Disclaimer: I do not own anything that doesn't have my name written next to it in pretty pink pen. I don't even own my horse Tig…that's how broke I am. I only claim ownership on Asher Hayden, Sarah Stevenson and anyone else that you do not recognise.

Summary: She went to the shut the door but paused, smiling slightly to herself despite the glare from the girl on her knees in front of the biker. "You do realise this is a twelve year olds birthday party?" It started at a twelve year olds birthday party in a Tacoma backyard ten years ago. Happy/OC

Stylized Violence – choreographed violence used in film and television to portray the illusion of real violence.

Chapter Twenty- Way Back Home

Do I find you will I follow
To forever and a day
I can feel you in the distance
But you seem so far away
What if I just can't find my way back home
What about all the things I just don't know
What if I just can't find my way back home
Would you be there to show me where to go?
-Bag Raiders

Los Angeles CA

19th July 2001

The call had been made a week ago. She'd effectively managed to transfer to Sacramento and was awaiting her lift out of Los Angeles.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, all the important things packed in the small bag and the rest in Sacramento with her grandmother, she felt the tug on the scar on her stomach. A constant reminder that she was a survivor and that that part of her life was over.

It had taken awhile for the wound to close, but everyone that had been at the hospital were starting to get restless and she understood, she wanted to get out of there too. Her grandmother had fussed and insisted that she get out of LA, be closer to family. And after what Happy had said, she'd decided that it was the right thing to do.

Both Happy and Spanner had headed back to Tacoma the day after Happys visit, Spanner promising he'd be back and Happy refusing to talk to her because she'd told him that no matter what she was no moving back to Tacoma. She needed a real reason to go back there for good, until then – it was Sacramento. She wasn't sure why he was so pissed off, but she figured it had something to do with his need to protect her.

Slamming the apartment door behind her Asher breathed a sigh of relief.

There had been no word on where Ainsleys body was, or whether anyone knew about what had happened. The only evidence was the unnaturally bleached patch of carpet near the bed frame in the corner. She hadn't heard from Adam, but she was pretty sure he was gone too. Which was probably for the best.

Adjusting her bag on her shoulder she stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the front doors, looking around for Spanners bike. He was meant to be picking her up, and even though she knew she shouldn't have been, she was looking forward to being on the back of a Harley.

It was near midnight and it was the first time she'd ventured out that late by herself in a long time. Unarmed anyway. But the Beretta was gone, so was the stash of cash she'd had in the coffee tin under the bed. Ainsley had really cleaned her out. She couldn't help the shudder at the thought of him, but then reminded herself that he was dead- she'd killed him.

Down in front of the diner she could see the lone figure sitting astride the bike on the curb, waiting for her to approach him as she left the apartment building. He climbed off when she approached.

"You got a jacket or somethin'?" He asked when he saw her rub her bare arms, skipping the greetings completely and Asher stared up at him in shock before registering what he'd said.

"Yeah." Swinging off her bag she unzipped it quickly, pulling out a denim jacket and putting it on. Nervousness swept through her for the first time in a long time as she fumbled with the zip only to have her hands shoved out of the way and large tanned ones took their place, zipping the jacket up quickly, one of his forefingers clipping her chin.

"Hey cheer the fuck up baby girl." He rasped and Asher smiled finally at ease with being here with him. Even if the initial shock of him being there had surprised her. "Where you wanna go?"

"To the moon and back?" She asked coyly and he smirked under the light of the floodlights.

"Baby you're riding the wrong machine." He replied snatching the hem of her jacket and pulling her closer. He was so close she could feel his breath on her lips and she wondered if he felt the same crackling electricity in between the two of them as he stared down at her.

"Cute." She replied, stepping back and biting her lip as she took in the Harley. It had been a long time since she'd been on the back of one of them. "Just get me the fuck outta this town."

Happy tossed her his helmet before swinging on. Putting it on Asher adjusted the strap of her bag across her chest and slid on behind him, propping her feet up on the foot pegs and wrapping her arms around his waist. Revving his bike up, Happy pulled off the curb and flew out into the dark night.

