Gemma had a full house when Happy and I arrived with Havoc. I was apprehensive about having him around so many people, but he seemed to gravitate towards Opie's kids. He was gentle with them and let them play with his rope as much as they wanted. Happy and I shared a secret smile when we first noticed him liking the children.
"I haven't seen them smile that much in weeks." Opie bit off a piece of roll and motioned towards the kids who were in the living room playing tug with Havoc. "It's nice."
"They're welcome to come over and play with him, Opie. I don't mind." I smiled. He seemed to give it some thought before nodding and sitting down next to Piney. Happy sat next to Juice and I tried not to overthink it. I was still trying to forgive him for the accusations he'd made. I sat to Happy's right and was right across the table from Kip. He seemed distracted and kept getting messages on his phone.
"No phones at the table." Chibs said, thumping Kip on the back of the head as he sat down. Kip sent another message and put the phone in his kutte. "Food looks delicious, Gemma."
We all agreed, waiting for Gemma to sit down and say a short prayer before we dug in. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I stuck to mashed potatoes, green beans and bread. Happy offered me several other dishes before giving up. I was focusing on making myself eat as everyone started talking about an upcoming charity run.
"I'm getting more wine. Do you want some, Kat?" I looked up at the mention of alcohol and shook my head. Gemma paused but didn't question me before going into the kitchen. I finished the potatoes while Happy and a couple other guys talked about prices of motorcycle parts. My stomach starting churning.
"Havoc, come." I excused myself from the table to take Havoc outside. It seemed like a believable excuse to get some fresh air. He trotted along beside me as we walked around the back yard. "Go on."
"You okay?" Happy asked, startling me. I hadn't heard him walking up from the house. I nodded and gave him a smile. "You barely ate, babe."
"I know. I just started feeling a little queasy. I needed some air, it's packed in there." I nodded towards the house as several people started walking outside for post-dinner cigarettes. He kissed my forehead and ran his hands up and down my arms. "I guess I should have worn a jacket."
"There might be one in my saddle bag." He offered. I smiled, shaking my head. "Gemma's going to throw a fit if he kills her rose bushes."
"Havoc." I called him away from the bushes he had been sniffing around. He bounded over and wagged his tail happily. The three of us headed back towards the house as Ellie and Kenny rushed outside.
"Can Havoc play outside with us?" Kenny asked, holding Havoc's rope in his hand. I nodded and Kenny threw the rope with a bright smile. Havoc whined and looked up at me for the okay. I barely nodded my head and he was off, racing to find his beloved toy. Happy shook his head with a light laugh. After an hour or so, people started trickling out to go home. I caught Kip as he searched his pockets for his keys.
"Hey, we're about to leave. Will you stop by our house for a few minutes?" I whispered while giving him a hug. He raised his eyebrows curiously.
"Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?" He looked around me towards Happy. I looked back to see Happy and Juice in what looked like a heated conversation. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Kip.
"Everything is fine. Just meet us there, okay?" I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and started walking towards Happy. His arms were folded across his chest and he was shaking his head at something Juice was saying. I bit my lip, hoping that my presence wouldn't make things worse. "Hap, I'm heading home with Havoc. Kip's going to meet me there."
"Alright. I'll follow you." He kissed me deeply, pulling my hips towards him. I let it go on for a moment before stepping back. I decided telling him off in front of everyone wouldn't help matters but I was definitely going to bring it up later. I knew he was trying to mark his territory and I didn't appreciate it.
Kip was waiting in front of the house when Happy and I got home. I pulled the Jeep in the garage and let Havoc out before waving Kip inside. He dismounted his bike and walked up the sidewalk, his eyes never leaving his phone. Happy closed the garage doors and filled the dog food bowl while I walked through the house to let Kip inside.
"What's up?" Kip put his phone in his pocket and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. I shook my head, pointing to the pocket his phone was in.
"Not until you tell me what's got you attached to your phone." I sat down on the couch and motioned towards the loveseat across form me. He rolled his eyes and sat down with a huff.
