Playlist: Cold As Ice - Foreigner, U Mad (feat. Kanye West) - Vic Mensa, & LUV [Remix] (feat. Sean Paul) - Tory Lanez

They all sat around the chapel's table, voting on their latest retaliation efforts. Lee counted the unanimous 'Yay' and slammed his gavel down on the table. The men began to murmur, agreeing with the measures to be taken and thrilled to get to drinking. It was Friday after all.

"Wait!" Lee stood up, gesturing to the group to wait. They all turned their attention to him, "I hired a new bartender. Be nice."

A few eyebrows raised at his announcement. They knew about the bar being short staffed, but they didn't think he'd been in the market for more employees. Needless to say, the boys were intrigued. He'd never warned them to be nice before. He thought about the woman he hired. She was far from timid, but she'd be a shock to the rest of the boys. They definitely wouldn't expect her to be standing behind their bar, doling out the shots.

~(xXx)~

He followed behind his brothers, down the hall and into the main room. Each one of them was interested to see who their new bartender was, but he wasn't as excited as Kozik or Bowie. They were already planning their pickup lines and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes they could be too childish for his liking. He brushed past them, ignoring Kozik's feigned offense. He strode out before the group of them, rounding the corner and spotting the long ponytail of their new bartender. Her back was to him and he took the time to give her a piercing once over, memorizing the outer curve of her ass, the way it poked out with her posture. He examined her further and registered the stiff straightened position of her spine and the way her shoulders were pulled back, her head held high. She was confident.

After a minute he realized that she was wearing a cardigan. He raised one eyebrow, now taking the time to assess her clothing. She was wearing dark blue jeans, snug to her body, as well as a loose white tank top and a light brown cardigan. She was completely covered. No extra skin showing anywhere. He couldn't help but think privileged rich princess with the way she was dressed. Not the type of woman you would expect to see behind the counter. He felt as Kozik and Bowie came up behind him, flanking each of his sides. Kozik leaned with one arm on the bar and gave him a sly smirk. Bowie nodded, hyped up with the anticipation. Kozik adjusted his shoulders, appearing aloof.

He tapped two fingers against the bar, catching her attention. She didn't turn around, but they all noticed as she minutely turned her head, eyes glancing over her shoulder. She waited for Kozik to speak, causing a few more Sons to meander over and book the attitude rolling off her in waves. Kozik licked his lips. The girl was giving his brother a hard time. Happy took a seat, enjoying the power struggle between the new girl and Kozik. He gave her another glance and decided that he liked her. She'd do well here, being able to stand her own. He leaned back against the stool, tossing a toothpick into his mouth and egging Kozik on with a slight nod.

Kozik steeled his resolve, smiling full force for her, "I'll take a shot of Jack with that ass."

Kozik's tongue darted across his lips and they watched as her back stiffened. The excitement in the air thickened around them. Silent bets were popping up between them. Would she wheel around and hit him? Or would she be flattered by the shitty line? Happy kept his eyes on the woman as she raised her head to peer out at the blond man behind her. She locked eyes with Kozik through the mirror in front of her. She flung the rag over her shoulder and placed the beer glass in her hand down gently. She reached over for a shot glass while simultaneously grabbing a bottle of Jack. She tipped the bottle into the tiny cup. Once it was full she placed the alcohol bottle back on the shelf and finally turned around.

Everyone stared up at her, meeting her cold eyes. They were an ice blue, with thick black eye lashes lacing them. She blinked, pushing the shot glass towards Kozik's hand. As she moved it across the counter, she bowed, giving them all a glance down her shirt.

With a deadpanned face, no smirk or anything, she spoke, "Not interested."

A collective inhale sounded through the group and Kozik's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. He'd never been turned down when he used that particular smile. It didn't even faze her. Happy shifted his gaze from his brother back to the blonde at the bar. Happy was quick to pick up that along with covering most of her skin, she even managed to keep most of her cleavage covered. He trained his gaze on her chest, longer than he preferred but he could definitely make out the generous size she had under that shirt. He felt eyes on him and flicked his eyes up to find her glaring at him with pure disdain colouring her expression.

"Anything else?" She intoned his direction.

He bit down on his tongue, unaccustomed to being challenged so openly. He hadn't expected her to so closed off. Every woman who walked into this part of town, into this bar, was here for one reason. They wanted the leather. They wanted a taste of their lifestyle. He couldn't help but wonder where she came from. Did she know Lee? He watched as she reached for the rag at her shoulder and he recalled that she asked him a question. Well if she wanted to play hard, he could play the game right back at her.

"A beer." He ordered.

He caught the subtle narrowing of her eyes, but she remained tight lipped. It seemed Kozik was the only one to grind her gears. He'd keep an eye on this one. It was too eerie to have a woman around them who wasn't swooning and throwing herself at any Son walking. She dropped a coaster down on the bar in between them, popped the top off the bottle and settled the beer in front of him. Without a thank you he stood, wrapped his fingers around the bottle and turned away from her, searching for the nearest crow.

~(xXx)~

… two months later…

"Jesus Lee." Kozik whined, "Why did you hire her?"

Happy's ears caught the drift of the conversation and he perked up. Leaning closer into the booth. Kozik was scowling at the blonde bartender as she lined up drink after drink. She had been working here, every night, and had yet to crack a smile. More bets had sprung up, and even a few jokes about how she must be a woman after Happy's heart. They were one in the same, the boys taunted. Neither of them smiled, nor spoke much.

Happy could admit to himself that he found her presence refreshing. When crows were getting on his case he'd spend a while sitting at the bar. None of the girls liked being around her because she didn't have any time for their pathetic talk. She became his solace in a silent way. He eventually noticed that she'd been slowly warming up to him. Instead of having to ask for a beer, if she spotted him breaking away from the crowd she'd have a fresh drink place at his usual spot at the bar. Neither of them had spoken to each other yet, but he appreciated her small gestures. He never felt the need to try and bed her. He knew she'd turn him down and he wasn't into working for something he got for free.

