Thank you all for all the great reviews. You are the best, I appreciate all the support you have given me and this story! The feedback you have given has been so encouraging.

So here we go!

After these two chapters, there are only two more! And they are probably some of my favorites!


Chapter 55


The vibration of the motorcycle was something that usually calmed him, focused his attention and this time was almost the same. Almost. This time Happy felt an excited, ruthless feeling of something close to rage. It would be the end of everything connected to the assaults on Melissa. He would be the one to take the last spark of life out of one of the last men that had touched his woman.

Pulling off of the pavement onto the gravel sideroad that led to the cabin Hap wasn't surprised to see a few of his brothers waiting there for him. They didn't hide their nervous energy as well as he did. It was an important moment for more than just him. Melissa had earned their love and respect on her own and for that he was proud to call her his. Pulling to a stop, he watched Chibs step forward.

"Got him in the out building behind the cabin." Chibs told him. "Her brothers, Tig, and Kozik are up there."

Hap felt his face harden and before he could say anything Jax told him that no one had touched the hang around. They were waiting for him to get there. Feeling Chibs slap him on the back before heading to his own bike they made a short ride to the cabin. This was it. Finally.

In front of the out building stood Melissa's cousins, Tig, and Kozik. Nodding at them Happy stepped inside to find her brothers propped against a wall just staring at the man tied up across the room. No expression was on their faces, but the rage pouring off them could be felt almost physically.

"You can stay if you want to. But I'm doing this. Nobody else." Happy told them, needing to make that point clear to them before this got started.

He watched both brothers shift their gaze to him and stare briefly. In the background the asshole had started to struggle against his restraints and make muffled noises around his gag. The look in his eyes when Happy had walked in had drove home just exactly how this was going to end.

"Hap. I brought it." Juice opened the door and pointed to his laptop.

Pointing to the table, he waited for Juice to put it down and open it up. The brothers looked at both him and the mohawked man with questioning eyes but didn't say anything. Each one knowing that there would be a point to whatever was going down.

"CJ put together the parts you asked for." Juice told him, while he got the computer ready. By now a few of the others had come into the room and were standing against the wall, silently watching.

For the first time Happy turned to the hang around that was tied up and with a calculated look he watched the man. Hap vaguely remembered talking to him a few times, thought he was kind of a smartass and hadn't made a point to talk to him after that. The man was around the club enough to know that if Happy was there it wasn't going to end well.

When Hap started to speak the man visibly flinched but tried to hide it. "I don't need to tell you why you're here. You fucked up, that's all that matters now." He told the man.

Ignoring the mumbled noises that were coming from his mouth, Hap looked at Juice who nodded. Hap looked at Kozik who handed him his small bag that he used in times like this. Opening it and carefully laying each tool he was going to need in a neat line.

"Normally I'd just let you worry about what I was gonna do to you." He leaned a hip against the table as he spoke. "Today's a little different though."

This caught everyone in the rooms attention, it was out of the ordinary for him. Not to mention how calm he seemed. It was a calm that made even them feel nervous and that he seemed chatty. That had never been a good sign. Ever.

"When you decided to fuck us over, fuck me over, hurt something that's mine, it was never going to end well for you." He stopped, took his knife from the sheath at his side and ran his finger along it. "You see, when you got in with Creagen he probably didn't tell you just exactly what he'd done in the past, to Melissa."

Hap pointed at the computer with the knife with a smirk. "Lucky for you there's video to show. Bet you didn't know that."

By this point only the labored breathing of the man could be heard. His eyes were glazed over in a stubborn fear. Happy didn't look around the room at the others, didn't need to, he knew they were wondering what he was up to. What he didn't see was the look of realization on a few of their faces, the realization of just how much Hap loved Melissa, how far he would go for her. And what he was doing now was something that he needed to do for himself.

"It's a shortened version of all that she had to suffer. Seems only fair that you get the same treatment." He raised a brow. "Well except for one thing, you ain't my type for that. I'm sure I could find somebody who was though."

The man started to struggle against his bonds with renewed fear. It gave Happy a rush of adrenaline that made his focus sharper. Nodding at Juice he listened to the video start. Didn't need to watch it himself, he'd memorized every part of it. Hap watched the shock and terror on the hang arounds face as he realized just exactly what he was getting ready to suffer.