"Cherry." He mumbled. I closed my eyes, wishing the girl would just leave the band aid off and let him heal. Every time she called or texted him, he got hopeful for a while and then she would disappear; after that he was a miserable asshole for days. "She's leaving Canada."
"Okay?" I never met the girl but I was adamantly against anything that hurt him, whether it was her choice or not. "Kip, you know she's not coming back here. She can't."
"I know that." He grumbled. Happy walked into the living room and handed me a bottle of water before sitting down next to me. "She doesn't want to tell me where she's going because she thinks I'll try and follow her. She said I just got patched in and I shouldn't throw everything away for her."
"She's probably fucking somebody." Happy said. I looked at him and shook my head. "What? She's not a nun. She was a fucking sweet butt when the kid met her."
"You get that the kid is the same age as your wife, right?" Kip snapped. Happy raised a middle finger towards him and picked up his beer. "Why did you need me to come over?"
"Well, I…I mean, we thought you should know about something that's going on." I suddenly felt nervous. If I was going to tell him about the pregnancy, I was going to have to tell him about the first one so that he understood why we weren't announcing it. He didn't seem to take news like that well. He was angry enough that I hadn't told him about being married. Happy put his hand on my thigh and gave it a light squeeze. "You're going to be an uncle."
"What?" He smiled brightly and leaned forward. "That's awesome! Why didn't you announce it at dinner? Am I the only one who knows? Is it a boy or a girl? Are you having twins?"
"Slow down." I laughed, feeling my tension easing a little. "You're the only person that knows besides Tara, she did the blood test for me. We had the first ultrasound today and there's only one baby. It's way too early to know the gender though."
"This doesn't leave this house, Kip. We don't want everyone else knowing yet." Happy said, addressing the question I had avoided. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second before trying to explain.
"When we were in Tacoma, I had a miscarriage in my second trimester. The doctor said everything looked okay today but I don't want to tell everyone and then lose the baby again." I bit my lip, waiting for him to yell about me keeping things from him. He blinked and sat silently for a couple minutes. I looked over at Happy and then back to Kip. "Kip?"
"Katerina, can you give us a second?" Kip said through gritted teeth. Happy sighed and sat his empty bottle on the table. Havoc must have noticed the change in mood because he walked up and sat at my feet.
"No, she can't. You want to say something go ahead." Happy leaned forward and I put my hand on his back, bracing for the worst.
"You left her when you knocked her up in Tacoma?" Kip's jaws were clenched and I could see a vein pulsing in his throat. Happy shook his head. "You left her when she lost the baby?"
"Leaving didn't have shit to do with our daughter and it doesn't have anything to do with you. If you're trying to piss me off, you're doing a good fucking job." Happy rasped. I moved my hand from his back to his bicep. I didn't want them to fight, not about the baby. Kip shook his head and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his kutte. "Don't light that in here."
"Happy isn't smoking near me." I explained when Kip furrowed his brow. He sighed and put the pack away. "Can we go back to smiling and being happy about the baby? Please?"
"When are you due?" Kip asked. I could tell he was still irritated but I was going to take what I could get.
"October. I'm going to be fat and pregnant all summer." I groaned, remembering how hot I got last time. Kip chuckled. When his chuckles grew to full out laughter, I narrowed my eyes. "What is so damn funny?"
"Thinking of you fat. You've always been tiny." He laughed, holding his stomach. I scoffed and looked at Happy.
"You're going to let him laugh at me?" I asked, half joking. He smirked and rubbed my thigh.
"I'm looking forward to it." He smiled. "Your boobs are going to be huge."
"Okay, no. Stop. I'm leaving now." Kip stopped laughing and covered his ears with his hands. I laughed and stood up to give him a hug goodbye. He hugged me gently and kissed the top of my head. "I'm happy for you, sis."
"Thanks." I stepped back and felt a weight lift off my shoulders. He nodded at Happy and saw himself out. "That didn't go as bad as I thought it would."
"Shouldn't worry so much." Happy scooped me up and carried me down the hallway, cutting off the lights with his elbow. He sat me on the bed instead of tossing me onto it like he normally did. "I know you're mad about the kiss before we left Gemma's."
