"Where the hell are we going Ope?" Hailey called over his shoulder as she rode behind him. He continued to ignore her.
He'd called and insisted she meet him at the lot. She'd heard angst and pain in his voice.
"Get on." He'd ordered as soon as she got there before peeling out of the lot without another word. She had no idea where they were headed and it was so unlike him these days to take her anywhere on his bike that she was instantly suspicious. He either let her take her car or had Happy give her a ride.
She could feel the tension coming off him in waves and knew that something was up. Something he wasn't telling her and something he hadn't shared with his brothers also as far as she could tell.
"Ope what the hell?" she asked as he pulled his bike to a stop outside the crematorium. "Off." He simply barked at her. "Opie. You're scaring me now. Why are we here?"
She asked as she saw Unser across the parking lot getting out of his truck. "Here I thought you might want this." He said a little uncertainly as he came across the lot towards them holding something in his hand. As he neared them a wave of disbelief washed over Hailey as she realized what it was he held out to her brother. Her father's kutte. There was only one reason why it wouldn't be on him. One reason why they were here.
She looked across to her brother, eyes wide with grief and shock. "Opie?"
He placed his arm about her shoulders and led her inside the crematorium. Skeeter waited off to one side of the furnace. A large simple box lay waiting inside it. Tears welled at the corners of Hailey's eyes.
"How Opie? How did this happen?" she asked quietly, shock outweighing grief at that moment.
"I can't tell you right now Kiddo, but I needed you here." He said pulling her closer to him and passing Piney's cut to her as he gave a brief nod to Skeeter who started up the furnace and quietly left them alone.
"Does the club know yet?" She asked hugging her father's kutte close.
"Nah, not yet." He answered quietly. She put Piney's cut to her lips and kissed it as tears began to escape her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. She passed it back to Opie as Unser entered and stood next to the pair.
"Thanks for handling this." Opie addressed him.
"Sure. No problem." Unser said uncertainly again as if he was unsure of what to say in response. He eyed Hailey who clung to her brother's side.
"Listen Ope, I need to talk to you about something." Unser broached.
"I'm not really in the mood to talk right now." Opie answered staring into the flames of the furnace.
Hailey tore her eyes away from the furnace at the squeak of the door handle. She watched as Jax walked in, took in the two siblings standing side by side, the box in the furnace the denim cut draped over Opie's arm.
"Oh my God." He uttered. "What happened?" he asked directing the question towards both of them unsure of who would answer.
"I found him at the cabin. A shot gun to the chest." Opie answered hearing a small noise like a sharp intake of breath that sounded more like a whimper come from his sister beside him as he felt her grip on his arm tighten.
"Jesus Christ." Jax breathed. "I'm so sorry." He continued moving forward to embrace Opie.
"Yeah." Opie responded as Jax drew away.
He then drew Hailey towards him who sobbed quietly into his chest. He looked over her head at Opie before releasing her back to him.
"You think it was the Mexicans?" Jax asked as Opie placed his arm back around his sister's shoulders.
Opie glanced across to Hailey before answering. "I'll fill you in. We just wanna say goodbye." He swallowed before continuing. "I know that he'd want you here."
Unser left without a word. Opie stepped forward, passing Hailey across to Jax who placed his arm around her waist. She rested her head against Jax's side as she watched Opie throw her father's cut into the flames. The three of them stood watching it burn. If it weren't for Jax holding her up, Hailey felt sure her legs would have given out on her.
Suddenly Opie turned and left leaving Hailey and Jax still inside. Hailey glanced back and watched the door close behind him and pressed her head into Jax's side breathing in the comforting smell of his leather. Jax squeezed his hand against her hip. "C'mon Hailz," he said quietly to the small woman he'd more than often thought of as his own sister over the years. "Let's go."
She gave a small nod and allowed him to lead her outside. Opie was still there fussing over his bike.
"You wanna tell me what happened to Piney?" Jax asked as they approached.
"Whoa. Whoa" Jax exclaimed pushing Hailey behind him as Opie spun around pulling a gun on him.
"Hailey get outta here." Opie growled at his sister who dashed across to where Unser stood across the lot next to his truck and watched as he moved forward on Jax.
"You should know. Your Clay's boy." Opie growled.
"What are you talking about?" Jax asked confused.
"Clay killed my old man."