Turning to the others, "You can stay or go if you want. It's going to take awhile."

No one moved. It was a silent united front.

As the video played Happy made a point to pick up each tool and line it up in order that it was used. It was a calculated move that had the desired effect. Hell, it was enough to scare every man in the room. Everyone except Loken who nodded his head with a fiendish smirk, the same one Happy wore.

When the video stopped, the Tacoma Killer picked up the first tool and stepped closer, leaned in and removed the gag. He wanted to hear him scream in pain, beg for his life.

With the first cut of the knife that's exactly what he heard.


-xx-


Melissa had watched as Happy had hurried to his bike. To say she was a little stunned would have been an understatement. Whatever she had expected Happy to say it was not that he loved her. In that moment she knew how much it meant to hear him say the words. She'd convinced herself that it wasn't important, that wasn't true.

Knowing that he loved her, had said those actual words was as comforting as it was exciting. It still didn't explain his mood over the last few days, or the edginess that seemed to come from him. Melissa knew that wherever he was now had something to do with it.

Hearing a bike pull up she knew it wasn't Happy. Looking out she smiled, Bobby would be her babysitter until Happy got back. It wasn't surprising, she'd expected it. Until the freshness of what happened to her wore off and things gradually got into a normal routine she knew that Hap would still make somebody stay with her. Her Pops had done the same her whole life, then her brothers. Good thing she didn't mind, knew when to pick her battles. This wouldn't be one of them.

Opening the door as the biker headed her way and smiling earned her the same from him.

"You draw the short straw?" She laughed. "You get to be my babysitter."

"Hell no, I got the best job of the day." He laughed.

"For that you just earned yourself lunch." She moved around the kitchen as he sat down.

"Like I said, best job of the day."

Sighing and looking over at the man sitting in her kitchen, "Bobby, the last few days, Happy has been edgy. Is where he went today part of it?" She held up her hand. "I don't expect details. I know how that goes. Just a simple yes or no will do."

He studied her for a minute. "Yes. But after today I think that edginess should be gone."

Melissa knew that there was more to what was being said but she didn't push for more. It would be disrespectful to Happy to try and get information from one of his club brothers about what was going on. It was up to Happy to tell her what was going on. Now if it were her brothers or family she'd question them until they finally told her what she wanted or they went in another room to get away from her.

Wrinkling his brow, "You ain't gonna pitch a hissy fit and demand that I tell you more?"

Snorting out a laugh, "No. I can if you want me to." She answered. "You're not my Old Man, it's his place to tell me."

"I forget sometimes that you're like Jax and Opie." When he noticed her confused look. "You're club kids. You've been raised your whole lives by club rules."

Smiling slightly in acknowledgement she started to cook them some lunch.

"It don't bother you? The rules. Most women wouldn't be so accommodating." Bobby asked.

Melissa had been asked the same question by different people throughout her life, but each time the person asking the question had a different expectation of how she should answer. Bobby seemed to be genuinely interested so she would give him a straight answer.

"Some of the rules bother me. But, like you said, I'm a club kid, I learned early that as a female I didn't have much say in them. I wasn't allowed the freedom my brothers got, I was sheltered but expected to fall in line with club rules. So, I figured out quick that if I was good and did as I was told, most of the time, I could get around some of the rules without anyone noticing."

She kept cooking and talking and Bobby kept quiet. "As I got older my family got stricter and more protective, overprotective even. I knew why. I was a pretty girl who didn't act like the club girls and I was a challenge to a lot of the guys in the club over the years. It only took Pops and the boys a few times to shut those guys down, if I couldn't do it myself. I had to learn how to be happy and productive in that world. It wasn't until I moved to go to college that I understood just how ingrained in me that life and those rules were. But not just the rules, the safety I had with my family and the club wasn't there anymore."

"I was in a place that had no rules, where no one cared for my safety, my well being, or my happiness. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, total freedom. And, I was miserable." Melissa looked at Bobby, "Does that even make any sense?"

"Yeah it does." He said.

"I had a friend in college who was a psychology major and she never missed a chance to tell me that I had been brought up in an unhealthy environment that bordered on a multitude of abusive examples. She said I was their possession, their pet. The fact that she was outraged and I knew she was wrong, that's when I realized that I was going back to my family. It was my life, and I missed it. When I graduated with my Masters degree I made a promise to myself, I would go back but I would accomplish everything I had planned on. I would just do it there instead out in the regular world." She smiled. "I did it too. Faster than I planned."

