"I can't believe you managed to pack everything pink into this place." Noelle shook her head and looked at Blair. "I told you, dusty rose and purples… Pinks were a no, no." She picked up the fluffy pink teddy bear and examined it.
Blair scoffed. "You're having a daughter… This is your world Noelle, you loved pink when you were growing up, what happened?"
"I discovered all the other colors the world had to offer mom." The brunette shrugged her shoulders and set the teddy bear back on the table and moved towards the desserts table. "Plus, you were the one who always bought me all the pink girly things…" She picked up a cupcake and bit into it before setting it back down.
"Noelle..." The older woman shook her head and watched the young woman pick the bitten cupcake back up. "How are you and Jax?"
Noelle tossed the cupcake into the trash and shrugged. "We are good... Been talking about what ifs... I lied and told him I'd move on and wouldn't wait for him if he got locked up and he said he was okay with that but I could tell he was lying... Lawyer instinct."
"You both are telling each other what the other one wants to hear." Blair chuckled and straightened the table cloths out. "Nothing good could come from that my love... Just be honest."
"I just hate talking about it... Could I forgive him if he missed the first few years of Janelle's life? Then again, I knew what I was getting involved with when I started dating him." She frowned and turned her attention towards the door as Happy walked in. "Look mom, it's your boyfriend!"
The blonde glared at the brunette. "Hush, mind your damn manners Noelle!" She straightened herself out before turning to greet Happy. "Glad you could make it out."
Happy smirked at the woman, his dark eyes scanning her body quickly before giving her a stiff nod. "Couldn't pass it up, Noe promised me free beer and good food." He smiled at Noelle who was making faces at him.
"It's in the kitchen." Noelle stood up. "I'll grab the beers for you..." She smiled and quickly left the room, leaving the pair alone.
Blair smiled at the man before clearing her throat. "Happy, I would like to apologize to you... We got off to a bad first start and for that I'm sorry."
The biker stared at the beautiful blonde in front of him and shrugged. "It's alright, I'm not the type to hold grudges against anyone… Just next time do shit on your own and not because some man wanted you to… We both know you cowered under Chris."
"I know… I regret it, I should have done as much as you did for Noelle when it came to protecting her but I failed in that aspect but I'm glad she's willing to work things out with me." She nodded and fixed the centerpiece on the dessert table.
Happy nodded. "It is what it is… I'm not mad at you and your daughter has a big ass mouth and said you liked me." He smirked at her and watched her face turn red before going back to it's normal shade.
"Oh lord." Blair rubbed her forehead. "Remind me not to tell her anymore secrets."
He laughed. "Don't even worry about it Blair…"
"Here." Noelle smiled at the two. "I grabbed three, just in case you needed one mom."
Happy accepted two of the beers before passing the third to Blair. "Thanks kid." He looked at Noelle. "Don't you gotta go get ready or something?" The brunette nodded, looking between the two before exiting the room.
SOA
"Happy." Noelle grabbed the man and tugged him away from the party and towards the corner of the yard. "I need your advice, I got something gnawing on my brain and it's been driving me insane."
Happy looked at her. "You gonna spill it or do I gotta fuckin' guess what's bugging you?"
The brunette sighed. "I lied to Jax a little while ago… We got to talking about what if he got locked up and I lied and said I'd just up and move and start a new life somewhere else with Janelle."
The biker chuckled. "I have this conversation with Jax… He ain't okay with that shit, he just wants you to be happy but he don't want you to move on, especially taking his kid away from him… I think you need to talk to him and be honest for real this time… If you plan to stick around for him then let him know that Noelle."
"Really? I knew he was lying when he said he was okay with that shit… There's no way he would ever be… He hated when I left to go visit my parents for a month." She tapped her fingers against her lips as her eyes landed on her boyfriend who was sitting at a table with Gemma, smiling and talking.
"Yeah… I don't even see why you two are lying, we know you're both caught up and would hate to lose the other… No sense in denying the feelings." Happy placed a kiss to the top of her head and pointed his finger towards Jax. "You better let him know so he can stop freaking out about losing you two."
Noelle hugged the man the best she could with her belly. "Thanks." She smiled at him before moving towards Jax. "Babe, I need you for a minute…"
Jax set his drink down and looked at his girlfriend. "What's wrong babe?"
"I just need you, I just gotta talk to you for a minute." She didn't wait for him to answer, she just walked back into the house and towards the study.
The handsome man was on her in no time. "What's wrong? Do you feel funny or something? Noelle talk to me…"
"I lied Jackson… If you got locked up, I wouldn't just move me and Janelle away and start over with someone else. I would wait for you… You're the only man I want to be with." Noelle wiped away her tears and shook her head as she felt his arms wrap around her tightly.
Jax rubbed the back of her head and smiled. "It's okay, I lied too… I would like to think that I'd be good with you just leaving and me never having you again but that shit doesn't sit well with me… I know it's selfish to ask you to put your life on hold and wait but I don't want to lose you, I love you too much for that shit Noelle… I want you to be close so if you decide to visit it'll be a short drive up to Stockton… I'm not going to sugar coat shit, the case the SAMDINO vice president helped build against us isn't looking too good for us...I don't know how the fuck to get out of this fucking mess and I really don't know how to free you and Janelle from it."