"Jax took a step back shaking his head "No," he said in disbelief. "No Ope."
"Yes!" Opie growled. "He killed my wife, now my father. Did you know?" He continued.
Jax shook his head without answering. "DID YOU KNOW?" Opie yelled.
"No Ope! I had no idea!"
Hailey watched as her brother continued to hold the gun firmly in Jax's face. She felt sure he wouldn't shoot Jax. He was closer than a brother to him.
"Look Ope." Jax said somewhat shakily. "If Clay did this it's a club issue. Let's take it to the table. Let everyone know."
"What table? You're out. Remember?" Opie snarled before aiming the gun down and shooting out Jax's tyre and jumping on his own bike and peeling away.
Jax stared after him momentarily before demanding Unser's keys as he jumped into the cab of his truck. "The starter kinda …" Unser began as Jax tried to turn it over.
"Shit." Jax said as he jumped out and stalked toward Skeeter who'd come up to find out what all the commotion was about. Hailey watched in shock as he commandeered the hearse demanding the keys from a shocked looking Skeeter.
"Take her home." He barked at Unser motioning toward Hailey.
"Home? Where's home? The lot?" Unser asked.
"Happy! Take her to Happy's." Jax barked exasperated as he climbed into the hearse and pulled away after Opie.
"Where the fuck have you been?" Happy growled as Hailey walked through the front door. He pulled up short as he saw Unser behind her.
"She ah … had something to take care of … with Opie." Unser mumbled behind.
"I didn't ask you. I asked her. Where you been Hailey?" He growled again.
'What he said." She answered trying to move past him as he blocked her path.
"Where's your cell. I've been calling for hours!" he barked gripping her shoulders hard.
"It's in my car."
"Which is where?"
"At the lot." She barked digging her nails into his hands so he'd release his grip on her shoulders allowing her to duck under his arm and stalk out of the room to their bedroom where she locked herself in the bathroom.
"Bitch!" he swore as he surveyed the bleeding nail marks on his hands. "What's made her so moody?" he asked Unser.
"Not really my place to tell you." He answered hesitantly.
Happy knew better than to pressure Unser into giving him information. "But you know something?"
"Yeah. You'll … ah … probly get a call from Jax soon. No doubt he'll fill you in."
"Jax? What the fuck's he got to do with my old lady?" Happy growled.
"Nothin' … I mean not what you're thinkin'." Unser bumbled. "She'll talk when she's ready. I … ah … I gotta go."
"Yeah." He said seeing the former police sergeant out of his house.
"Hailey." He growled through the bathroom door.
"Go away Hap!" she sobbed back. He was taken aback by the evidence of tears in her voice.
"Hailz?" he softened his tone. "Princess. Come out and talk to me."
"I don't want to Hap." She answered hearing his cell ring.
"Yeah." He answered gruffly and impatiently on seeing it was Tig. He didn't want to face club business right now.
"Shit! I'll be right there." She heard him snap the phone shut.
"Princess get out here now." He ordered in a voice that meant no nonsense. "We gotta get to the hospital."
It was those words that made her open the door suddenly. "The hospital? Why?" she asked.
He took in her tear streaked face, her mussed hair. He knew something major was up and he knew it would have to wait. "Clay's been shot." He answered her.
"By who?" She asked apprehensively.
"Dunno Princess. Get cleaned up and meet me out front."
Hailey sat cross legged on one of the chairs in the hospital waiting room, Happy a few seats up from her. He glanced across at her as Unser filled Roosevelt in on what had happened to Clay. He didn't like the way she was taking this. There had to be something else going on in that pretty little head of hers and he knew he had to get to the bottom of it.
"Where's Jax?" She asked once Roosevelt had left.
"I dunno Princess. He said he had some stuff to sort out before he could get here. May not make here tonight. Why?"
"Nothing. I just need to talk to him."
"There's not much more we can do here tonight." Chibs chimed in. "We should probly head home."
"I think I'm gonna stay." Tig said, "I'll let you all know how he pulls through surgery."
"Sure Tiggy." Chibs said as he readied to leave.
Happy placed a hand on Tig's shoulder gave him one of those looks that needed no words before leading Hailey out.
"We're headed back to the hospital Princess. Hurry up."
"Why do I have to come?"
"You think after all the shit that's gone down I'm leaving you alone?"
"Fine." She sighed.