Sometime before dawn Happy pulled up in front of some dodgy motel and left Asher drowsily sitting on the back of the bike before coming back with a key and riding the bike around to the other side of the reception. Somehow Asher made her way inside and took her bag off her body, dropping it heavily on the floor before kicking off her boots and crawling tiredly across the bed and falling on her stomach. She had no idea where Happy was, but she was too tired to care. She just wanted to sleep, just for a little while.

Bakersfield CA

20th July 2001

When Asher woke up, there was light shining through the drawn blinds and there was something heavy on her chest. Turning her head to the side she felt Happys breath hit her face before she saw his face, inches from hers , his thick arm thrown over her body, along with half his bare torso. His other arm was bent up awkwardly to lie above his head and when she turned her head to the other side she saw the arm draped over her chest ended with his fingers wrapped around a gun, at the ready for any intruders. He wasn't worried about scaring her, he was protecting her.

She lifted his arm slightly to get out from under him but he woke up, mumbling something in her ear as his arm moved around to pull her closer to his body.

"Hap, let me get up." She whispered before he rolled off her so that he was facing away, the hand with the gun buried under the pillow near his head. Free to escape Asher climbed off the bed and picked up her bag, heading for the bathroom. As she rummaged through her bag for her toothbrush she contemplated having a shower before looking out the bathroom window to the see the glittering surface of the hotel pool. Brushing her teeth quickly she pulled out her bikini and a pair of shorts she grabbed a clean white towel from the rack and snuck out of the room, taking the key with her.

Asher turned the page of the book as she lay out in the sun on her stomach on a clean white towel from the motel room. She was enjoying the heat on her skin as she lay there in her bikini and shorts, her legs bent at the knees and swinging back and forth as she read.

Turning another page a shadow was cast over her body and she looked down at the baked concrete at the shadow before she swivelled her head around to look up at the huge figure standing over her, his hands deep in his pockets and his sunglasses covering his face.

"Run out of pay per view?" She asked, holding her place in the book with her thumb and putting it down. Happy ran a hand over his head, she didn't miss the way his hand rubbed at the back of his neck, his muscles sore from riding all night.

"Wanna go for a ride?" He asked and Asher lifted her sunglasses to squint up at him. Instead of questioning his motives she scrambled up and slipped her flip flops on and swung the towel over her shoulder, holding her book to her chest. "What'cha readin'?" he asked, glancing down at her chest.

"Watership Down." She replied and he lifted an eyebrow over his sunglasses.

"The one about the rabbits?" It was her turn to raise her eyebrow as he started off towards their room.

"Hmm." She jogged to keep up with him as they walked through the door. "Where're we going?"

"For a ride." Happy replied watching as Asher pulled on a loose shirt over her shorts and pulled on her boots. She didn't bother questioning him any further just marked her page in the book and stuck it in her handbag and swung it over her shoulder to follow him back out the bike. Once he was on the bike she slid on behind him and took the helmet he handed to her, doing up the buckle and wedging her handbag between the two of them.

Clinging to Happy as he weaved and ducked his way through Bakersfield she couldn't help but wonder how he knew his way around so easily. Her wonder increased when he pulled up in front of a house that actually had a white picket fence and a painted white porch complete with the American flag flapping in the breeze. He killed the engine and Asher took it as her opportunity to slide off the bike and take off the helmet.

Asher knew asking him what was going on was a waste of time so she just waited as he slid off the bike as well and strode up the garden path. Asher was in awe at the beautiful garden filled with colourful flowers that complemented the green grass. It was the kind of house she had imagined raising her own kids in. It was perfect. If Happy noticed her awe he didn't show it, he just stomped up the stairs and pressed the doorbell, turning around to watch her look around.

"You alright?" Her eyes flicked up to him, standing on the porch with his arms crossed across his white t-shirt as he watched her.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him in confusion. She probably looked strange, standing there in her biker boots and short shorts and smudged make-up in the middle of the most amazing garden she'd ever been in. He opened his mouth to say something when the door behind him opened and he spun around to face the grey haired woman in the doorway.