"I'm not happy about it." I agreed. He nodded and took my boots off for me. I watched him take his kutte and holsters off before joining me on the bed. "You don't have to mark your territory, Happy. Everyone knows we're together and Juice would never disrespect that."
"That's what he said." He grumbled. I threw a leg over him and pulled him towards me. He moved closer, rolling onto his back.
"And? You think we rehearsed that shit or something?" I pursed my lips, waiting for his answer.
"No, I don't think you rehearsed that shit. I do trust you, Kat." He ran a hand through my hair and rested it on my neck.
"You have a funny way of showing it, Lowman." I sighed. "Do you really think you're going to like it when I'm super pregnant and fat?"
"I know I'm going to like it." He rolled to his side and looked me in the eyes. "Big boobs, big ass, belly holding my child. Yeah, Kat. I'm going to like it."
"You remember that when I have stretch marks and have to lose weight after it's born." I kissed his lips quickly and pulled back. "Will you get fat with me?"
"No." He laughed. "I'll work out with you after. My old ass has to be able to keep up with a kid."
"You keep calling yourself old and I'm going to stab you with your own knife." I threatened before kissing him again. He caught the back of my head before I could pull away again. I smiled and let him deepen the kiss.
"I need to stop by the pharmacy first, but I can bring it by," I insisted. A motorcycle part had mistakenly been delivered to our house instead of the garage and Happy was trying to find a prospect to pick it up. Since our first doctor's appointment, he was doing his best to keep me from doing much more than picking up around the house and helping Gemma with some filing and paperwork. He groaned, causing me to reflexively roll my eyes. "Happy. The part probably weighs less than a gallon of milk. Are you going to stop me from pouring my own milk in the mornings to?"
"Fine, bring the damn part over here." He laughed. I ended the call and started the Jeep, already running late. I had seen the doctor the day before and she had prescribed some vitamins and medicine for nausea but the pharmacy wasn't able to fill it until this afternoon. Happy and I were optimistic after getting a good report from the doctor and I wanted to make sure and do everything in my power to keep things going well.
When I parked at the pharmacy, I decided to leave the Jeep running since Havoc would be waiting in it. Crime in Charming was relatively low, so I didn't have many concerns about someone stealing it. The SAMCRO decal on the back would most likely keep any would be thieves at bay. Havoc moved to the front seat as I walked away. He looked silly hanging his head out of the driver's side window.
"Will that be all Mrs. Lowman?" The pharmacist asked before giving me the total. I nodded, smiling inwardly. I had finally gotten around to legally changing my name and was still getting used to hearing it from someone other than Happy. I paid for the medicine and walked out smiling until I saw a woman taking a picture of my Jeep. She put her phone in her pocket and turned away quickly when she saw me walking up.
"Can I help you?" I asked, setting my bag in the back seat. Her short blonde hair flared out as she shook her head. She looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had seen her before. I told myself that she could have been taking a picture of Havoc, but I barely bought my own story. Before I pulled out of the parking lot, I sent Happy a quick text to let him know I was on my way.
When I pulled in, the lot was almost full of both motorcycles and cars. Havoc started pacing back and forth in the back seat, so I just stopped in the middle of the lot rather than try to find a place to park. Happy walked out of the garage and leaned into the Jeep. Havoc ignored him and continued pacing.
"Can I park here for a minute? He must need to use the bathroom or something." I said, shifting into park. Happy nodded and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.
"I've got to get back to work. Dog laid out of work so we're behind." Happy said as he got the box I had brought him. I stepped out and caught him smiling.
"Yeah, I know. I can't hide it much longer without wearing tents for shirts," I said, referring to the small baby bump that seemed to show up overnight. I was definitely showing sooner that last time. In Tacoma I had been able to hide any kind of bump until right before the miscarriage. I hoped it was a good sign but it probably had more to do with my lower body weight this time around.
Happy returned to the garage as I worked with Havoc. He seemed distracted and uneasy. It was the most unsettled I had seen him. I called him over to the grassy area behind the boxing ring, hoping that being further from the garage would help. He was reluctant to leave the parking lot. Finally, he sniffed around and marked a couple fence posts.