"She's a good fit." Lee answered.

Kozik scoffed, "You're joking, right? She hates everything."

Lee chuckled, "Happy gets along with her just fine. You're just sore that she always turns you down."

Happy tried not to react at hearing Lee's observation. Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed that she seemed to have taken a – albeit minor – liking to him. Kozik chose to zero in on Lee's first comment, instead of acknowledging that maybe the woman just wasn't all that into him. Kozik switched his gaze from the bar over to him. Happy chose to ignore the attention and continued to watch the crows swirling around the makeshift pole they had in the corner.

"You banging her?" Kozik finally asked.

Happy turned to him, face deadpanned and stared. Of course he wasn't sleeping with her. What kind of dumbass question was that? Kozik needed to learn how to take a hint. The girl just didn't like him. Lee and Donut burst into laughter at Happy's expression and Kozik rolled his eyes. At least the idiot could understand his facial queues. Donut skipped into another topic and he went back to staring at the crows. Once he figured it was safe, and the rest were distracted, he let his eyes flick over to the woman behind the bar.

She still dressed like a prep, all proper and with jewellery that screamed privilege. Regardless of the drastic difference she exhibited to their environment, he respected her. She held her weight. Never backing down and had a resolve that rivaled his own. That didn't mean he liked her. There was a vast difference between respect and developing a liking to someone. He was still wary of her. She wasn't trying to fit in. It was like she was just here as a job and then left to be an entirely different person.

As if she felt his gaze on her she peered up from where she was pouring a mixed drink and their eyes locked together. She gave him a slight nod, invisible to everyone else but him. He acknowledged her greeting with a nod of his own. Maybe she was interested. He watched her for a few more minutes. He never noticed the way she swung her hips as she walked, nor the way she shifted her hair over one shoulder. Unfortunately for him, he realised there was something about the way she held herself that called to him.

"Hap?" Lee called to him.

Happy tuned back into their conversation, emitting a few grunts at the appropriate moments but ultimately having his attention torn from the woman on the other side of the establishment. His speculations about her pushed to the back of his mind… for now.

~(xXx)~

The bar had closed down an hour ago and Happy found himself restless. All his brothers were either home with their Old Lady's or drowning in a bed of crow. He needed some fresh air. The smell of stale booze and pussy was giving him a headache. He pulled on his hoodie and slid into his cut. Grabbing his keys, he kicked the back door open, letting it slam closed behind him. He briefly registered that the blonde bartender's car was still parked out there. It struck him as off that she hadn't driven off in it but it wasn't any of his business. He straddled his Harley, turning the ignition and having it roar to life into the dead of night. He fastened his helmet to his head and pushed off the curb, coasting down the back alley before ripping off down the main street.

He drove around mindlessly, enjoying the crisp autumn night. He tilted with every turn. He let his mind blank, the rumble of his engine consuming his entire being. He neared a residential area and made a quick right, rolling down a side street. He wasn't in the safest part of town, but he knew how to handle himself. He continued down the street, catching sights of a few drug deals happening but ignoring it as he went. It was none of his business what others chose to spend their money on. As he neared the end of the street, he noticed a lone woman walking with her hands shoved into her pockets. He watched her for a moment, when he recognized the Keds on the woman's feet. It was their bartender.

He coasted towards her, knowing that she heard him approach but still preferred to make his presence known. He pulled up next to her and she barely spared him a side glance. He shook his head at her stubbornness. He flicked out his kickstand and slipped off, catching up to her in three long strides. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. She grabbed his hand and spun him around, pining the arm attached to his hand around his back. He let out an amused huff. She hadn't hurt him, but he knew that if she meant to she could have.

"Are you following me?" She demanded.

He shook his head, "No."

She scoffed and shoved him away from her. When he straightened himself out, feeling a bit put out at her attitude, she had her arms crossed and was glaring at him. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You lost?"

She rolled her eyes, "Do I look lost?" She studied his face for a moment, seeing that he did actually think she'd taken a wrong turn, "I know where I am. I know where I'm going. I don't need you to feel validated by acting like a big man helping the poor princess out from the wrong side of town."

Her audacity infuriated him. His nostrils flared. He ground his teeth together. Thinking that their conversation was over she spun on her heel and began walking away from him. Honestly he didn't care what could potentially happen to her, walking these streets alone. But he reminded himself that Lee went out of his way to hire her. There had to be a reason. He took a deep breath. If she had been anyone else, man or woman, he'd have taught her that no one spoke to him the way she just did. But again, Lee. He remained still as she made it a good five feet from him. He couldn't leave, not yet. Even if she turned down his offer again, at least he made the effort. That would stand for something with Lee. If anything should happen to her.

He took a step forward, speeding up to close the distance between them. He could make out that she'd shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and felt her back stiffen when he closed in on her. He reached out, grabbing her elbow. He only meant to stop her, with a firm but gentle touch. He hadn't meant to yank her that hard, but her momentum caught them in a weird position and he ended up jerking her entire hand out of her pocket.

"What is wrong wi – " She started to scold him until she noticed as the chain in her hand was slipping through her fingers.

She hollered and shoved him away, reaching forward to try and catch the chain. He staggered backwards, his nostrils flaring at the fact that she'd laid hands on him a second time. Before he had a chance to blow his top, he heard a wrecked sob escape the woman. His gaze snapped up to see her, trying and failing, to catch whatever had been in her hand. He zeroed in on the chain. He swallowed hard. The double rings hit the pavement, bouncing up and then aiming directly for the sewer grate. The blonde scrambled forward, reaching to hook a finger in the chain but missing by a centimetre. As he watched the chain slide out of her grasp he registered exactly what he was looking at – and if he wasn't mistaken – he was watching a wedding band and engagement ring disappearing from view.