"I haven't answered your question about being accommodating." She paused a minute. "I think it goes both ways, I can make accommodations because when I do, it has usually meant that people are more willing to do the same for me. Some may just take longer to learn that."

Neither her or Bobby had heard anyone pull up and were unaware of the man standing in the door until a noise caught their attention. Opie stood there staring at Melissa.

"What you said. About being in a place where no one cared, that's how I felt when I left the club a few years ago. I tried to explain it to my wife Donna but could never find the right words to explain to her how it felt. Hearing you say that though, that's what it felt like." Opie said as he walked to take the seat next to Bobby.

Taking out another plate Melissa made them all a plate and sat down with them before answering. She was curious about Opie's first wife, he never mentioned her much. It didn't seem right to pry though, especially since he was remarried.

"It was an experience I really didn't want to repeat." She said while she ate.

Opie mumbled his agreement.

Bobby put his fork down. "So when you decided to go back to your family, why didn't you just pick a Son and settle down? Your brother said you never messed with any men in the club. Happy is the only one."

"You've met my family of all men, right. They're kind of scary when it comes to me. And no offense, but the way a lot of Son's treat their women is very shitty. So, I dated outside of the club mostly, much to the displeasure of my family. I could never make both worlds fit together, eventually I just stopped trying. Then the attack happened and I had no interest in that kind of stuff." She grinned at them, "And then Happy came along, kind of a shock for me."

Snickering, Bobby looked at her, "That's an understatement. I never would have thought Hap-"

"Bobby, I swear, if you say you never thought Happy would have ended up with an Old Lady I'm kicking you out!" Melissa interrupted him laughing.

"It's true. But now, it's hard to imagine him without you. It suits him. Seems to suit you too." The bearded man said with a smile. "Hap's like one of those wild animals that mate for life. There's only one for him and you're it."

Melissa liked that thought and it did seem to fit Hap.

Looking over at Opie, "Do I need to keep Hap a plate warm or is it going to be a while?"

"Gonna be a while. He's in serious work mode." Ope told them.

They spent the next few hours talking, sitting out on the patio by the pool almost relaxing. Melissa hoped that soon this would be a common occurrence, she'd have to work hard to make sure that SAMCRO started earning more legit money and less illegal activity.


-xx-


"You get it all out of your system?"

Happy looked at Loken as he sat down on the steps of the porch beside the man.

"What?" He grunted.

"Whatever's been eatin' at ya." The dark haired man stared at Hap. "I figure it has something to do with Creagen."

If it would have been anyone else asking Happy probably wouldn't have answered at all. But Loken was different. He did the things Hap did, understood stuff some of the others didn't.

"Pissed me off that I didn't make the fucker suffer. Had it all planned out and then I go and fucking cut his throat before I do any of it." He grumbled.

"Yeah, that'd piss me off too." Loken answered.

There it was. An honest answer. Not the 'you did the right thing at the time' answer everyone else would have given him or already had.

"That in there, it help you out any?" Loken asked.

Nodding that it had, "I think so." It was the truth, any lingering edginess he had would eventually go away.

"Good. I'd hate to think my sister was catching any of it." Loken raised his brow at Happy.

Happy knew that Melissa hadn't told her brothers that he'd been an ass the last few days. The remark hit closer than he liked though. He'd make it up to her, starting tonight. Looking down at his clothes and the state he was in, he must have made a face because Loken laughed.

"I'm gonna go take a shower and then head home." He told Loken as he got up.

Picking up his pace Happy hurried to the cabin, this had taken more time than he had planned. He was ready to get home.


-xx-


Loken watched Happy leave and his brother walk up and sit down.

"He good?" Shep asked while taking a drag off his cigarette, looking at Hap going into the cabin.

"He'll be fine. Might take him a little bit, being around Melissa while she's healing has a way of keeping that feeling of being pissed off about what happened fresh on the mind." Loken looked over at Shep. "Once she's better, it'll get easier."

"You mad you didn't get a turn at the hang around?" Shep asked.

He thought about it for a second, "Nope. Not even a little bit. Seemed like Hap had some shit he needed to work out." He looked over at his brother, "Why? Are you?"