He still hadn't been able to get her to spill where she had been all evening after he'd gotten home to find her gone or what had made her lock herself in the bathroom crying. She hadn't said a word to him since they'd gotten back last night, hadn't even curled against his chest like usual to sleep. And this sudden need to talk to Jax. He didn't like it.
"Jax." Hailey got the attention of the biker after he'd caught the others all up to speed on the happenings of the night before. She used her eyes to motion to him her need to talk to him alone.
He led her around the corner away from the others.
"Who really shot him Jax?"
"Just what I told them Hailey, black."
"I saw what went down at the crematorium last night Jax. It was Opie wasn't it?"
Jax sighed. He had known he wouldn't be able to fool Hailey. The girl knew her brother better than anyone. It had been obvious what Ope's intentions were as soon as he peeled off.
"Yeah Hailey. It was. But they can't know that. Not until I've straightened everything out."
"Where is he?"
"Ope? He's skipped town for a few days. They all think he's up at the cabin. Keep it that way."
"Do you think Clay really killed my dad?"
"I don't know Hailey. I need to get to the bottom of it all."
"What do I tell Hap?"
"The same thing I did Hail. Mexicans killed your old man and black shot Clay."
"What did Opie mean last night when he said you're out?"
Jax sighed. "I'm getting out of Samcro, Hailz. Leaving as soon as this is all over."
"You're what? Are you serious? Did Tara talk you into that?"
"Listen Hailey I know you and Tara don't see eye to eye but I'm doing what's best for my family."
"Yeah right. Bailing on the club when everything turns to shit. Sounds like a great plan Jax."
"Hailey listen I'm gonna find out the truth and get all this sorted first okay?"
"Alright fine." Hailey sighed letting it go "But Jax I don't know if I can do this. What you said to them out there? It's all lies."
"I know you didn't sign up for this Hailey, but we're all here for you. Even without that crow on your hip your still Samcro babe. I'm here for you okay? You need anything, you just have to ask."
"All I need to know is when I can stop lying to Happy, Jax." She said as he pulled her towards him.
"I'll let you know." Jax answered as Happy rounded the corner, raising an eyebrow at seeing Hailey in his Vice President's embrace.
"What's goin' on here?" he growled.
"Nothing Hap." Hailey said pushing away from Jax's chest and turning toward him. "You know how much I hate hospitals. Can we just go home please?"
Happy glanced at Jax who nodded his approval. "Take her home Hap. Meet us at the warehouse this afternoon."
It was dark when he returned home. She didn't bother looking at the clock, just continued about her usual nightly ritual before getting ready to head off to bed.
"Hey Princess." He said as he entered the kitchen.
"Hey." She greeted him without turning around.
"So Clay stepped down as President tonight and Jax took his place."
"Oh yeah." She said finally turning around. He saw the blank non emotional response on her face but also saw beneath it to the sadness in her eyes.
"Yeah. Chibs is his Sergeant at Arms. He wants Ope as his VP."
"Wants Ope as his VP or has?"
"Wants. Ope didn't show. I guess he's still sorting shit out."
"Yeah. Yeah I guess he is." She said turning around to finish making her tea.
"I know you're hurting Princess."
"Tell me Hap." She said suddenly turning back around. "Does Jax really think Opie is gonna agree to sit at that table again after all the shit that has gone down in the last few days?"
"How do you mean Princess?"
Hailey swallowed and stopped herself. She'd been about to spill out everything Jax had told her not to about who had really killed her father. Jax had stopped by briefly before Chapel to fill her in, had told her that he was staying and taking over the presidency. He'd spoken to Opie and was hoping he'd be his VP, that Clay had indeed killed her old man and that he needed him alive to finish a deal.
"I just meant with Dad bein' dead because of all the cartel shit, especially after Donna too." She lied.
"I dunno Princess. I guess time will tell." He said as he stood to place his arms around her.
"Not tonight Hap." She said pushing his arms off her and leaving the kitchen, tea half made. "I'm going to bed."
"Princess." He called to her back but she ignored him and continued toward their bedroom where he heard the door slam behind her. He sighed as she continued to shut him out. He hadn't gotten any kind of emotional response from her since he'd learnt of her father's death and where she had been the night before. He wondered whether to follow her and force her to talk, but instead found himself fetching a blanket from the closet and sleeping on the couch.