The night around them froze. Everything was silent. He glanced around. There wasn't a soul on the street. He glanced back at the woman. She was kneeling over top the grate, completely still. She didn't make a noise, nor a movement. He ground his teeth together. He fucked up. That much was obvious. HE shifted in his spot, his boot crunching against the pavement and it seemed to snap the bartender back to reality. Her head hung forward, hands catching her face and he could make out the stifled sobs she was holding back. They gradually became louder until her entire body was shaking and she was wiping furiously at her cheeks. Shit. He was in trouble now. He had no idea how to handle a crying woman. Especially when it was his fault. This had been purely an accident and he was at a loss. He could only come up with one idea. He aimed to take a tentative step towards her but she whipped her gaze around to his. Her eyes were bloodshot and menacing. She zeroed in on his outstretched arm, and she bared her teeth at him in a growl.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

He dropped his arm, letting it swing back to his side. She turned back to the sewer grate, her hands left palm up and limp in her lap. He heard the faint muttering of her repeating 'no' over and over again. He really fucked up. He backed away, returning to his bike. He didn't expect her to show up at the clubhouse ever again. Not after tonight. He should have just left her alone when she made it clear she didn't want anything to do with him or his help. The Harley roared to life on the quiet street and he noticed that she didn't even startle at the noise. He rode away, the scene of her defeated slouch burned into his subconscious.

~(xXx)~

It was five minutes into her shift and she still wasn't there. He couldn't say he was surprised. He poured himself a shot, downed it and closed his eyes. He'd have to be the one to tell Lee. Admit to the fact that he made a mistake. He rolled his neck, cracking out the stress build up. He pushed away from the bar and turned towards his President. Straightening his back, he took a step forward but was halted by the distinct slamming of the back door. He threw a glance over his shoulder to find the bartender brushing her fingers through her hair, pulling it back into a high ponytail. He paused, surprised that she came back. He turned to fully face her, prepared to have her lash out but he was meant with nothing.

She brushed past him without the tiniest bit of acknowledgement. He gritted his teeth together. He couldn't argue that he didn't deserve her cold shoulder, but if she kept it up, it'd become obvious to the rest of the club. He was royally fucked. He trudged towards the table where he was initially headed, this time in need of a drink instead of uttering a confession. He slumped down into the booth and Kozik laughed at his pissed off demeanour. Of course Kozik would find something about his state funny. Oh, the irony.

~(xXx)~

… three weeks later …

For reasons she couldn't explain, tonight was harder than most. She reached down into her pocket, searching for her wedding band to rub. It was her nervous tick. She remembered halfway into her jeans that it was no longer there. Lost forever. It was bad enough that she'd lost her husband, now she didn't even have a reminder of the bond they had. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to overcome her anxiety attack and went back to dishing out drink after drink.

Hours later, she realised what was causing her the unwanted stress. Him. His eyes never left her. He'd been watching her since she walked in the bar. It wasn't like he didn't watch her normally, but tonight was different. Tonight he'd been blatant about it. He wasn't even trying to hide it from his 'brothers'. Maybe he'd finally reached his boiling point. Wanting to know why she kept mum on the fact that he'd single-handedly ruined her life. If had wanted everyone to know her past, then she would have told someone. But it was none of their business. She wasn't here to make friends. She wasn't here to be friendly. She was here as an escape, until she figured out where she was going to go. What she needed right now was the space to mourn. Something that her real family hadn't been letting her do.

Maybe he was suddenly more obsessed with her because she hadn't acknowledged any of his pathetic attempts at an apology. She wasn't stupid. She knew that he'd been the one to fix her car after it broke down. She even knew it was him who continually made sure none of the crows harassed her. It was all a bunch of little things he'd been doing around her and for her. It was his way of repentance. Not that she'd ever grant him forgiveness. He had no idea how severe he'd messed up.

She breathed in deeply, focussing her attention on pouring out the dozen shots ordered. She made sure each was paired with a slice of lime and she even pushed three salt shakers towards the group of women. Eventually his stare eased up and she felt like now was a good time to escape and take a breather. She left one of the prospects in charge while she booked it to the back, bee lining it for the bathroom.

She pushed through the swinging door, going straight for the nearest sink. She flicked on the cold water, fingers gripping the sides of the basin. She hung her head, eyes closed tight and breathing in even time. She breathed in, held for ten seconds and then let it out. Only to repeat the entire breathing process again. It didn't stop the oncoming panic attack, but it helped ease it. She rode through the waves of her anxiety, oddly lucid and able to keep her mind from losing its grip completely. Her breathing evened out on its own and she cupped her hands under the spray of freezing cold water. She splashed a decent amount on her face, cooling her and shocking her in the same moment. She reached for the paper towel roll and ripped a few pieces before padding against her face to rid herself of the moisture.

She tossed the paper into the trash, making for the door. She pulled it open and stepped into the hall. She raised her head to continue on back to the bar when she found him standing across from the door. She startled, clutching her hand to her heart and – to her disappointment – letting out a yelp. He lifted his head at her sound. She watched as his pupil's dilated at her presence. It struck her as strange to have that kind of reaction. The most popular reasons for dilated pupils were being high, or arousal. She narrowed her eyes at him and moved to shuffle away from him.

He reached out, his fingers wrapping around her wrist, stopping her from moving on. She hissed at his touch and whirled around prepared to give him a verbal lashing. The last time he grabbed her without her consent he'd lost her most prized possession. Was he really up for her to tear him to shreds? She had nothing left to lose, that much was sure. Before she had a chance to throw every last ounce of her anger at him, he pried the fingers on her other hand open and dropped something cold and metal into it. She inhaled, recognizing that familiar feeling. Her breathing hitched until she held it for an indefinite amount of time.