"Ay, Kat! I need to move this van sweetheart." Chibs called. I nodded and headed back to the Jeep. He leaned out of the van as I approached. "Ya look radiant, love."
"Are you already drunk?" I asked playfully. He laughed and shook his head, stepping out of the van. Havoc started whining and pacing again. Chibs raised an eyebrow.
"He's whiny today. I think he might be jealous." Chibs winked. I felt my cheeks blush instantly. "Don't worry. I won't say anything but I won't have to soon."
"Yeah, I know." Havoc had stopped pacing and sat down facing the van. His kept lifting his front feet nervously. Rex had the same silly habit. "Havoc, come!"
I grabbed Chibs by the front of his kutte and yanked him away from the van just as I heard a sickeningly familiar click. The force from the explosion sent me down to the pavement with Chibs falling right beside me. My ears rang so loudly I could only hear my own heartbeat. I felt hands on my arms and reopened my eyes. I could see a pair of black boots before everything faded away.
"She and the baby are both okay, Happy. They ran every test twice. She has a mild concussion and some scrapes. I promise they're okay." I recognized Tara's voice, even through the ringing. My head felt like it was splitting open.
"Ow." I groaned, opening my eyes slowly to try and adjust to the light without further hurting my head. Tara and Happy were standing on my right side. "I hate hospitals."
"I hate you being in hospitals, Kat." Happy said quietly. I managed a smile-like grimace. "They checked you both out."
"I heard." I choked out. I was maybe inches away from dying in a fucking car-bomb. My bottom lip started to tremble and my head started hurting even more. "Havoc?"
"He's fine. He was trying to drag you away from the van." Happy smiled. I slowly let out a deep breath. We were all okay. My family was whole. My eyes flew open. Chibs. "Hey, breathe. Chibs is fine. He sprained his wrist when he fell. You and that damn dog saved everybody."
"Are you sure the baby is okay?" Every tear seemed to hurt my head more and more. Happy nodded and kissed my forehead gently. I tried to slow my breathing and calm down.
"You can't be back here." Tara said. I opened my eyes and saw Agent Stahl standing just inside the room. I had heard about her from Juice and Tara. Happy insisted that she would never come near me and refused to talk about the ATF's investigation into the club. She looked every bit the bitch they had described her as.
"I can, actually. The doctor said Ms. Epps is stable." I felt Happy's hand twitch towards his belt. I shook my head just enough for him to notice.
"That isn't my name anymore." I said quietly. Speaking seemed to make my head hurt worse than listening to other people. She smirked.
"My apologies. How are you feeling?" I narrowed my eyes at her, refusing to honor that stupid question with an answer. She smiled, "Of course, you have to be in a lot of pain after almost being killed, again."
"You're upsetting her." Happy growled as my vitals started changing. I was holding my breath on purpose, knowing the pain would make my blood pressure go up. I stopped as soon as the monitor started beeping. Tara pushed past Stahl and silenced the machine.
"You need to leave," Tara snapped. Stahl eyed me suspiciously but didn't argue. I took slow, deep breaths as soon as she was out of sight. Tara shook her head with a little smile. "Nice trick."
"She got it from me," Kip laughed, walking into the room with two cups of coffee. Happy took a cup with a nod. "Couldn't stay away from explosives, could you?"
"Hilarious." I raised a middle finger at him. He shook his head and bounced on the balls of his feet. I could tell he was trying to cover up his fear with jokes. "I'm okay."
"Good. I'll postpone my murderous rampage." He rolled his eyes and fell into a chair by the door. "I'm seriously tired of seeing you in a hospital bed."
"Hopefully I won't be in another one until the baby is born." I agreed. "Does anyone else see Tig pushing a service cart or is that just me?"
"What are you doing?" Happy snapped, jerking the door open. I heard panting and caught a glimpse of a familiar looking tail sticking out from under the sheet. I snapped my fingers and Havoc popped his head out from under the sheet. Everyone laughed and he rushed off the cart, leaping onto the bed. "Good boy, Havoc."