around Jasmine's shoulders. He was torn in a million pieces. His heart was broken for Jasmine but it ached for his children. His daughter had been so affected that she threw up and his son looked lost.
"Son, why didn't you say anything?" asked Opie.
"I didn't want to see my mom cry. I didn't see what good it would do to make her have to say those words to me. Are you sure that you're my dad?" asked Henry.
Opie felt like he was looking into a mirror. He could see how badly Henry was hurting but he was putting up a brave front for his mother. However, underneath that was simmering anger. He could see that from the almost hollow look in the young man's eyes. Henry was detaching himself from the emotion of the situation.
"We're sure that I am your father, Henry. There is no room for doubt. If it would make you feel any better we can take a paternity test."
Henry asked, "How can you be sure I'm not the son of a rapist?"
That question pulled a sob from Jasmine's body that she couldn't hold in.
"The man that attacked your mother was the older brother of a friend of ours. That friend was willing to take a DNA test to see if you and he were related in any way. You were not. You're my son."
The young man nodded slightly and flexed his fingers in anger. He wanted to pummel someone into unconsciousness.
"I want both of you to understand something. It is not your job to take care of us. We take care of you. That means if something hurts you, we need to know about it. Neither of you are old enough to cope with this kind of information on your own," said Opie.
Jasmine managed to find her feet and walked around the table to hug Henry. She placed a kiss on the top of his head.
"I'm so sorry for lying to you, baby. I just never wanted this to hurt you."
Henry stood up and returned Jasmine's hug. He said, "I'm fine, Mom. Are you okay?"
She pulled back to look at her son's face and nodded.
"I'm fine. I've just been worried about what I would say to you. Do you have questions? Do you have anything you need to say?"
Henry asked, "Is this guy in prison?"
Jasmine shook her head and whispered, "No."
"He got out?"
Opie cleared his throat and said, "The crime was never reported. He's never paid for what he did."
Jasmine noted the bitterness in Opie's voice. She hated that this was hurting so many people. More and more she was regretting the decision to return to Charming. Some things needed to remain buried.
"I just couldn't do it, Henry. That's why Grandma and Grandpa moved our family to Nevada. They didn't want me to be in the same town with him," Jasmine explained.
"Who is he?" asked Henry.
Jasmine brushed at his shaggy hair and smiled, "That doesn't matter, sweetheart."
Henry said, "I need some fresh air. Is it okay if I go out for awhile?"
"Baby, I know that you're upset. Just talk to us. Talk to me Henry. I want to make this okay for you but you have to let me help you."
Henry shook his head and said, "I don't need help. Ellie is the one that is crying. You can help her. I just want some fresh air."
Jasmine looked to Opie for help suddenly feeling very unsure of how to proceed. Pressing Henry to talk would just make him more stubborn but it was obvious that he wasn't okay.
Opie said, "Go ahead. Don't stay gone too long and take my phone with you. If we call you answer."
The young man picked up the phone and slid it into his pocket and headed out of the kitchen.
Ellie stood up and said, "Wait."
Henry paused and turned around to look at her.
He asked, "What's up?"
"I'm so sorry about all of this, Henry," said Ellie, tears still silently rolled down her face.
He offered a tight smile but hugged her and said, "This isn't your fault. I'm glad you told me."
Ellie watched as Henry left the kitchen and then looked at Opie sadly.
"I just want to go to bed."
Opie nodded and said, "Go. We'll talk in the morning. I love you, Ellie."
"I love you too, Daddy," said Ellie.
As she walked out of the kitchen, she stopped and looked back at Jasmine.
"I'm really sorry that someone hurt you. You're a really good person and I can tell how much my dad likes you. Good night."
Jasmine said, "Thank you, Ellie. I really like your dad too. Good night."
Once they were alone Jasmine all but collapsed into the chair beside Opie. She rested her head on his shoulder and cried until she felt a little better.