Her lungs began to scream for air but she couldn't bring herself to breathe. Her eyes were locked onto his. He'd gone back. He'd found a way to get them back to her. Her rings. They were back. Or… at least she thought they were. She still hadn't found the courage to look down into her hand. Her lips rolled together. She stood stiff, praying that this wasn't a dream. His stance mirrored her own, all except for those dilated pupils. She sniffed, relieving him of her gaze and looked down. There in her hand was her wedding band, and the family heirloom engagement ring. She ripped her hand out of his grasp to cover her mouth as a strangled noise escaped her.

Tears filled her eyes and she fisted her fingers around the rings. She felt whole again. She had a piece of him back. In a moment of clouded judgement she threw herself at him. His entire body stiffened when her arms wrapped around his neck. She sobbed openly into the crook of his neck, ecstatic that she finally had the only connection to her husband back. She didn't even care that the reason she'd lost it in the first place was the man she was hugging right now. She was just happy to have her little bit of sanity left.

Once she'd composed herself she pushed away. Standing only an arm's length away from him she met his eyes once again. She watched the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. She offered him a strained, but appreciative smile.

"Thank you."

~(xXx)~

He nodded, avoiding her gaze entirely. He hadn't expected her to have a breakdown and then embrace him. He figured she'd accept her rings and move on. The woman was an enigma. One that he couldn't seem to get off his mind. Nothing helped. Not even trying to drown himself in crows. Even sleep evaded him. He couldn't rid his mind of her defeated position, knowing it was his fault. He'd never felt that kind of guilt before. Ask him to murder anyone and even a mother's cry didn't shift his state of being. But for some reason, this silent woman, the woman who reminded him of himself managed to dredge up foreign feelings within him. That's ultimately what led him to going back to the same sewer grate to rip it up and rummage through the garbage there until he found her rings again.

He waited until she left, disappearing around the corner and back into the bar before he took a breath. He rubbed a hand down his face, trying to decipher her reaction. He'd expected her to continue hating him. If he was in her position, he would have. He had no idea what was going through her mind and for reasons unfathomable to him, he couldn't help but want to know. He had no idea who this woman was, where she came from or why she seemed to consume him. Frustrated, he ran a hand down his face and stomped towards the back exit. He needed some air.

~(xXx)~

… ten months later …

She stalked up to the pole and ripped down the poster form it. She crumpled it up in her hand and stormed into the bar. She went right to the sink in the kitchen, pulled her lighter out of her pocket and lit the damn missing person's poster a flame. She dropped it into the metal basin and watched as her face distorted and burned away.

"You alright?" His voice came from behind her.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in before turning to find Happy standing just inside the kitchen door. She nodded. He didn't look convinced but that's because he could read her now. They'd grown closer since the incident. She stepped towards the doors, planning to head out and start her shift but he stopped her, one hand on her shoulder.

"Take the night off." He offered.

She shook her head, "It'll just make things worse."

He licked his lips, understanding. It would leave too much time for her to think. For her to dwell. Her family was looking for her. Why it took them this long was behind her – and him – but they were out in full force now. He squeezed her shoulder as a show of reassurance and she wrapped her fingers around his, squeezing back. She knew he'd be there for her. He had been since that night on her walk back home. She could honestly call him her friend. Not that she'd ever say it aloud. She knew he knew. Easy as that. She brushed past him, into the frays and continued out her night as always.

On her break he met her out back, where they sat in amicable silence. It was their thing. That was also when she'd first introduced herself to him. Three weeks and one day after getting her rings back. He joined her outside on her break and she formally introduced herself. She had to ask him to repeat his name four times before she actually believed and even then she was skeptical. It pissed him off but in an amused way. From that point he was always around. Even when her shifts were over. He'd wait for her out back, and escort her home. He'd follow close behind her shitbox of a car, waiting until she was home, inside and the doors locked, before he drove away again. It was their routine. She was comforted by his presence. It helped her heal. Helped her move on. She'd tell him one day, that he was the catalyst that helped her realize she was wasting away. That her late husband wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life living a half one. She wasn't fully over it but she was making strides towards being her own woman again.

It wasn't until three days later when everything she'd built was blown to shit. She came around back, as she always did and found a dozen more posters in the same spot she'd torn down the first one. She scowled and ripped them all down, storming into the bar and aiming for the trash. However she was stopped, abruptly by Happy's menacing scowl. She narrowed her eyes up at him.

"Go home." He warned, "Take the night off."

She was still fuming over the posters and didn't heed his warning, shoving around him with a roll of her eyes. When she emerged into the bar area, she really wished she'd listened to him. Sitting at the bar, fingering a glass of water was her younger sister.

"Penny." She growled.

Penny's head snapped up and she breathed in relief at the sight of her.

"Why are you here?" She demanded.

Penny had the audacity to look confused, "You belong with your family. At home."

"This is my home now." She explained.

Penny hissed, "Here? Lucy, come on. This place is a dump and you're surrounded by…" Her voice lowered and she whispered, "bikers."

"What's that Pen?" She raised her voice, "Did you say bikers? What's wrong with that?"

"Shhh!" Penny panicked.

She rolled her eyes.

"Come home Lucy." Penny pleaded, "We need you back."

She scoffed, turning her back on her sister, "You didn't need me for a whole year. Did my absence finally put a dent in mommy and daddy's precious image?"

"LUCY!" Penny yelled, "They love you. You know that."

"No. They don't." I spoke, the words echoing around us.

"He wouldn't approve of this, you know." Penny tried a different tactic.

She stiffened at what who her sister was speaking of. Happy, and a few other boys chose this moment to entire the bar. Apparently giving her, her privacy wasn't something they were going to adhere to when her entire past was brought up.

"He wouldn't allow you to be gallivanting around with – with these kind of people." Penny spit out.

