Okay, lovely readers, this chapter has a content warning. This features Bobby's welcome home party and an assault similar to what happened to Gemma afterwards. With that being said, thank you very much for the reviews and support! I apologize for the delay in how long it took for me to post.

Chapter 21

I felt like I had just gotten in my car when my phone started ringing. My hands were shaking as I dug through my bag to find it. It was hard to keep my hand steady enough to answer Happy's call.

"Hey, I thought you'd beat me home. You okay?" He asked. I still couldn't seem to get my throat working enough to swallow or speak. The clock on my radio didn't seem right. There was no way I had been sitting in my car for nearly an hour. I ran my free hand over my face, trying to get a grip. I wasn't hurt. I was fine.

"Yeah. I got caught up at the hospital. I'll be there in ten minutes." I said, hearing the shake in my voice. I didn't wait for his response and ended the call. I threw the car in reverse and headed home, telling myself not to make a big deal out of it every few yards. Once I was in the driveway, I felt pretty calm. My breathing and heartbeat had regulated and I felt less paralyzed.

"Hey." Happy said, studying me closely as I walked in and put my stuff away in the coat closet. I gave him a tight smile, hoping it was convincing enough. "Did something happen?"

"No. I just lost track of time and got caught up at work." I didn't mean to sound so defensive and bitter. His eyes widened but he didn't say anything else. A few moments later, I took a deep breath and walked over to him. "I'm sorry. It was just a really long day."

"Don't lie to me, Lexie." He searched my face for anything that would give away everything I was holding back. I distracted him by slamming my mouth onto his. It only took him half a second to respond to my kiss. He grabbed the bottom of my scrub top and pulled it up over my head, tossing it onto the couch. "You still stink."

"Well, why don't we move this into the shower then? You can wash my hair." I winked and took his hand, leading him down the hallway.

"I don't keep hair for a reason." He grumbled, grabbing the hair-tie out of my hair. I felt him wrap it around his hand and tug back gently. I giggled and slowed down, letting him catch up and press his chest against my back. "You're perfect, Alexis."

"Your dirty talk could use improvement." I teased. He huffed and smacked my bottom with a pop. I smirked and pulled him into the bedroom and through to the bathroom.

By the time we got to the party, I had all but forgotten about what had happened in the parking lot. I was ready to have a good time at Bobby's 'Welcome Home' party. Happy was smug about getting laid twice before the party and rode onto the lot like he owned it. I shook my hair out after taking my helmet off.

"You better behave in that outfit." Happy growled, grabbing a handful of my ass as he hugged me. I laughed and kissed his cheek. My pants were tighter than I would ever wear outside of the bedroom or a clubhouse party and my boots came up to above my knee with a good three inch heel. I wanted to leave something to the imagination though, so my shirt was loose and flowing. The lace back was the sexiest thing about it.

"Most of the people here are family or female. You don't have to worry." I said with a smile. Happy grunted and looped his arm over my shoulders. Jax and Tara were standing by the bar talking to Mom. She didn't look happy but that wasn't exactly abnormal when she was around Tara. It made me sad that she couldn't just be happy that Jax was happy. Tara looked tense. "Mom, it's a party. What's with the angry face?"

"I don't have an angry face, Alexis." Mom said, avoiding giving me any real answer. I raised my brow with suspicion but she ignored it. "I'll talk to you about this later, Jax."

"Well, that looked fun. What's she mad about now?" I asked, grabbing a bottle of water from behind the bar. Tara rolled her eyes and Jax shook his head. Obviously things were as bad as I thought.

"She's pissed that we're getting someone to help with Abel. She said if I was a real mother, I should be able to raise him myself." Tara said tersely. I nodded slowly. Mom hated the idea of strangers raising children. I saw it as a way to make sure children got the attention they needed without putting a strain on the family. It may be different if they were sending Abel off to some boarding school or something.

"She'll be okay. Come on, it's a party." I said, shaking her shoulder with a smile. She didn't look like she was in the mood to party but I was determined to change that. After a few minutes of my begging and pleading, she agreed to play a game of pool. It was girls vs boys.

