Okay, so I'm at a crossroads. I LOVE Kozik. He's one of my favourite characters and I love this friendship I've created for him and Alex. The problem is this: Kozik is set to get blown up sometime within the next few chapters. I would really like to keep him alive but I'm not nuts about that major of a change from the storyline. PLEASE should I keep him alive or let nature run its course?
Happy Lowman was not a morning person. He liked his sleep and liked it even better when his wife decided to wake him up with her lips wrapped around his cock. What he didn't like was being woken up by chubby hands smacking his face, his son's shrill voice screeching his name.
"Dadadadadadadadadadada!" Max yelled, slapping his hands against the tattoo on Happy's scalp. The moment Happy's eyes snapped open in a glare, Max screamed and jumped from the bed. Running from the room as fast as his little legs would take him, Max sought out the protection of his mother.
Happy walked into the kitchen to find Alex standing at the stove cooking breakfast. He could hear the giggles coming from the cupboard under the sink and decided to leave the kid alone for a second.
"You seen Max?" Happy asked, a little too loud. He heard the giggles get louder. Alex hummed happily and smiled at Happy, her red painted lips stretching and showing her teeth.
"I thought he was with you?" She played dumb, sliding a piece of bread into the toaster. "I guess he doesn't want breakfast"
The giggles again got louder, a loud thud coming from the cabinet as Max knocked over an extra bottle of dish soap. Happy made his way over to the cabinet, rapping on it with his knuckles.
"Hello?" Max's voice asked, giggles following after it.
"I was wondering if you know where Max is" Happy asked, his voice filled with the soft humour that he usually reserved for kids. The door to the cupboard swung open suddenly, Max jumping out and throwing himself at Happy.
"Boo!" Max giggled, Happy's fingers tickling at his sides. Alex watched as Happy obliged his son's goofy playful mood. Usually, Koz or Juice would happily play with him, chasing him until he got the giggles out. Since Koz had been in Tacoma for the past few days and Juice had been acting weird as of lately, Max was stuck to playing with Jax's boys and friends from school. The toddler just needed to release his energy with an adult and Happy was willing to do it if he needed to. But only in the privacy of their home.
There was no way in hell Happy would chase a giggling toddler across the clubhouse, no matter what. He usually handed the kid off to a prospect if Alex wasn't around. Phil didn't seem to mind the kid though. He listened and was well behaved if you could suffer his constant talking and singing. It had to be the biggest irony in the world that the child of the Tacoma Killer was a giggling little boy who loved to talk and sing.
The drive to Bakersfield was interesting. Max and Grumpy were in the backseat, Grumpy curled up snoring as Max sang and danced in his car seat.
The most interesting part of the ride was when Happy told Alex about sitting on the side of the road handcuffed with the club a few weeks prior. He told her about Juice's new colon cleaning adventure, and his brothers making fun of his 'mindfulness of excessive spending'.
"Hey! Half the time we don't even use condoms so there isn't any in the house. I'm not having period sex without a rubber and sometimes that rubber needs to be reused" Alex laughed. It had been a mistake only twice but Koz had told the entire club once he found out. That had earned him a spot in Alex's doghouse where Herman wasn't allowed home for two weeks.
"Tried tellin' 'em we don't buy condoms regularly. Just ended with Jax laughin' and saying that's how we got the kid"
"He's not wrong but he's not entirely right…. Max is the result of a condom that we stole from Herm that broke...Better me knocked up than whatever trash Koz fucks" Alex shrugged.
The rest of the drive consisted of Alex and Max dancing and singing along to Dolly Parton and Shania Twain as Happy drove easily down the highway. He was pretending to be mad that he was being forced to listen to country music but Alex could tell that he was enjoying listening to the two of them having fun.
"Come on Hap! We're almost there and you have to sing at least one song with us" Alex poked him in the side, watching his facade falter. She switched the song to one he actually knew and watched as he gave her a glare, Max laughing at his parents.
"You think you're a genius, you drive me up the wall. You're a regular original, a know-it-all" Alex sang along to the Shania Twain song as she pushed the large sunglasses she was wearing onto the top of her head. Happy gave her an unamused look as she began poking him as she sang along to the song. Max was dancing and singing in the back, his words making no sense but the joy there nonetheless.
With a sigh, Happy began drumming his fingers onto the steering wheel in rhythm to the song. Alex beamed at Happy who had shot her a look. She leaned across the center console and pressed a kiss to his lips, silently thanking him for playing along for Max's sake.
"Ew!" Max shrieked as their lips met briefly and Happy couldn't help but chuckle at the boy.
They pulled into the driveway of Elena's modest home, climbing out of the car just as the fragile older woman appeared on the front porch.
"Mi amor!" Elena called to her only grandchild, leaning down with her arms open. Max ran at her, wrapping his chubby arms around her neck.