Her fingers tightened around the neck of the nearest bottle, "Shut up."

Penny laughed, humourless, "I can't believe you'd sully his memory by cowering away, and sleeping around with random men."

Something within her snapped. She never knew him like she did. He was her husband, not Penny's. She had no idea what she was saying.

"I said shut up!" She screamed, whirling around and whipping the full bottle of Jack Daniels across the bar.

It smashed against the mirror of the booth directly behind her sister and sprayed all over the establishment. Penny screamed in terror, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"See?!" Penny yelled, "You've turned into a heathen. You think he'd like to see you for what you've become?!"

She grabbed another bottle, raising it before a solid body stepped in front of her. Happy ringed his fingers around her wrist and held it steady. Lee and Kozik were approaching Penny. She saw the terror flicker through her sister's eyes.

"Get out." She hissed at her sister, "Leave. NOW!"

Penny scurried back from the bar and right out the front door. Once Penny was out the door she ripped out of Happy's hold, abandoning the second bottle and bolting for the back door. She rammed the door open and stepped out into the frigid winter air. She took heaving gulps of air, the cold burning her lungs. Tears poured out of her eyes and she howled with the pain of having everything she worked hard to overcome come ripping back into her present.

She feels as the door opens because she's pressed her back against it. She isn't surprised who makes his way around the door. He stands next to her, letting the door shut again on its own. Neither of them speak. He lets her get it all out, the weeping, the broken sobs, the screaming. Never once does it judge her for it. He understands. Healing isn't easy. Especially when the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally won't let you.

Once she's finally composed herself, she tucks her hair behind her ears and gazes at Happy, "Tell Lee I'm sorry."

He looks down at her, "Where're you going?"

He cuts to the chase, knowing that she's going to try and run away again. Tears begin again because she's going to miss him. Miss his strong solidarity.

"Away." She speaks with a shrug, "I'll send money when I have some, to help with the repairs. I promise."

He shakes his head, "Stay."

She frowns, her lips twitching as a new kind of grief ripples through her, "I can't."

He reaches out, his hand cupping her cheek. She averts her eyes. She doesn't think she'll be able to handle the raw emotion in his eyes. He slides his hand down, gripping her chin and tilting her face up to his. Forcing her to look at him.

"Lucy." He mutters.

Throwing all caution to the wind she reaches up on her tiptoes and presses her lips to his gently. He's startled for a second because she goes in for the kiss before him and he can tell how unstable she is. Her emotions are wrecked and she's trying for anything to help her cope. He isn't against it, because he's wanted to do this for a long time. However he'd rather it be because she was interested in him, and not using him as a scapegoat. Regardless of his thought process, he reciprocates. He deepens the kiss, his hands running down her sides to rest on her hips. He slips his fingers under her sweater, meeting her smooth skin and groans at the contact. At his noise of pleasure she jumps away from him. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and backs away farther from him.

He growls at her cowardice. He knows she's a bit broken, but if she keeps running away she'll never be whole again. She retreats to her car, fumbling with the keys and he stalks down the steps towards her. She frantically opens the door trying to slip in as fast as possible. She gets the door ajar and has one leg in when he opts for a low blow.

"Coward." He calls out to her.

She whips her head up at him. Her eyes flash. Good. She's angry. That'll get her back on track.

"Fuck you." She yells, "You don't know anything about me."

He scoffs, "I know that you're pathetic enough to keep running away."

She flips him the finger, "You're an asshole, Happy."

"At least I can face my problems like a man." He grounds out.

Her nostrils flare, "You know what? At least I was married. I found love, an equal. What about you? No one? I didn't think so. Maybe it's because no one can love you. You're probably only good for a fuck and nothing else. Ever get tired of being the good girl's bad boy one night stand?"

He loses his temper, slamming a fist into the hood of her car. She grins, a hateful expression cover her face. She's proud of her come back. She can kick just as hard. He knows that. If this is how he wants to play it, then she'll step up to the bat. He stews, his fist still ingrained into the same place it hit. He stares down at the rings on his hand. The entire year passes through his mind's eye and he can't help but wonder why she's able to leave everything so easily. Hadn't they built up some kind of rapport? He realizes then why he's so bothered. He quashes down the unwanted feelings but the words fall out of his mouth before he has time to suppress them.

"What about what we have?" He finally recovers.

She scoffs, placing one foot back into her car, "You can't lose something you never had."

She slides into the driver's seat, slamming her door and turning the ignition. She backs away without a second glance at him and disappears down the alleyway.

~(xXx)~

She's flooring it along the highway when she hears the trill of her text tone. She grabs her phone and gazes at the incoming message. She reads it. Then has to pull over. She signals and pulls onto the shoulder. She opens the full message, reading the entirety of it.

I don't know what you're problem is Luce, and frankly I don't care. Daddy is sick. He's dying. He asked for you. Specifically. You're who he wants to see before he dies. He's refusing to see any of us. Not until you come back.

She swears, slamming her hands against the steering wheel. So much for escaping the high life. Realizing that she would never be able to live with herself if she didn't allow her father one last goodbye, she wheels the car around, and proceeding the way she came. Making her way back home.

~(xXx)~

He never went after her. Not after her parting words to him. If she wanted to play that game, then she was on her own. He wasn't the kind to chase after anyone. Especially not when the other person was quick to cut someone down. However, he didn't have long to dwell on her abandoning him. A month after she left, he got the call that his mother was sick again and her meds were going to be more expensive than last time. He threw himself into making money and taking care of his mother, spending more and more time in California. Going Nomad and then finally transferring to Charming. After years of focusing on more important things, he eventually forgot about the one woman he ever fell in love with.

~(xXx)~

… ten years later …

"This is my song!" She yells from the middle of the dancefloor.