"You're going to lose." I whispered into Happy's ear as he lined up a shot. He ignored me, so I nipped his earlobe. He scratched his shot and the cue ball went rolling into the far corner pocket. I had a Cheshire grin and pink cheeks when he turned around to scowl at me. "I told you."

"You're going to pay for that later." He growled, slapping my butt. I laughed and scuttled off to take my shot. Happy smirked and had a mischievous look in his eyes. I blinked and looked back at the pool table. I couldn't concentrate knowing that he was looking at me. I looked up to yell at him and saw him lick his lips. I groaned.

"Damnit. You're such an ass." I told him, missing my shot. It wasn't such a fail as Happy's shot was, but I was still frustrated. Tara laughed and leaned against Jax. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. "You two are adorable."

"Shut up." Jax said, still smiling like he'd won the biggest prize at the carnival. "When is my son going to have a cousin?"

"God, you're as bad as Mom." I said with a groan. Mom had asked me when she was going to get another grandchild back in Atlanta. Everyone seemed to be ready for us to skip all the dating and courtship and get right to popping out kids. I wasn't ready for that. I was having fun just being together. Happy didn't really comment on it other than telling me he would always be selfish with me. "I'm going to smoke."

"Sounds good." Happy said, following me outside the clubhouse and onto the lot. He offered me his lighter and a cigarette. "You good?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired of people trying to rush us." I said with a shrug. He nodded silently, lighting up a cigarette of his own. After a few minutes, it seemed like more of the party was outside than in. Suddenly, the music was turned down and the atmosphere shifted. "Who is that?"

"I don't know. Stay behind me." Happy said, making his way through the crowd. There were two black sedans that had pulled onto the lot. A man in a suit with white hair stepped out of the back seat of the first car followed by three men that seemed like his body guards. Everyone was tense. These men weren't local and they didn't look like they came for the party. Clay exchanged words with the white-haired man for a couple minutes before things got heated. Happy stepped forward and was toe to toe with one of the body-guard looking guys. I felt like someone dropped a brick down into my stomach.

"Gentlemen, we only came here as a courtesy. There's no need for anyone to get hurt." I glared at the man and wanted to choke him out. He'd told Clay in no uncertain terms to stop doing business with anyone of a different race or there would be issues. The club didn't take well to being threatened. The man started to turn to leave but suddenly stopped when he saw me. I felt like I was going to be sick. He gave me a little nod and got into his car.

"Hap, don't." Jax said as he moved towards the car. I felt light headed. Jax caught my arm as I started to sway. "Get Lexie inside."

"You know that piece of shit?" Happy asked, half carrying me inside. I shook my head. I didn't know him but he did look familiar, like I'd seen him in passing somewhere. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think I would remember a racist son of a bitch like that." The room started spinning. "I think I'm going to be sick."

I fell onto my knees in front of the toilet just in time. Happy was stunned for a minute but then he sprang into action, grabbing me a cold wash cloth and holding my hair back. My mascara got into my eyes and they started to sting and water as Happy rubbed my back. I hated getting sick. I was the one that was supposed to take care of people, not the other way around.

"I'm sorry." I muttered, wiping my face off. He shook his head and kissed my forehead. I felt exhausted from vomiting and just wanted to go home. Happy convinced me to stay at the clubhouse instead of trying to make it home on the bike instead.

"Drink too much last night?" Tara asked as I shuffled into the kitchen to get some coffee. I grumbled at her teasing and reached for a mug. "Need a ride to the hospital?"

"Ugh, maybe as a patient. I didn't even drink last night. Think you can just take me to your house so I can take a shower and get my car?" I said, pouring a cup of coffee with a big yawn. Tara opened her mouth but then closed it sharply. I narrowed my eyes while taking a drink. "Don't be one of those people. A woman can be sick and not be pregnant."

"Yeah, I know." Tara said, failing at sounding the least bit convinced. "Do you need to take a sick day?"

"No. Just need coffee and a quick shower. Let me grab my bag out of Happy's room and we can go." I said, opening the swinging kitchen door with my back. Tara nodded and followed me into the main room. She took a seat at the bar as I headed down the hall. Happy was awake and getting dressed when I walked into the room. "Hey."