For his part, Opie remained silent and just held her. There were no words of comfort to offer in a situation like this.
Jasmine said, "Henry isn't going to admit how badly he's hurting."
"He's angry. I watched the way he kept clenching his fist while we talked. He needs to walk that off or it'll keep building."
"You used to find somebody and kick their ass when you got like that. I don't want him getting arrested or hurt, Opie."
Opie said, "I'll go ride around the neighborhood to make sure that he stays out of trouble but he isn't ready to talk. He may never be ready to talk about it."
"He has to or it will eat him up inside."
"He ain't gonna talk to you about it, Jas. He didn't even let you say the word rape because he didn't want it to hurt you. Talking about it is just going to make him angrier. Give him some time to sit with it. You should get something to drink and go get in the bathtub. You'll feel better."
Jasmine chewed her lip and moment and said, "I want something stronger than a beer or liquor."
Opie nodded in understanding. He kissed her and said, "The box is on the shelf in my closet. Help yourself."
"Thanks, Ope."
Jasmine grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and said, "Taking this just in case."
Once he was alone in the kitchen, Opie took a moment to collect his thoughts. He had to be in the right frame of mind when he went to look for Henry. Opie saw a great deal of his personality in him. The boy's propensity for violence was something Opie was all too familiar with. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he was arrested for "blowing off steam". Opie had a lengthy rap sheet before he graduated high school.
He walked into the living room, grabbed the keys for his truck, and turned off all the lights. When he walked out onto the porch and locked the door, he found Henry sitting on the stairs.
Henry asked, "Looking for me?"
"Your mom is worried about you. I'm worried too, Henry."
He shrugged and said, "I'm fine."
Opie said, "No, you're not. I don't know anyone who would be after something like this. Your mom thinks that you need to talk about this."
"Talking about it isn't going to change the fact that some pervert raped my mother. He's just walking around never having to pay for what he did to her. I hate seeing her cry about anything, but this..."
"I understand your anger. I feel the same way. I never said that I thought talking was the answer to your problems. I have something else in mind. Come on. We're going to the club," said Opie.
Henry was dumbfounded as Opie climbed into the truck and honked the horn at him. It was nearing midnight. Off the top of his head, he couldn't figure out why Opie would want to go to the club.
Once he was in the truck he asked, "Why are we going to the club? More paperwork?"
Opie backed out of the driveway and sped away from the house. He said, "No, we aren't going to do any work in the office tonight and I think we can all agree that you and Ellie deserve the day off tomorrow. You're mom is one of the toughest women I know but she's still a woman. She thinks that talking is the only way to work through your feelings. Well, that might be true for women and some men, but for Winston men…talking isn't our thing. Sometimes you just need to hit something."
Henry glanced at Opie curiously and asked, "You're going to let me fight someone?"
He had considered going to look for trouble earlier but didn't have much faith in finding anyone roaming the streets. Opie's neighborhood was dead silent at night and straying too far away from the house was a good way to get lost in the unfamiliar area.
"Yeah, but you're going to fight in a ring with gloves and headgear. When I was a kid, my old man taught me how to box. My best friend Jax and I used to get in the ring all of the time and we always felt better. We didn't start getting into trouble until we abandoned boxing. We took our angst and anger out on anyone unfortunate enough to piss us off. That led to us being arrested a lot. You don't want that. Trust me."
"I know how to fight but I don't know how to box," Henry said, he had a discouraged look on his face.
Opie said, "That's okay. I'll teach you. I think once you get the hang of it that you will like it. It always helped me feel more in control of my emotions."
Henry was silent for a few minutes and then said, "I'm sorry for asking if you were really my father. I mean I can look at you and see that you are."
"You don't have to apologize. It was a valid question, Henry. You grew up believing that David was your father and now this revelation. If I were in your shoes, I would have my doubts too. However, I promise that I am your father and you're right there is a resemblance. All I can say is that the Winston genes are strong. I look like my old man too."
