Chapter 44
Happy tossed his shirt over the dining room chair and stepped closer to Ellie in just his wife beater and jeans. She didn't say anything, just watched him come closer. "What does this say?" he asked, pointing to his exposed collarbone.
Ellie reached her hand out, tracing the words with her finger as she spoke. "I live, I die, I kill for my family."
"You and those babies upstairs are family. No one is coming in here to hurt you, I won't let that happen."
Her bottom lip trembled. "But you're not inside with Chibs."
"Fuck Cherry" he sighed. "You're worried about your old man." All this time he had thought that little crinkle in her brow had been for her children sleeping upstairs.
"Of course I am." She had met some dangerous men in her life but the calm, cool and collected Damon Pope was the worst. He was meticulous - everything he had said and done was for a reason. She knew the Sons were not going to be let off the hook.
"He'll be fine Cherry he's in there with Jax, Tig, and Opie watching his back. He's going to come back to you and your kids. Nothing is going to stop him from that."
"But what if he doesn't? What happens to me and the kids?"
"You're an old lady of a patched member, we take care of our own."
"But I'm not an old lady, not really. I don't have his crow."
"Why the fuck don't you have that yet?"
"Because I've been pregnant for most of the last two years. I should have gotten it done right after Patrick. Chibs asked me to and I told him no. We fucking fought about it, I should have just done it."
"Why'd you say no?"
"I don't fucking know, it seems so permanent. Like if I get it that's it, there's no way out of this without tearing us apart, without tearing our whole family apart."
"You looking to get out?"
"No" she said, shaking her head. "But you've seen what happens to old ladies. Gemma was raped, Tara's been kidnapped and almost kidnapped again. I just thought if I left the crow off, violence wouldn't come to my door."
"That's fucking stupid Cherry."
"I know that Happy, I should have done it before he went it and now what if I don't get my chance? What if he never knows how much I really love him and that I'm in this with him? What if I don't get to make up for it?"
"Make it up to him now."
"How?"
"Stay here."
She watched him walk out of the kitchen and come back in with the black duffel bag he'd brought with him. She watched him take a small black case out and set it on the table. "Come here Cherry."
When she walked over and peered inside the case. "You're going to give me a crow?" she asked when she saw the tattoo equipment.
"No the crow's between you and him but we're gonna do something that proves you're in the game."
"What are you going to give me then?"
"Something Chibs is going to love. Take your pants and shirt off and get up on the table."
"Why do need to take my clothes off?"
"Because where I'm going to put it, they'll be in the goddamn way." When he saw her hesitate, he clenched his jaw and bit out "I'm a tattoo artist, I've seen it all Cherry."
"That doesn't really have the same ring to it as when a Doctor says it" she remarked wryly but she slipped off her shoes and unbuttoned her pants anyway. Once left only in her underwear and bra she walked up behind Happy who was setting up his equipment. "You know I just had a baby" she said, suddenly self-conscious now that she was in her kitchen practically naked with a man who wasn't Chibs and who had probably seen thousands of girls naked none of whom had given birth two months ago. She had been running daily but wasn't anywhere near where she wanted to be.
"So?"
"So I'm not going look as good as the croweaters at the club."
"Some of them have babies" he said turning around and looking at her. He gave her a once over with his eyes. "Anyway, I'm not asking you to blow me – I'm trying to give you some ink. You're fine, get on the table and quit fucking around." She let out a laugh and hopped up on the table, laying back with her legs dangling off the side of the table. Happy stood between her parted legs and drew his outline with a felt tip marker. The sensation of the marker crossing her skin tickled and made her giggle. "Stop it" he growled every time she giggled.
When he was finished with the outline, she sat up and inspected the letters that were placed right above her bikini line. "You're sure he's going to like this?"
"Yes, lie back down. What?" He asked when she let out a sigh.
"What if this isn't what he wanted? What if he doesn't like it?"