"Hey." He said, looking me over. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired." I said, grabbing my bag. He nodded and caught my wrist, tugging me into a hug. I rested my head against his chest and took a deep breath. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Always will, Lexie." He said, pressing a kiss to my lips before letting me go. I sighed and stepped away, knowing if I stayed any longer I wouldn't leave.

"Let's go." I muttered to Tara as I passed her. She handed me a travel cup of hot coffee with a smile. "Thank you."

My mind couldn't get into gear. Everything felt cloudy. I excused myself from scrubbing in on a surgery that I really would have loved to assist with. I knew it wouldn't have been in the patient's best interest to have me in the operating room. I worked on charts and rounds, mostly keeping to myself. My stomach was still bothering me despite the medicine and bland food.

"Hey, I'm heading out early. Thanks for the ride home this morning." I told Tara as she walked out of a patient room. She nodded and gave me a quick hug.

I felt bad about going home early but knew that I wasn't doing much service at the hospital. I promised Margaret that I was going to get some rest and come into work early the next day to catch up on rounds and paperwork. She told me it wasn't necessary but I insisted. I sent Happy a quick text letting him know I was going home before I got into the car.

Less than a mile from home, a mini-van bumped into me at the stop sign. I groaned and tossed my seatbelt off. A young blonde girl ran up to my window screaming and crying. The accident wasn't bad enough for that reaction. I got out of the car and looked her over. She looked fine.

"Please! Please! My baby's not breathing!" The girl screamed, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards her van. I rushed over, knowing that it was crucial the baby got help as soon as possible. The sliding door was open so I leaned right in to check on the child. By the time I moved the blanket and saw that it was a doll, it was too late. She hit me over the head with something and the world started spinning.

"I told you to get Morrow's wife." I heard a voice say. My hands were cuffed onto a fence so high that my arms were fully extended above my head and my shoes barely grazed the ground. I kept my eyes closed, hoping they wouldn't realize I was coming to. "Who is she?"

"Her last name is Teller. It's on her badge. She's family, it'll work." Another man said, sounding timid. I bit the inside of my cheeks, fighting the urge to cry out for help. "Look, if it doesn't work I'll get the old woman next."

"Go ahead and get it done. We will just have to make this work." The other voice said. The voices sounded muffled, like they were in a different room. I heard foot steps and my bottom lip started to tremble. The smell of cheap cologne hit my nose and my eyes shot open. I shook my head and pressed my back against the fence, trying to get as far away as possible. The man standing in front of me was wearing a cheap, Halloween-like mask but I could still see his broad smile.

"Scream as much as you want. No one is going to hear you. We don't mind." My eyes widened. What did he mean, we? A door opened somewhere but the man was holding my face so I couldn't turn to look. Two more men showed up in similar white masks. I kicked out. I knew if I didn't fight now, I wouldn't have a chance to later. They laughed and moved in. The two men that had just showed up each grabbed one of my legs while the other man watched. My heart was racing. "This is going to hurt."

I could hear blood pounding in my ears over an hour after they'd left me. My face was swollen from punches meant to subdue me. I fought as long as I could but my body gave up. I couldn't move. I tried to think about something else but all I could think about was how much I hurt and how I'd ended up that way. They'd taken turns at first but eventually that wasn't good enough. When they were done, they hung me back up on fence and left.

"Tell Morrow to stop doing business with color or this will happen again." That threat from the shortest man played over and over in my head. For some reason, knowing that what had happened was about the club made it even worse. It wasn't random or even personal. It was just a way to hurt the club. I refused to give them that satisfaction. I wasn't going to be a carrier pigeon to deliver messages to the club. I wasn't going to be a weakness for them.

"Alexis? Alexis?" I opened my eyes and saw shiny black boots at the end of khaki covered legs. I groaned and managed a little nod. "Dispatch, I need an ambulance to my location, now! Lexie, you're going to be okay. Who did this?"

"Dunno." I coughed. I wasn't going to tell anyone, especially not Hale. My arms felt like lead when he unlocked the handcuffs. I had no strength. If he hadn't caught me, I would have fallen right down. I crossed my arms over my chest, embarrassed that my bra was exposed to him. "Jax."