Loken knew Shep had never been as physically brutal as he or Happy was, but he wouldn't pass it up if it was something to be done. Especially when it came to Melissa.

"Hell no." Shep answered fast. "Can't believe it's finally done. No more loose ends."

It was the first time in over a year that Loken felt an actual smile cross his face, one that wasn't weighed down with worry for his sister. They sat there for a while, silent, enjoying for the first time in a long time the knowledge that their only sister was safe and didn't have to hide anymore.

"Did you ever think Melissa would've ended up with that man?" Shep smirked at him when Happy came out of the cabin and stopped to talk to Jax.

"Never would've guessed it." Loken honestly answered. "If they would have met before the attack, I don't think she would have."

That seemed to surprise his brother and he waited for Shep to ask why, when he didn't Loken continued. "She didn't need him then, had all of us. Hap wouldn't have messed with her because she wasn't his type and she was off limits. He came along and pushed through some of those walls she was using to try and protect herself, he provided something none of us could." Loken watched Happy, "I think it worked because Happy didn't ask, he just did and she had to deal with what she'd been hiding from."

"I can see that. Doesn't explain why he stuck with her." Shep wondered out loud.

Maybe it didn't to Shep but Loken thought he might understand, he'd learned a lot being with the Nomads. Living free and easy was good for a while, but there was a certain pull for home that always seemed to creep in. "I think Melissa showed him things he'd been missing and probably, if I'm right, a few things he'd never even had, decided he wanted to keep it."

At the snorting sound that came from Shep, Loken laughed. "Fucking pervert. I didn't mean pussy."

Still laughing, "I know what you meant. I agree with you." Shep made a face.

"What?"

"I forget how deep you can be sometimes." Shep teased. "You hide it behind all that tall, dark, and broody biker look."

"Whatever." Loken rolled his eyes laughing as they both stood up. It was easy to see the love the two had for each other as they headed over to the others.


-xx-


The ride home gave Happy time to think. He'd passed on going to the clubhouse with the others to party. Replaying the last few hours in his mind was what he was doing. Processing.

The hang around had screamed and begged for his life as Hap had meticulously carried out each and every cut, every break, and every hit. He had watched the blood run out of the man and felt calm as it had happened, felt more like his old self than he had in a long time. He didn't know how it had happened or that it was possible that Melissa could love a man like him but she did, he'd do his best to make sure she didn't regret it.

It was dark in the house as he pulled his bike up the driveway. The bike garage doors were open and Opie was there working on his bike. Parking and getting off Happy stepped over to Ope as he stood up and gave Hap a quick hug and slap on the back.

"Thanks for hanging out." Hap told him.

"No problem man, anytime. She went to bed a couple hours ago." Opie answered him.

"Everybody's at the clubhouse if you want to head over." He mentioned. Happy noticed that Opie seemed a little off though, distracted, a little down. It was something that he had noticed here and there since Donna had died. Opie marrying Lyla was surprising to them all, maybe because neither one of them seemed really happy.

"Not really in the mood. If you don't mind I might mess around with my bike a while longer." Opie let out a sigh and shook his head a little. "Lyla's filming some shit for work, then they'll probably end up at the house drunk as shit."

Happy watched Ope for a minute, they'd always got along and Hap knew that he didn't really have any advice to give since he didn't know what was bothering the man.

"You stay as long as you want." Hap told him and headed to the open door. Turning back around, "Through that door in the back are a few bedrooms and shower. If you need to crash here I'm good with it."

Hap didn't miss the look of relief and some of the tension drain from Opie's face. Guess everybody struggled with something.

"Thanks man." The bearded man smiled and before Happy walked off, "You're lucky, to have her. Don't take it take it for granted, life's short." He went back to working on his bike and didn't say any more. Those words stuck with Happy though.

Heading into the house Hap let his eyes adjust to the darkness while he took off his boots. There were a few low lights here and there. Over the last few days he had noticed that some things had been changed around. What had surprised him the most was that some of his things from his house that were boxed up had been unpacked and put out around the house. The place did feel like home.

Silently entering their bedroom and taking his clothes off he watched her sleep as he slowly eased into bed. Moving slowly he softly ran a hand over her hip. Not enough to wake her up. Happy had noticed that when she was asleep and he touched her she'd shift to get closer to him without waking up. It was a heady feeling knowing that even in her sleep, she trusted him. He wasn't going to let her keep sleeping. Not tonight.