"Cherry do you love him?"
"Yes."
"And he loves you right?"
"Yes."
"Then quit being a little bitch. He's going to like it." He settled himself again between her legs, tattoo gun in hand.
"And if he doesn't?" she asked as he started tracing his rough outline.
"Then I'll fucking change it to Happy" he smirked at her.
"Was that a joke Hap? I didn't know you had a sense of humor." At the sound of his gruff chuckle, she let out a laugh. "And you can laugh too, I'm amazed."
"Shut up, you're going to fuck up the lines."
They remained silent as Happy worked. Ellie closed her eyes, feeling the rhythmic movements of the needle. She had been lost in a trance as he made quick work of his design and was surprised when he pulled the needle away and told her he was done. She sat up as he grabbed the ointment and started rubbing it over the freshly raised skin. She looked over the permanent artwork he'd left her with. True to Happy fashion, he didn't go girly for her. It was filed with blacks and grays, he had captured each of all five of Chibs' rings perfectly. The setting perfectly matched his but the stones and emblems had been turned into the letters of his name. The rings looked as if they had been tossed across her pelvis scattering unevenly, but in a pattern just the same. "It's beautiful, thanks Happy" she said as he placed the bandage over the ink.
"Anytime Cherry, and don't let him fuck it all up when he sees it. The ink's fresh and will smudge and I don't like doing touch ups."
"I won't."
"Good, now go upstairs and get some sleep. I'll clean this all up."
She slept peacefully that night even though she was still worried and saw Chibs' face every time she closed her eyes, fervently praying that with the morning light he'd be back home with her. She knew Happy was right, he was with his brothers they'd keep each other safe and she knew her and the kids were safe tonight with Happy downstairs standing guard. There was a reason Chibs had tasked Happy with watching them, Happy would die before he let anyone into this house. He wouldn't have faltered this morning like Rat, there would have been no nervousness in his voice.
When she woke up to the sounds of Patrick fussing through the baby monitor, she rolled out of bed, changed him, scooped him up and headed to Katherine's room. The little girl was already awake and standing up in her crib. She smiled when she saw her mother and brother come in. She laid Patrick down on Katherine's bed, changed her daughter then picked Patrick back up and followed Katherine's careful movements down the stairs. Ellie glanced at the crumpled sheets on the couch but not Happy. She settled Katherine in her high chair and poured some cheerios out. When she glanced out the window, she saw Happy standing on her porch smoking. She opened the door and called out to him. "Hey, you hungry? I was going to make breakfast."
"Yeah thanks Cherry" he said, coming inside. He took a seat at the kitchen table across from Katherine. "You want me to hold that kid?" he asked, watching Ellie pour him a cup of coffee whilst holding Patrick.
"No that's fine, you get used to doing everything one-handed when you have kids. Pancakes or waffles?" she asked, going back to the stove.
"What does that one like?" he asked, pointing at Katherine who had now decided to throw her Cheerios at Happy, laughing when he threw them back.
"Waffles."
"Waffles are good with me then." She placed cut up waffles in front of Katherine first then set a full plate down next to Happy before taking a seat with Patrick and his bottle. "You going to eat?" he asked noticing that she didn't have a plate in front of her.
"Another thing you get used to when you have kids, lots of cold food. I'll eat when he's done. Any word yet on the guys?"
"Not yet, they have protection from the cartel right now but I haven't heard anything new. How's the ink?"
"Sore but it's good."
"Why don't you get the kids packed up, we'll head to Tara's so that we can keep you all in one place."
They walked to her car again, Katherine insisting on walking on her own while Ellie held her little hand and Happy carried Patrick in his car seat. While she was buckling Katherine in she looked at Happy who was getting Patrick settled. "You're getting pretty good at that Hap, maybe you should have one of your own" she said, laughing at his eye roll.