Her hands are in the air, a drink in both hands and sloshing around. She waves her body from side to side, her head bumping to the music. She begins belting out the lyrics and hears the distinct sound of her sister's laughter from behind her. She spins around and smiles. The two of them step to one another, in time with the beat, rolling their bodies against one another. She lowers one hand to give her sister her drink back and they both gulp down the remaining liquid in the cups. Finished with her drink, she crushes the cup and tosses it without a care. She lifts her hands into her hair, feeling every ounce of the base pounding in rhythm with her heart. She flips her head around, eyes closed and losing herself completely. Her shoulders roll from side to side, while her hips follow in the opposite directions. She runs her hands down her side, forgetting she's surrounded by a bar of complete strangers. Her fingers trail down the flimsy camisole she chose to wear, stopping at the hem of her jeans. She tucks her fingers into her pockets and presses them against her body in tune with the song. She uses the hard motion to keep her hips moving, swerving and swaying. She really does love this song. When the songs starts to meld into a new one she opens her eyes. She's panting and out of breath from all her dancing. She taps her sister on the shoulder.

Inclining her head to the bar she shouts, "I'm getting another drink. You want?"

Her sister nods enthusiastically and she grins. Weaving her way in and out of the crowd proves easier than she originally thought. She hops up to the bar, pulling a twenty from her back pocket and leaning over the bar. She squeezes her arms together, hoisting up her chest, knowing exactly how to get the attention of the bartender. To add to her show of womanly wiles, she waves her hand, hoping to catch his eye. He spots her and raises a finger to point and wink. He'll be right with her. She scrunches up her nose with a smirk and hops back down to standing positon.

She's rolling the money in her hand when she feels a tap on her shoulder. She glances up and doesn't recognize the person's silhouette. Their lips move but she can't hear anything. She figures that they're trying to ask her shift over so she slides to the right. Going back to waiting she feels the hand of the person lay flat on her shoulder and she jerks her head back up. This time the person – or man as she can now make out – is leaning in towards her. She leans away from him, a disgusted look on her face. His blue eyes come in closer and she vaguely recalls them as being familiar.

"Lucy?" The man speaks.

She blinks. Unsure of how this random blond stranger knows her name. They stare at one another for a minute when he graces her with a brilliant smile. Her jaw drops as she starts to piece everything together. Her eyes scan down his torso and she registers the cut he's wearing. He notices the recognition within her eyes and smirks.

"Kozik?" She yells over the music.

He nods. Grinning even brighter. The bartender finally makes his way over but she's too distracted by running into a Son. Someone she hasn't had any contact with in over a decade. Kozik jerks his head to the left and she eyes a booth in the back of the bar. She hums about it, but decides it couldn't harm anything to sit down and catch up. She may have not given in to Kozik's advances in the past, but that didn't mean she didn't like him. He was always so upbeat, even when he was being rejected. She orders three drinks – one for her, one for her sister and a beer for Kozik. The bartender mixes everything up and she drops the entire twenty on the counter, walking away to follow after Kozik.

As they make their way to the back of the room, she spots her sister and they make eye contact. She lifts both drinks and indicates where she's going. Her sister raises an eyebrow but smiles and nods. She turns back to find Kozik sliding into the booth, and pats the seat next to him for her to sit down. She settles in next to him and drops her drinks onto the table. She gazes around at the other men sitting there and they're all watching her with intrigue.

"These aren't familiar faces." She frowns.

Kozik laughs, "Meet the SAMCRO boys."

She raises her eyebrows. She doesn't know anything about bikers, other than SAMTAC. They had a bar and acted like a family. She turns to Kozik mouthing the word 'SAMCRO' and he chuckles but doesn't explain. She shrugs and decides that it doesn't matter. She turns back to the group.

"Lucy." She introduces, yelling.

Another blond, dazzles her with a smile and she has to stifle her laughter. Apparently they were all dogs.

"Nice to meet you darlin'" The man greets her, "Jackson, or Jax."

He raises his hand to her and she slips her into it. They shake and then let go.

The man next to him is of a darker complexion with a Mohawk and matching tribal tattoos on either side of his head.

"Juice."

They continue going around the table. She learns that the curly black haired man is named Tig and the hulking tall man is Opie. After the introductions are finished, she shuffles closer to Kozik. He's startled by her advance but pouts in amusement and throws his arm around her shoulders.

"You're a little far from home, aren't you?" She speaks in a normal tone, right next to his ear.

He rolls his eyes, "I could say the same to you." She pushes his chest and he laughs, "Although I can also say that I don't remember you being this friendly."

She sighs, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, "Still sore about me not being interested?"

"Seems like that might've changed?" He eyes their close proximity and that his arm is around her.

She smirks, "Don't think so highly of yourself. It'll make the fall off your horse all the more painful."

He clutches at his heart with the other hand and feigns heartbreak. She really does roll her eyes this time. They fall into a companionable silence and her memory starts to run through that year she spent living in Tacoma, bartending for SAMTAC. What she remembers most vividly is a silent man, with tattoos all over his body. The man who had single-handedly ruined her life and then saved it all at the same time. She opened her mouth to ask about him when the other blond at the table pulled out a flip phone from his jeans. She furrowed her eyebrows together, wondering if these men were aware that flip phones were from the last century and smart phones were the new 'thing'. What she failed to notice was each man stopped what they were doing to watch the man on the phone. Once he hung up, Kozik's arm dropped away from her and the rest of the group began to shuffle out from the booth. Each one of them offered her a sincere goodbye until it was just her and Kozik.

"You in town for a while?" He asked. She nodded. He grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen out from his pocket, "There's a party on Friday. Here's the address. You should come out. I think you'd have a good time."

He pushed the napkin across the table to her and she glanced down at it. She pouted, unsure of if she'd show up but when she caught Kozik's eyes she had a hard time trying to form the word no. He was always so happy. He slid around the booth, and began to follow after his brothers. When he reached them he turned around.