All the energy he usually had after a job like he'd done earlier was still there. Something else tempered it though. Maybe it was the unfinished business from before he'd left her or maybe it was having her soft, warm, naked sleeping body pressed against him. He didn't care which one it was, didn't really matter.

Adjusting himself so that Melissa was resting full against him, he smoothed his hands down her body pulling her a little tighter. Letting his mouth find hers and his lips brush across hers got a soft sound out of her, along with a sleepy response. Repeating the same thing he could tell when she started to wake up, felt her mouth open to his and her tongue lightly slide across his lips. He was the one who moaned lowly now. Melissa's arms wrapped around his neck and she fully kissed him now, pressed herself against him.

Rolling so that he was above her Hap deepened the kiss before pulling back to look at her.

"You forgot something." He softly told her, watching her eyes try to focus on what he was saying. Hiding his grin as his fingers brushed the underside of her breast, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. But tonight he wanted her slow, didn't want to rush. Hap knew he had some making up to do, for not telling her he loved her sooner, for being an asshole the last few days; he wasn't the best with words, but this, this he could do.

Leaning in he kissed her neck and her fingers tightened on his shoulders and neck.

"Seems someone forgot to tell her man goodnight." He whispered in her ear before sucking on it. Her moan made his already hard cock so hard he didn't know how slow he'd be able to take this.

"I thought since you would probably be coming home tonight you might not want me to bother or interrupt you." Her voice came out in a fragmented whisper as her hips pushed up against his in invitation. All he had to do was shift his hips a little bit and he could slide into her, but he waited.

Making a noise of disapproval at her answer, "Wrong answer sweetheart. You and I have a deal." He kissed down her neck. "You tell me goodnight every night, doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing." Sucking a little harder on purpose he knew he'd leave a small mark, it always got a rise out of her.

"Ouch." She half heartedly shoved at him making him snicker. "Bossy man." She complained and let her fingers glide over his skin, down his back and then back up. It felt good.

Happy didn't reply to her comment. He'd started to rub his cock between her wet lips, against her clit, teasing her as much as he was himself. Making her beg would be easy, his plan was to get her close to coming a few times and then get her to beg him to be inside her.

When she was close the first time and they were both breathing heavy he slowed down. It took her only a fraction of a second to say anything, "Please." She softly pleaded and rubbed against him, almost breaking his resolve.

"Please what?" He breathed against her lips. "What is it you want sweetheart?"

Melissa's eyes met his and something serious flashed in her dark eyes, "I want you." She whispered, "Only you." She touched her lips to his and looked at him again. "Always you Happy."

Everything in him tightened, emotion, arousal, need, they all swirled inside him. He slid into her slowly, wouldn't make her beg him like he'd planned on. Something about how she'd answered him, how she'd looked at him, he wasn't able to deny her.

Feeling her tighten around him and softly moan his name made his cock throb. Letting his lips roam around her neck and down to breasts caused her to lock her thighs around him and push up to meet his strokes. Happy kissed and sucked on her lips, pushed himself into her harder and deeper until he could feel Melissa's breathing was shallow like his, she was so close that he could feel her muscles start to clench around his dick. With one hand he slid it underneath her ass and pressed her even closer to him.

"Let go sweetheart. Come for me." He whispered as he pushed into her hard. That was all it took to send her over the edge. Holy hell it was all he could do to hold on to his control as she moved against him moaning his name. Catching her lips and pushing his tongue into her mouth he kissed her deep, moaning as he came hard after she did.

Rolling to his side and pulling her close, he closed his eyes and rubbed her soft skin as she snuggled into him. Hap felt her lips touch his skin.

"I meant it." His voice was a little gruff.

"Hmmm?"

His hand slid into her hair and his thumb brushed her cheek when she looked up at him.

"I love you."

Her dark eyes watched him and she smiled. "I love you too." Raising up she kissed him and then rested back in his arms. They laid there quietly for a long while.

"Happy." She softly said and he squeezed her in acknowledgement. "Goodnight." She snickered.

Laughing quietly and hugging her tighter, "Smart ass, that don't count and you still owe me."

It was the first night that he fell asleep knowing that Melissa was done with having to be scared for her life. It made him feel a new sense of protectiveness, from here on out she was truly his to keep safe.