She sighed, burying her face in his shirt as she continued to cry. "I know that Jax, that's why I stepped away… I think it would have been easier to stomach if all this shit came as a surprise, now I have all this time to think about it, to let it snake it's way into my every waking memory and that shit sucks… I know you'll be arrested soon and I don't want that to happen before you get to see Janelle be born...I'd die if you were taken away from us before you got to even hold her."
He nodded his head and held her away from his body. "It's a lot to deal with, I know… I should have never let you on as Intelligence Officer with Juice but you were better at it than he ever was… I was just selfish." He moved to the chair and tugged her with him, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap, his thumbs brushing away her falling tears. "You think we can go out there and pretend we're not going through this shit?"
Noelle shrugged and looked at him. "I don't want to go back outside and to the stupid party Jax, can't you tell them I was tired and wanted to take a nap or something?" She rested her hands on the front of his cut, her fingers tracing the patches. "Will your charter go fold when more than half of you get locked up?"
Jax frowned and spun them around so they were looking out the window. "Yeah, pretty much… When we fold the others will probably go down with us… that's what the Feds want, to see us all locked up and off the streets."
"So the guy who did this? He'll just be able to walk free and have a new life somewhere else? It wouldn't be safe for him to be in Cali or where any charter is for that matter." She ran her fingers through this blonde hair before resting her forehead against his. "I think I have an idea…" She looked out at her mom and the group of lawyers that her mom had invited to the party.
"What's the idea?" He looked at her before following her gaze to her mom. "I doubt she could help us Noe…"
Noe kissed his forehead. "Let me worry about that…"
Melody watched the older woman play baby shower games, she had already lost all her clothes pins every time she had said the word. "This is dumb…" She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and tried to pick him up to no true avail. "I can't believe they think this shit is fun!"
Kozik laughed and turned around, smiling as he looked down at her. "You're really not like the other women." He handed her his half empty beer bottle. "Loosen up, it'll be more fun for you if you're a little buzzed."
She nodded. "You're such a bad influence." She took a sip of the beer and watched him grab two more from ice chest they were standing next to.
"So be it…" He twisted the tops of the beer and handed her one as she tossed away the now empty bottle. "Take it easy though, one of us has to keep our commonsense, you think Blair will let us crash here if we get too buzzed?"
Melody shrugged her slender shoulders. "Yeah, I don't see why she wouldn't let us stay and sober up… She can't turn away her daughter's sister… That sounds so weird to say, that's Noe's mom and my mom is locked up."
The blonde frowned before licking the sign of his girlfriend's face, laughing as she smirked and glared up at him. "Stop being mopey homie!" He started tickling her stomach.
"NO!" She laughed and tried her hardest to swat his hands away from her stomach. "I don't like being tickled Koz!" A squeak slipped from her lips as she fell to the ground, his hands still moving up and down her stomach. "Oh my God!"
"What?" Koz paused for a moment and frowned when the brunette slipped away from him, placing herself behind a tree as she glared at him. "You're not going to escape this shit babe… I can wait your little ass out."
"If you tickle me, I will fucking piss my pants and will die of embarrassment, do you want that shit to happen huh? Huh?!" Melody peered around the tree, scanning the area for the best escape path. "You wouldn't be that mean, would you?!"
He shrugged. "Yeah, actually I would be that mean…" She lunged for her and she jumped out of the way. "You can't stay back there forever." He slid to the ground resting his head against the tree as he watched the party play out.
She dropped to her knees and looked at him. "If I come out from hiding, will you just cuddle with me and not tickle me to death babe?"
Kozik nodded, not even glancing at her. "I will cuddle you…" He felt her brush against his left side before settling between his legs, her head on his chest. "It's like looking in the fishbowl… They're just all moving around like fish."
"Blair is the great white whale…" Melody laughed and watched as Blair rubbed Happy's arm. "She's laying it on a little thick, don't ya think?"
He rolled his eyes at the scene. "Hap will probably hit it and quit it."
"Probably," She stated as she cut her eyes to Noelle who was sandwiched uncomfortably between Gemma and Jax. "You think Gemma will make a good mother in law? Something tells me Noe and Jax are going to be married really, really soon… Maybe right after little Janelle is born."
Kozik chuckled. "I think if Noe allows her to be that she will be one… She does bad shit with good intentions at times… You think Janelle will look like Jax or Noelle?"
"Noelle, hands down… She'll be all dark hair and big thoughtful brown eyes." Melody smiled as she watch Jax whisper in the brunette's ear causing the woman to laugh before smacking his arm. "Do you think we look that happy?"
"I think we look awkward and happy." He smiled and kissed her neck softly. "It's cuddle time… Let's just sit here and enjoy the quiet and love." He rubbed her arms and smiled as she nodded. "I love you Marshmelo."
The curly haired brunette smiled. "I love you too Kozik." She squeezed his thighs and closed her eyes as she felt his strong arms wrap around her body.
I hoped this chapter cleared up some things for you guys...Anyways, let me know what you thought about it. (: Especially tell me any of your predictions for what's going to happen next.
I also loved your reviews to the last chapter about Jax and Noelle and their whole little conversation.