"I'll call him when the ambulance gets here." I nodded. I needed my big brother to tell me I was going to be okay like he had when we were little kids. "What happened?"

"If you have to ask, I want my taxes back." I managed. My throat felt like it was on fire. Hale sighed and patted my shoulder. I started wondering if Opie's mom hadn't been right about me being a fool for staying in Charming. I wasn't happy in Atlanta but at least I was safe. Anything that happened there would at least be random. "What time is it?"

"Just before midnight. How long have you been here?" Hale asked, fishing for information. I shook my head, refusing to give him anything. "Let me help you, Alexis."

"It's a little late for that." I said before the ambulance turned the corner and the sirens nearly deafened me. The EMT's hurried in with a backboard and first responder kits. I recognized one of them from dropping of patients in the ER. "Funny seeing you here."

"Doc? Damn." He said, looking sick. I must have looked even worse than I felt. He did the normal routine of telling me I would be okay and telling me he was going to help me. It was like muscle memory. I didn't need to hear it. I knew the drill. The ambulance ride was awkward. The EMT I knew didn't want to ask me the personal questions so he drove and the older guy just monitored my vitals and kept reassuring me I was going to be okay. He didn't know that. He didn't have the authority or knowledge to promise me that. I knew it was just something to say to keep patients calm. Still, it bothered me because I didn't believe him.

"Hey." Tara said, walking inside my private room after the doctor finished her exams. I was just waiting for a few more stitches. I offered her a small smile. "Everyone's asking if you're okay. I don't know what to tell them."

"Is Jax here?" I asked, unsure of what to tell them myself. She nodded. "Do you think you can bring him back? I really need to see him."

"Yeah, of course. Do you want me to bring Happy back before I get Jax?" I shook my head. I wasn't ready to see Happy. I wasn't ready to face him after what happened. I saw the frown starting at the corners of her mouth but she recovered quickly and turned for the door. I knew Happy wasn't going to take not coming back to see me well. I felt guilty for sending Tara into the lion's den.

There was a knock on the door less than a minute after Tara left. I knew it was too fast to be Jax. A second later, the doctor that had done my exams walked in with my chart. I didn't like the way she looked at me. It was the way I looked at patients when I had bad news. I sat up straight, ready to get it over with.

" , were you aware that you are pregnant?" I blinked. What was she talking about, pregnant. I wasn't due for another birth control shot for a month. There was no way I could be pregnant. I shook my head slowly. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I want to go ahead and get an ultrasound and make sure the baby is okay."

"No." I said flatly. She raised her brow at me, obviously surprised. "I don't want an ultrasound. I need you to schedule me an appointment with the clinic."

"You don't want to think about this? Maybe talk with the father first?" She asked, sounding defeated. I felt like there was a tennis ball in my throat when I shook my head. "Okay. I'll make a call."

"Thanks." I said. My voice sounded hollow. I wasn't ready for a child. Even if I was, how could I bring a child into the world after being assaulted like that? It would have to affect the baby in some way. I couldn't do it. I was going to take care of it and never mention it again. Happy didn't need to know. He didn't need to feel guilty for asking me to do what I was already planning on doing myself.

"Hey Princess." I looked up to see Jax standing in the doorway. I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. For some reason, seeing Jax broke down all the defenses I'd been working so hard to keep up for the past couple hours. He hurried over and took my hand, letting me cry into his sweatshirt. I hurt all over and I was scared. I was terrified that it was all going to happen again and again. "I'm right here, Lexie. Nothing's going to hurt you."

"I can't do it." I said, sobbing. Jax pressed his lips to my forehead and tried to smooth my matted hair. I didn't even know if I was crying about what happened or about the baby.

"Alexis, you're not alone. I'm here for you and so is Tara and Happy and Mom and everyone else. You don't have to do anything alone, sweetheart." I nodded against his chest and kept crying until I was too tired to keep my eyes open anymore. "Get some rest, Lexie. Hap's going to drive you home when they release you but we'll all be in the waiting room if you need anything, okay?"

"Thank you." I said before drifting off to sleep.