Tara and Ellie sat on Tara's back porch with glasses of wine next to them, watching the children playing in the yard. Phil and Rat were posted like guards near the back fence with Happy inside where Patrick slept. "So I think I bonded with Happy" Ellie said.
"Really and how do you bond with a guy like Happy?" Tara said, taking a sip of wine.
"He gave me a tattoo last night on my kitchen table."
"No!" Tara shouted almost spilling her wine. "Let me see!" Ellie peeked around, making sure no one was looking before pulling her yoga pants down for Tara to see. "That's beautiful, Chibs is going to love it."
This moment of happiness between the women as they relaxed and drank wine was well deserved. They didn't speak of the men being gone and their worry even though it was a constant on both their minds. They fed the kids dinner and fed Rat, Phil, and Happy. Afterwards Ellie got Patrick off to sleep in the living room in his portable crib and lay Katherine on the couch while Tara got Thomas to sleep. Abel was the only child awake when the phone rang, causing Tara and Ellie both to jump. Tara scrambled for the phone while Ellie stood next to Tara, holding her breath and waiting for any sign of confirmation that Chibs was okay. She let out a shaky sigh when Tara gave her a nod and mouthed the words he's okay. The relief and joy she felt in that moment was short lived when Tara handed the phone to Happy. "What happened?" she asked when her friend's face went from the joy of talking to her husband to one of grief. Tara leaned in to whisper to Ellie out of earshot of Abel who was still in the kitchen.
"Opie didn't make it, Pope wanted one of them to pay for the men he lost. Opie volunteered before Jax could stop him."
"Oh no, poor Lyla and those kids" Ellie sighed, tears prickling her eyes as she and Tara embraced.
"I'm going to go get Abel ready for bed, the guys will be out in the morning." Tara gave Ellie another squeeze before they released each other. Happy was still on the phone and Phil and Rat were still sitting at the kitchen table. Ellie went out on the darkened patio to get some fresh air. Taking a seat on the concrete patio floor, she lit a cigarette and relished the first drag. Even though she'd given up smoking for the most part and running after two little ones didn't leave her with much time to smoke but she still enjoyed an occasional moment of peace to enjoy a smoke.
Ellie stubbed out her cigarette as the patio door opened, instantly knowing it was Happy by the sound of his boots. He came and stood next to her."What're you doing out here?"
"Just needed a moment to myself" she replied, staring straight ahead. "I'm sorry about Opie." He gave her a slight grunt in acknowledgment. "My feelings are all fucked up, I'm sad for Opie and his family and because he's a member and family to me, but I'm so fucking happy that Chibs is coming home."
He took a seat next her, she looked at him and waited for a response but received none as he dug in his pocket and lit up a joint. Passing it to her, he said, "Here this will help clear you fucked up feelings." She took the joint for him. "It's alright to be happy your old man is alright and it's alright to feel sad about Op."
Handing the joint back, she exhaled and looked at him. "How do you do this Hap? Losing your brother has to be hard."
"It is, but it's part of the club, we bring death to people and they bring it to us. Not the first time I've lost a brother or probably the last time."
"You make it out to just be a fact of life, but other people don't live this way."
"It is a fact Cherry and the other people who don't live this way wish they could. The persons responsible for Opie's death will be gone probably before the week is done. Other people wish they could dish out retribution without having to wait around for the system to resolve the wrong."
"So you get the guys involved in revenge for Opie and then what?"
"Then that's it."
"But it's not going to bring Opie back."
"No it won't but I'll feel a whole lot better and so will Chibs when the guys who did it are in the ground. That's how it works."
"But won't retribution just bring more death to the club's doorstep?"
He stood up leaving her with the joint. "Not if we kill them all" he said on a shrug before going back inside and leaving Ellie with her thoughts. That night she settled in on Tara's couch with Katherine snuggled in close to her and Patrick in his crib within her line of sight. Happy sat on the love seat next to them watching over them just as he promised Chibs he would.