"Abuela!" He pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek. Alex and Happy were each holding a small bag of their things as they watched Elena completely enamoured by their little boy.
"Okay, dude. Let go of your Abuela so we can get inside" Alex chastised as she could see the pain building in Elena's face as she remained bent down to converse with the child. Max grinned and pulled his Abuela into the house by her hand, excitement evident as he practically skipped the entire way.
"Think he likes it here more than home" Alex grinned at her husband, watching as Grumpy settled in for a nap on the front porch.
"Which one? They're both spoiled rotten here" Happy chuckled, holding the screen door open for her to enter before him.
"How you feelin', Mama?" Happy asked as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. Elena smiled at him, leading him into her kitchen.
"I've been good mijo. Glad those boxes are out of my house" she spoke as she filled the kettle with water. Alex caught Happy's eye and raised a brow in question.
"What boxes, Ma?" Alex asked, pulling mugs from the cupboard in preparation for tea.
"I have no clue, hija. Just that my Happy came to visit a few weeks ago and Herman is terrible at basketball" Elena chuckled, shooting Alex a playful smile. Happy shot Alex a glare to get her to drop the subject and Alex obliged, knowing she would ask more later. Usually Happy told her everything if she asked, but she hadn't been asking much lately since all of their time together was spent either with Max or going at it like bunnies.
"Vivica end up givin' you those tomatoes, Ma?" Happy asked, trying to change the subject. Elena's face lit up.
"Yes! They were delicious. There's still one in the crisper, why don't you grab it Alexandria?"
After a delicious lunch of BLT's made by Alex as Elena and Happy sat on the front porch chatting, the small family walked down the street to a nearby park so Max could get some energy out and Elena could spend some time out of the house.
"How would you like to go to the beach tomorrow, Ma?" Alex asked Elena once they were sat in the warm California sunshine, a large floppy hat on Elena's head to protect her from the sun. Elena smiled as she watched Happy push Max on the swing, enjoying the sight of her son looking younger than his age.
"I would like that very much, mija" Elena squeezed Alex's forearm affectionately. "He's quite good with Maxwell, si? I never expected my Happy to give me a nieto. Thank you, Alexandria" the elderly woman pressed a kiss to the back of Alex's hand, the emotions evident in her frail voice.
"He'll never admit it, but I think he actually likes spending time with Max where we just seem normal for once. No club, no leather, just a normal little family with a small home and a dog" Alex grinned.
As long as normal didn't stick around for too long, Alex and Happy enjoyed the little moments. The boring and monotone lifestyle that came with normal was not what she nor Hap had signed up for. The club brought excitement and family to their life, something Alex could never give up. The usual line that Gemma spouts of 'Love the man, love the club' was never a difficulty for Alex. She loved Happy so strongly that she didn't think she could ever hate the club. The club gave Happy something to live for and allowed him to do things he enjoyed. It didn't matter that those things are a little strange and questionable. Alex also knew that without the club, she never would have met Hap nor would their relationship have developed farther than a fling. Without the club, Happy would despise her and Max for making his life boring and too American dream. Because let's face it, Happy and Alex were nowhere near being the type for the ideal white picket fence, 2 and a half kids and dog life. They were both passionate, fast-paced people with a pitbull and a toddler with an attitude the size of Texas.
"So tell me, what happened to Maxwell's arm that he's in a cast?" Elena interrupted Alex's thoughts.
"I'm surprised you lasted this long before asking" Alex chuckled, "He fell off the play structure and landed on it funny. Cast comes off in a few weeks"
The two women chat idly for a few more minutes before Happy walked up with his cell phone to his ear and Max settled on his hip. Alex takes Max from his arms, placing him on the ground to sit with Elena. She tells him to behave before pulling Happy away to talk, concerned by the look on his face. Once he's hung up and they're far enough away from people to not be heard, Alex gives him a questioning look.
"It was Chibs. Someone took out a hit on Tara, said it was a good idea we went outta town cause shit hit the fan. We got church tomorrow night"
"Is Tara okay?" Alex asked, worried. Happy nodded, rubbing a hand over his head in worry.
"Okay. We were supposed to leave tomorrow night anyways. Ma wants to go to the beach tomorrow. It'll be fun for Max and Grump and then we can head straight to the clubhouse on our way home" Alex shrugged, not thinking of a better solution. Happy nodded, letting out a sigh.
"Can't imagine if someone tried to take out a hit on you" Happy mumbled, pressing a hard kiss to her lips. Alex smiled and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer.
"You'd hunt them down and make them pay" Alex laughed, to which Happy readily agreed.
"Oh yes, I would" He grinned, slipping a hand into the back pocket of her shorts and pinching her playfully.