Shouting he caught her attention, "See you Friday?"

She laughed as the rest of the guys around him raised their eyebrows. She nodded, feeling like she could probably have a good time. Kozik seemed like a nice enough guy. He turned around and the group of them began to make their way to the door, when she came up with a mean plan.

"Hey Kozik!" She shouted, jumping down from the booth. He spun around, each of the other men turning too. She made an obvious show of repositioning her breasts in her shirt. Making sure that they were on the verge of spilling out. She flattened out her shirt, then looked back up, winked and called, "Still not interested!"

Kozik's mouth dropped open and the black haired man, Tig, nearly doubled over in laughter. Jax, the other blond, slapped Kozik on the back with an appreciative glint to his eye. She chuckled to herself, swiping the napkin from Kozik off the table and shoving it into her pocket before grabbing her drinks and making her way back to her sister.

~(xXx)~

"You really think this is a good idea?" Her sister asked for the millionth time.

She sighed, "I worked for them for almost a year. They were my friends for a time. They aren't going to do anything to us."

"You didn't exactly leave on the best of terms." Her sister grumbled as the cab stopped outside a mechanic's yard.

She leaned forward to pay the man, "Yeah but I apologized to Lee. I even offered to pay for the damage. He wouldn't accept. He understood. They weren't mad when I left."

They both pushed their doors open and began walking into the packed compound. There were Harley's everywhere and loud music pounding out into the parking lot. She followed the sound of the music, making her way over to the other end. That's where she found the clubhouse. This one was vastly different from SAMTAC's. She reminded herself to ask Kozik what SAMCRO stood for at some point in the night. Her sister began to fall behind, purposely slowing down. She rolled her eyes and linked their arms together.

"We have nothing to worry about." She explained again.

She led the two of them up to the door, gazing around at all the people outside. No one struck her as familiar so she continued to the door, yanking it open. The music engulfed them, three times louder inside. A puff of smoke filtered out the door as they went in but it wasn't a bother. The two of the ventured further into the fray when she spotted Jackson. She bee lined it for him, smiling when she was close enough.

"Jackson," She nodded, "Nice to see you again."

His eyes widened when he noticed her but he smiled, "Lucy! Glad you could make it." He waved to the woman under his arm, "This is Tara, my fiancée."

She unlinked her hand from her sisters and grabbed Tara's, "Congratulations. That's wonderful news."

Tara raised an unsure eyebrow at me but she followed up quickly by asking, "Where's Kozik?"

Jax lifted the hand with a beer in it towards the bar, "Over there."

She smiled again, "Thanks!"

She bounced away, tugging her sister along. She sidled up beside Kozik and shouted, shocking him.

"KOZIK!" He jumped and swung around to face her, "This is my sister, Penny."

Penny gave him a shy smile and she could already see the sparks flying. She knew he'd like her sister and vice versa. He licked his lips, letting his eyes roam over her sister's figure. Being the typical valley girl that she was, she covered her mouth and let out a pathetic giggle. She clapped her hands bringing both their attention back to her.

"Drinks?" She inquired.

Kozik nodded, his eyes trained on Pennny again and called, "Prospect! Get these ladies some drinks."

She hopped onto the stool in front of her, letting her sister and Kozik get acquainted while waiting for whatever drink the prospect was going to come up with. The tall kid – because he couldn't have been older than twenty-one – turned to her and placed two beers in front of her. She dazzled him with a thankful smile and lifted a cold bottle to her lips. With the other beer, she flung her other arm out and shouted Penny's name until she grabbed the drink from her. She angled herself towards the room full of people, letting her eyes rake over everyone there. She spotted the typical Crows, a few Old Lady's and of course a bundle of Sons. None of them were as familiar to her as the SAMTAC boys but she did find the Mohawked one. She kept her eyes trained on him until he felt her stare and glanced in her direction.

Their eyes met and she offered him a small wave. He grinned brightly and ended whatever conversation he was having. He sauntered over, using both hands to adjust his leather. He reached her, poked an elbow out and leaned against the bar.

"Glad to see you made it." He grinned.

She winked, "Wouldn't miss out on a Sons party. They're always a good time."

His eyebrow arched, "You been to one of these before?"

"Not in Cali." She shrugged. "I used to be the bartender for the boys in Tacoma."

He pouted with an impressed nod, "Not bad. So, that means you know exactly how out of hand these nights can get, yeah?"

"Of course. Y'all are a bunch of heathens." She chuckled.

She lifted her beer to her mouth to take another sip when the door to the clubhouse opened and the black haired one – Tig she reminded herself – walked in with a very, very, familiar Son behind him. She choked on her beer when her eyes took in his bald head and snake tattoo. Juice reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder, asking if she was alright. It was all for naught because she managed to call attention to herself and his gaze snapped to hers. With her eyes watering, she attempted to swallow and watched as her memory filled his gaze. His almost smile dropped away and a thin line covered his mouth. He stalked towards her, shouldering Tig and a few others out of his way.

~(xXx)~

He was exhausted when they walked into the clubhouse. He was glad that the party was already in full swing. It meant that he could get drunk and not have to bother talking with anyone. He glanced around at all the Crows, then from the corner of his eyes he saw long blonde hair sway. His eyes darted to the hair, and his teeth clenched. He knew that hair. He knew those eyes. He knew that woman. Juice had his hand on her shoulder, leaning in close and speaking to her. Luckily for him she was more interested in his dark eyes. Their gazes were locked. He couldn't figure out why she was here, and why now. What he did know was that they had a score to settle. He approached quickly, gripping Juice's shoulder gaining a cringe from the younger the man. Juice jerked his head towards him, as she also furrowed her brow at him.

With teeth still clenched he ordered his brother away, "Get lost."