As they pulled up to the TM lot Opie laid on the horn until Rat ran out and unlocked the gate. They drove onto the lot and he parked close to the clubhouse.
Henry climbed out of the truck while Opie talked to Rat. He smiled as the outdoor lights flickered on and illuminated the makeshift gym. Henry approached the heavy bag and gave the tattered piece of equipment a couple of jabs. It wasn't the same as feeling his fist connect with flesh and bone but it was somewhat satisfying.
Opie quietly crept into his room to retrieve some clean clothes. A quick workout turned into a three-hour ordeal. Rat, Kozick, and Piney were still at the club when he arrived and they were all eager to join in on the boxing training. Rat was less enthusiastic when he found out he'd be sparring with Henry. The kid had several inches and pounds over the prospect.
Henry didn't know how to box but he had a great jab and right hook. Opie had been amused watching the young man back Rat into a corner and ring his bell. Opie stood outside of the ring giving Henry direction on how to keep Rat pinned there.
Jasmine turned on the lamp and sat up in the bed with worried eyes. Sleep eluded her while she waited for an update on her son. Opie's text hours ago had been vague and not comforting at all.
"I was hoping that you would be sleep by now. I guess I should have known better," said Opie, he flashed a tired smile.
"You are a sweaty mess."
Jasmine looked at his face closer and asked, "Have you been in a fight? What the hell have you been doing? Were you and Henry at the club this whole time?"
He kicked off his boots and sat on the side of the bed to take off his socks.
He said, "I took Henry to the club to box. He was angry and needed an outlet for that anger. I figured putting him in the ring would be the safest bet. If he was going to fight someone, it should be in a controlled environment. Dad and I were giving him some pointers while he was in the ring. I got in the ring too. The kid wasn't the only one that needed to blow off some steam because I wanted to kill Hale tonight."
Her eyes widened and she asked, "Is Henry okay?"
"He's fine, Jas. He was wearing gloves and headgear the whole time. I promise. Henry gave as good as he got in that ring. In fact, he knocked the prospect, Rat, on his ass more than a few times. I got in the ring for a few rounds with Kozick and then I sparred with Henry too. I think he's feeling a lot better than when we first left the house. On the drive home, he could barely keep his eyes open. I'm sure he collapsed in the bed as soon as he got into Kenny's room."
Jasmine sighed in relief and moved so that she was on her knees behind Opie.
She said, "Thank you for helping him tonight. I was completely useless. I can't believe I started crying in front of Henry. That was the very last thing he needed for me. I'm supposed to be strong for him and I couldn't do it."
Opie turned around and tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes.
"You were not useless, Jasmine. There is no script for how you are supposed to talk about something like this. I think we did a damn good job considering. Not to mention this was sprung on us out of the blue. There was no time to prepare. We just had to wing it and hope for the best."
Jasmine said, "I didn't know what to do. I saw my baby hurting and I didn't know how to fix it. I'm glad I didn't have to have that conversation alone."
Opie kissed her cheek, "You aren't alone anymore, Jasmine. Henry's my son. Whenever you need me I'll always be there."
"Thanks, Opie. I'm glad Henry was able to work off some of his aggression. I still hope he'll come talk to me at some point but I won't hold my breath," Jasmine joked.
"He might come to you one day but it is all too new right now. He's still working out how he feels about the whole situation. He's pissed that Hale hurt you and was never punished for it. I can't blame him. I'm angry about that too. You know I have to go on that run this weekend but I think you should let Pops take Henry to the club to spar again. This isn't a onetime thing. He's going to be angry for the coming days and maybe weeks. Even if he doesn't spare I think putting in sometime with the heavy bag would be good for him."
Jasmine said, "If that's what Henry needs to not go off and kick the crap out of some random stranger than I am on board for that. I want him to be okay. I don't want my shitty past affecting his future. I hate how it is affecting both of you. I keep thinking about what would have happened if I was smarter when this whole thing happened. Maybe I should have told you but I was so scared."
