As he entered the visitation room and saw her sitting there waiting for him, rage seethed within him. Not towards her, never towards her but towards the asshole that had done this to her. She was a shadow of the girl he'd come to care so much about sitting in front of him. She gave a weak smile when she saw him enter.
He walked round to her side of the table and cautiously pulled her into his arms being careful of her shoulder. He could tell she was fighting back tears and he knew it was his uncharacteristic show of affection that was making her emotional. He held her at arm's length and brushed her hair back from over her face seeing the black eye beneath it. He trailed his finger down the side of her cheek and brought her lips to his before murmuring quietly "He's gonna pay Princess."
He kept hold of her hand as he moved back around the table and sat and watched her do the same. He didn't miss how carefully she moved, didn't miss the slight little grimace of pain as she changed her position. She didn't say a word and he knew the rage she saw in his eyes was scaring her, that or she just didn't know what to say to him. When Opie and Gemma had shown up to see him instead of her and a day late he knew something was up and when they'd told him he hadn't said a word. He couldn't. If he'd opened his mouth he wouldn't have been able to control what would have come next and that alone would have added to his sentence. Instead he seethed quietly inside his face showing nothing of the gambit of emotions going on in his head. He knew that Ope and Gemma had left thinking he was going to kill someone that night but he didn't. He had to get out to take care of this mess. He'd sat seething with rage on his bunk as Juice, ever so chatty, chatted away below him. He never usually batted an eyelid to the boy's chattiness. Never let it get to him, in one ear out the other, he usually blocked it out but that night after a year of it and after what he'd learnt that day Juice was lucky he didn't come to a bitter and messy end.
"Wow Hap. These letters she writes you are better than porn." Juice exclaimed picking up the piece of paper that had just fallen from the bunk above.
Happy smacked him across the back of his head as he jumped down from his bunk and snatched the letter away from him.
"Keep your eyes off my shit."
"Geez your grumpy today. What's got you so twisted up?"
"Shut the fuck up retard."
"Whoa, bit harsh Hap."
"Sorry would you like me to sugarcoat it?"
"Oh wait I know! You didn't get your visit from your little lady this week? That why you're a little grumpy?"
"Shut the fuck up ass hat or I'll kick your weasly little ass to next year." Juice knew to shut up when he saw the menacing stare that Happy cast at him. "Hailey was raped by that shithead ex of hers last night, so unless you wanna be on the receiving end of my rage you'd do best not to utter another word."
"Oh shit Hap. Really?"
"You think I'd make that shit up?"
"No I … I'll shut up now."
"Good idea."
And now here she was sitting in front of him. He saw the shame and broken spirit in her eyes. "Ope and Gemma told me everything. It wasn't your fault Princess."
"I know." She whispered carefully as if not trusting her voice. He gazed upon her and her broken form. He cupped his hand under her chin to make her meet his eyes. "He will pay Princess."
"Do you promise?"
"Princess you know who I am. No one should get away with the shit he's done especially when he's done it to you. You hear me?"
She nodded blinking back tears, "I was so scared Hap. My mind keeps going back over it and then to that first night I was back in Charming when you saved me from him."
"I shoulda killed him then."
"I wish you did."
He sighed and wiped away one of the tears she was trying so hard to hold back. He hated seeing her like this. His rage still seethed away beneath the surface but she didn't need to see it. She needed to know that he cared for her still. That this hadn't changed anything between them.
"You know I still want you right?" He asked.
She met his eyes but didn't answer. Doubt and heartbreak swam in those steel blue eyes that held his dark resolute ones.
"I mean it Princess. The shit he said about making you damaged? There's nothing he could do to you that'd make me stay away, baby girl."
She smiled a small smile and he saw the doubt lift from her gaze. "Thanks Hap." She whispered. "That's all I needed to hear."
With that out of the way he addressed his immediate concerns for her.
"You're getting tailed now right?"
"Yeah and Miles camps out on the sofa all night."
"Good. And your shoulder's gonna be alright?"
"Yeah. It was just a straight dislocation, no fractures. Tara said probly 2-3 weeks in the sling and then about 6-8 before I regain full movement."
He nodded. "So what happens now? Any other tests and shit?"
"Tara tested for everything and it all came back clear but I have to have some follow up testing in a couple of months and a pregnancy test next month."
"Ah shit Princess." His mind hadn't even gone down that path. He'd only been thinking of what the asshole had done to his Princess not what could come of it. He hoped for her sake that she wasn't pregnant as a result of it.
"I'm sorry Hap."
"Sorry? What the fuck for?"
"For letting him do that to me in your house, your bed …"
"Shit Princess! He had you at fucking gun point babe and he knocked you out before dragging you to the bedroom. Don't apologize baby!"
"But Hap I haven't even slept with you in that bed."
"Enough Princess. You will but not before that asshole is deep in an unmarked grave."
She gripped his hand harder in her own. "I wish you were out of here." She said.
"Hang in there Princess." He said bringing his other hand to hers, holding her small hand in both of his. He saw that she hated showing weakness. "I'll be sharing that bed with you in no time baby girl."
"I miss you like crazy Hap." She said knowing that she was admitting to more than she wanted to speak out loud. She knew her feelings for the outlaw had grown considerably over the past year but she wasn't ready to admit that to anyone yet least of all him.
"I miss you too Princess." He said seeing the heaviness of her thoughts behind her eyes. He gripped her hand harder and brought it to his lips. "Hang in there okay babe?"
She nodded quietly drawing in a deep breath to keep from crying again.
"I'm gonna take care of this once I'm out a'right?"
"Yeah." She said quietly. "Can you just hold me Hap? Are you allowed?"
"Of course Princess." He said rising and coming around to her side of the table and taking a seat on the chair next to her. He placed his arms around her and pulled her gently toward him, resting his forehead against hers.
"You just concentrate on getting better 'kay?"
"I will Hap." She said before meeting his gaze again. He brushed his lips against hers waiting for her to kiss him. He didn't want to make any moves she wasn't ready for. She molded hers lips to his as a stray tear ran down her cheek making her lips taste slightly salty.
Hailey felt a hand place gently against her uninjured shoulder.
"Time to go Kiddo." Came Opie's voice from behind her. She drew away from Happy's lips and met his eyes before leaning back in to kiss him one last time before carefully moving back to stand. He helped her to her feet and met the gaze of Opie's green eyes over her head. The look they exchanged spoke more than any words between the pair could.
"See you next week Princess." He said to Hailey.
"Next week, Killer." She said quietly.
"I know I don't need to ask you to take care of 'er Ope." He said as he dropped his hands from where they'd rested upon Hailey's hips.
Opie placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "We'll keep 'er safe till you're outta here, brother." He acknowledged.
Happy stood and watched as Opie led his sister from the room knowing that he had finally accepted their relationship.
"I know I won't need to worry about you any more Kiddo." Opie said as he helped Hailey into his truck.
Hailey smiled a small smile at him as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot of Stockton State Penitentiary. She knew her brother well enough to know that was as close as he was going to get to admitting he was okay with her relationship with Happy.
"He's been watching me for years Opie. You never had to worry then either."
"You know what I mean Kiddo." He said pulling out onto the highway.
"Yeah I do Ope." She said resting her head against the glass of the window and glancing across at her brother feeling both grateful at his acknowledgement and of the understanding and support he'd given her over the past few days. She turned her gaze to the scenery that sped past as Opie returned them home.
A/N: Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter. You blew me away with how many came in! Thanks also for your thoughts on how this is going and how you think it should go. Every little piece of what you guys have to say helps me to figure out where particular parts of this story are going. Hopefully I'll be able to get another update up later this week. Until then happy reading!