"Hey Ma." He said gruffly and Ashers eyes widened in surprise, quickly jogging up the stairs to stand behind him, figuring if he was bringing her around to his mothers, she should have definitely been more prepared.

"Hap!" The woman stood about the same height as Asher, her grey hair pulled back tightly in a bun, her tanned skin wrinkled only slightly, dimples in her cheeks as she smiled up at her son. "Give your mama a hug boy." Asher bit her lip as the huge man leant down and hugged his mother. "And who's this gorgeous young thing?" The woman said as she leant around Happys broad shoulder.

Happy glanced over his shoulder jerking his head slightly to indicate that she should introduce herself because he wasn't doing it. Hell, introducing the girl he'd carted all the way from Los Angeles to his mother was too much hard work. It meant that she meant something.

"I'm Asher." She said, stepping forward and holding out her hand.

"Nora, honey." The woman said, shaking Ashers hand and eyeing her warily. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-one ma'am."

"Bit young isn't she Hap?" Nora said, stepping back and looking up at her son, eyebrows risen.

"You going to invite us in Ma?" Happy replied, ignoring his mother and Nora stepped back to let Happy and Asher in, keeping a wary eye on Asher the entire time.

"Thanks." Asher said quietly as she followed Happy into the house. He knew his way around and led her straight to the kitchen which opened out onto another huge porch and a large grassed backyard. She didn't even realise she was walking towards the glass doors, admiring the beautiful backyard complete with flowers and an old gazebo, until a large hand wrapped around her arm and gently tugged her back to reality.

He didn't say anything, didn't even give her a funny look, just touched her to remind her that she was in the presence of people and spacing out wasn't a good idea.

"Asher? That's an unusual name." Nora said as she moved around the kitchen and Asher came to stand beside Happy, digging her hands deep in her short pockets, wishing the woman would stop looking at her with such a condescending glare. Just because she didn't have a mother didn't mean she didn't know how they worked. Just because Lizzie Stevenson had trusted her completely, didn't mean that other women did, especially around their sons.

"It was my grandfathers name." Asher replied quietly.

"Interesting." Nora replied. "Would you like something to drink Asher?"

"No thank-you." Asher practically whispered. She didn't know what Happy had expected.

"What about you?" Nora said, turning her pointed brown eyed gaze on her son.

"I'll have a beer." Nora paused like she wanted to say something but thought better of it instead going to the fridge and pulling out a beer and placing it in front of her son, glaring at him the entire time. Asher suddenly felt incredibly awkward.

"Um, would I be able to use your bathroom?" She asked quietly and Nora turned her pointed glare at Asher.

"Down the hall, second on your left." Asher nodded her thanks and got out of there as quickly as she could, pausing to take a deep breath as soon as she was out of eyesight.

"What're you doing boy?" Nora snapped.

"Drinkin' a beer." Happy retorted and Asher couldn't help but notice he sounded like a teenager, a gravelly voiced, sexy teenager.

"I mean with that jailbait."

"She ain't jailbait, Ma." Happy sighed and she could imagine the heated look that mother and son were sharing. Quickly scampering down the hall she found the bathroom before coming back, stopping in the same spot to check it was safe out there.

"That girl probably has family worried about her. Her mother must be stressing out." Now was the time to nip this in the bud and get the hell out of there, Asher decided. Happy should have known better than to bring her into his mothers house.

"I'm going to go." She said, her tone indicating that she had heard everything.

"No you're not." Happy growled and Asher shook her head, not fazed by the deathly look he was giving her.

"I'm sorry for intruding on you like this ma'am." She said directing at Nora. "It was nice to meet the person that raised Hap. An honour really and I wish I had a mother that had cared about me as much as you do about him." Turning her attention back to Happy, she smiled slightly, "I'm going to go for a walk, catch up with your mum."

Taking a deep breath she turned on her heel and strode out of the house, trying not to get distracted by the beautiful flowers, or the bike in the driveway. She had to get the hell away from all that perfection, it was crazy.

A/N: yeah it's something a bit different for you! Please review