Opie said, "I don't blame you for not telling me, Jas. I would have tried to kill Hale there are no ifs, ands, or buts about that. I am still struggling with that desire right now. I just want to protect you. I love you. The idea of anything happening to you…I've already lost so much…"
She bit her lip for a moment before pulling Opie in for a smoldering kiss.
The biker was shocked by the unexpected kiss but was thoroughly enjoying the physical affection. However, the good guy inside of him knew that this was wrong. There was no denying the strong smell of whiskey coming from Jasmine. He pulled back and looked into her eyes questioningly.
Jasmine sat back on her heels and pulled the purple nightgown off over her head. She was braless but wore a pair of lacy purple underwear. Jasmine laid back against the pillows and pulled Opie's hand.
Opie slowly moved on top of Jasmine and allowed his calloused fingers to skim against the delicate material of her panties. However, he stilled his movements and rested his forehead against hers.
He whispered, "You're upset and you're drunk. I don't think that we should do this tonight, baby. I don't want to take advantage of how you're feeling."
He was showing an enormous amount of restraint because the lower half of his body was in direct opposition to his chivalrous behavior.
Jasmine said, "I know what I want, Opie. I'm not asking you to think for me. I'm asking you to make love to me. I need you…"
She fumbled with his belt for a moment before successfully removing it from the loops of his jeans. Jasmine gave a frustrated groan as she unbuttoned and unzipped Opie's pants with some effort.
Opie couldn't clamor out of the bed faster as Jasmine's hand attempted to snake into his boxers. He cleared his throat and looked at Jasmine propped up on the bed with wild eyes.
"Opie Winston is running away from a horny woman? Someone call the presses."
"Listen, I need a shower. I smell rank. If you're still interested when I'm done then I'll make love to you."
Jasmine flopped back on the bed and sighed, "I never had to work this hard when we were younger."
Opie laughed softly at her frustration. He said, "You have to know that I'm not saying no because I don't want you, Jas. Any other night I would be inside of you right now but I don't want you to regret this. You've been pretty adamant about not having sex with me here because we're not alone."
He leaned over and kissed her tenderly before grabbing his clean clothes. He closed the bathroom door glad to have a moment alone. He was a good guy but even he had only so much willpower.
Opie was in the bathroom for 30 minutes showering and getting ready for bed. However, he was mostly stalling. Finally, he pushed the door open and chuckled quietly seeing Jasmine sprawled out on the bed asleep. She was once again wearing her nightgown.
He tossed his dirty clothes in the hamper and then turned off the bedside lamp. He groaned in pain as hit foot slammed into the nightstand. Opie moved to pull the blanket over Jasmine when her hand grasped his. A lesser man would have flinched at the unexpected contact but he merely huffed out a laugh.
"I thought you were asleep."
She smiled, "I was until you banged your big foot into the nightstand."
Opie sat next to her on the bed and said, "Sorry about that. You feeling okay?"
"You mean am I going to throw myself at you again?"asked Jasmine.
He chuckled and said, "You didn't throw yourself at me. No, that's not what I was asking. I mean are you okay?"
She said, "I don't know."
"I think that's fair in this situation. Try to get some rest. You might feel a little better after a couple hours' rest. You have to be running on fumes by now. I'll see you in the morning, Jas."
As he got up to move Jasmine again grasped his hand.
"Don't go, Ope," Jasmine whispered.
Opie asked, "Are you sure about this?"
"I don't want to have sex. I just don't want to sleep alone. Stay with me tonight…please."
Opie got up and locked the bedroom door. Afterward he climbed into the bed with Jasmine and pulled her into his arms.
"Is this okay?" asked Opie.
"It's perfect, Opie. Goodnight."
Opie kissed her cheek and said, "Goodnight, Jas."