"Happy!" She hissed simultaneously. Unimpressed with his behaviour.

Wasn't that rich. She was questioning his behaviour. Juice's eyes widened as he heard the Tacoma Killer's name roll off the newcomer's lips. He nodded between them before scurrying away to find Kozik. Left without a tangible grip on anything, he made a fist and held it at his side.

"You left." He growled.

She shook her head, "That's what you want to start with?"

His gaze narrowed in the slightest way and she knew he was fuming. Why was he still mad over something that never even happened? They were never a thing. They never even had sex.

"You don't just get to come back and pretend like nothing happened." He seethed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She scoffed, "You want to fight about something that never happened?"

"You left me!" He raised his voice, trying to ingrain his point into her.

She wasn't allowed to come in here, pretend like nothing happened. They may not have actually been a thing, but she knew how he felt about her. She knew he would have done anything for her. Only to have her throw it all away a year later when her 'family' came calling. She reared up, slamming her beer onto the bar and pulling herself to her full height. Their chests were heaving, pressed against one another.

"I think you might be forgetting the last thing I told you." She threatened.

His anger seeped through into his words, spitting his next word out at her, "Bullshit."

"You. Can't. Lose. Something. You. Never. Had." She seethed each word, drawing out the sentence in short stops.

"BULLSHIT!" He really hollered this time.

Everyone in the room stopped. There was silence and the music pounded through them, being completely ignored. All attention was on them. She took a step back at his outburst, her brow pulled together. He invaded her personal space, leaning in close enough that only the two of them heard the next sentence.

"You always had me." He breathed, "You never lost me."

~(xXx)~

She gasped, a sharp inhale and before she could fully process his statement, his lips were barreling down against hers. His kiss was rough and angry. He was pushing all his longing onto her. She remained frozen, her arms hanging at her sides as she recapped everything. From their last encounter to this one. He loved her. That's what he'd been trying to tell her when she left. A decade ago. He still loved her. An entire decade later. She snapped to attention, throwing her hands up to his chest and shoving him backwards. He growled at her, his expression lethal.

She pointed at him, jabbing her finger to his chest, "First of all, you don't get to ambush me like that. You can't overload my senses to make them react in your favour." There was a collective inhale from their audience and he growled at her. She shook her head, "Second, what's wrong with you? You don't know how to use your words? We're not toddlers, Happy."

His nostrils flared, his anger and arousal soaring to new levels as she berated him.

She stepped into him, her finger digging into his sternum, "I've been married. Or have you forgotten. I've been there and done that. You think pushing yourself on me is going to solve your unrequited love? Not a chance bud. I think you're forgetting who you're dealing with." She pulled back, waving with disdain, "Hi. My name's Lucy and I won't take your shit."

~(xXx)~

The clubhouse was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Each man in the establishment was staring open mouthed at Happy. They'd never witnessed anyone ever talk back to him. Or – if they had – it didn't last long because he wouldn't hesitate to shoot the other person. Kozik licked his lips, his arm tightening around Lucy's sister. He felt as Penny tried to break free but he pulled her closer.

"Don't." He whispered in her ear, "They'll work it out. Interfering will only make it worse."

Penny nodding, grudgingly, but knew he was right. She knew her sister had a short temper. Hence the whole disappearing act that introduced her to these men in the first place. She wasn't an easily handled person. She was firm in her convictions and morals. What Penny was most interested in though was this Happy guy. It seemed like he was equally as unreasonable as her sister. This could be an utter disaster, or end with fluff of the worst (best) kind.

~(xXx)~

He glared down at her, knowing that if he made the wrong move she'd have him on his ass. God did her miss her. He'd never met a woman who challenged him the way she did. She kept him on his toes. He wanted her. He'd pined after her for too long. His teeth clenched together and her eyes flicked to his upper jaw, watching his restraint. A slow, sinister smile broke out on her lips. She inched towards him. He kept himself in check. His entire body stiff. He gazed down at her from his nose, not trusting himself to shift. She ran her index finger along the line of his forearm. He hissed at the touch. Someone behind them made an attempt to move but they both leveled their

"Now, if I've got this right…" She trailed along, "You've been pining after me… for what… over a decade now?"

His nostrils flared but he remained quiet. She giggled at his reaction. It sent shockwaves directly to his groin. She flicked her gaze down to his crotch and back up again. She pressed herself into him then, her entire body lined against his. She tilted her head, lips against his ear.

"Let's say we pick up from where we left off?" She murmured, teeth grazing his ear.

He tried to turn to her, shocked that she was obliging him. He honestly expected an epic showdown, where she left him broken. She hooked her hands into his cut and winked, before slamming her mouth against his. Kozik was the first to react. A resounding hooray, followed by him shouting that he needed to call Lee. Penny laughed at his reaction and a round of boisterous cheering erupted around them. However they were too lost in each other to remotely care. His hands grabbed her hips, bruising her bone. She slid her hands up and over his shoulders, one hand cupping the back of his neck and the other smoothing over the top of his head. He licked at her lips, praying she'd give in and let him have access. She granted him the pleasure and he groaned into her mouth. She pulled back, breathing heavy and eyes hooded.

"Get me out of here." She demanded.

He grunted in response, hoisting her up and forcing her to wrap her legs around his hips. She clutched to him tightly, keeping up her ministrations on his neck. She left sloppy, open mouthed kisses up and down his exposed neck. With her other hand, drew absent designs into the skin on his shoulder. She'd dipped her hand into the collar of his shirt to feel him. Someone called out her name and she glanced up. He couldn't turn to see but he did feel as she let out an amused laugh and caught as she flipped her middle finger up at the person, through the mirror before the door leading outside. He bit her shoulder, calling her attention back to him and they clamoured through the door, stumbling over to his Harley and eventually back to his apartment.