Jax leaned back in his chair and blew a thin line of smoke out through his lips. He watched his sister across the room with Happy. He watched as Shayla began to get fidgety as her anxiety began to take hold. Her eyes began to shift back and forth, searching for a way out. Typical of her anxiety attacks. Happy seemed to notice her actions and placed a hand on the small of her back. Shayla glanced at him then gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. She leaned into his side and rested her head against his shoulder. She ran her hand across his torso and let her other hand disappear under his kutte.
Seeing Happy show any form of affection towards a woman was a rare sight to see. Rumor had it that the only female who knew his gentle side was his mother, but Jax never had the pleasure of meeting the woman.
The way Shayla was acting could classify as clingy, but Happy acted like he didn't mind in the least. In fact, Jax would go as far as saying he was enjoying it. Happy continued his conversation with Tig and one of the other guys in SAMTAC. His name was Pudge if Jax's memory served him right.
Pudge was one of those bikers who came by his name honestly. He was as tall as Jax with a gut that sagged over his belt. He was one of the kinder members of the club, though his appearance was rather intimidating with the violent tattoos that covered each of his arms. From Jax's understanding, Pudge was a veterinarian so sometimes he helped patch up other club members that had been injured during runs.
Jax watched as his sister began to relax in Happy's embrace. Jax had watched it happen before when Happy had calmed her down simply by grabbing her hand.
Talking about Kelly had triggered one of her outbursts and Jax had immediately stepped in to start her breathing exercise so she didn't break everything around her. Then Happy just… grabbed her. Jax had never witnessed her calm down so quickly.
Shayla's outbursts matched and sometimes surpassed his own. Usually the breathing exercises her therapist had taught them were enough to bring her around, though it did take time for her to do it, but Happy had accomplished it in a matter of seconds.
Then later, Shayla had a night terror triggered by all the stress she was feeling and trying to keep hidden. His little sister was always good at hiding how she really felt until it was too late. They would try to approach her to see if she responded to any of them. Most of the time, she pushed them away then they just made sure she didn't hurt herself. She had responded to Happy as soon as he said her name. She went right into his arms and had fallen right back to sleep.
Jax could never recall a time where she had responded to someone so quickly.
Jax had to admit, he was shocked that it was Happy that she responded to. He was even more shocked that Happy accepted it.
Jax watched his sister as she lifted her head suddenly from Happy's shoulder and glared at Tig. She waved her finger at him as if scolding him over something. Tig grinned at her and shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. Shayla just shook her head and buried her face in Happy's chest.
Jax wasn't sure how he felt when Shayla had said she had been accepted into a college in Tacoma. Tacoma was a very important part of their gun trade. They had shipments of guns that came in through the piers around Commencement Bay. That fact made Tacoma a very busy place when it came to law enforcement and rival gangs and his little sister could be tossed directly into the middle of it.
They already had Charming and San Joaquin in their pockets, but Tacoma was a much bigger place compared to Charming and Shayla didn't have the sympathy card to pull with the local PD like she did back home. She was a stranger to them.
Jax thought back to when Shayla had argued with Clay when she had discovered they wanted her to leave Tacoma. She had called it her home. It was a term she didn't use lightly. When she had moved out of Gemma and Clay's house to live with Charlie, she still referred to her childhood home as home. She always called the place she shared with Charlie, Charlie's place.
Tig had come forward at the table to give everyone an update on Shayla after he had returned to Charming. Chibs seemed really uncomfortable about the fact that it was Happy that had agreed to look after her. Clay seemed a little concerned, but it was overpowered by surprise. Jax didn't really know Happy that well, but had heard stories from his step father about the brutality that was Tacoma's Enforcer.
Jax couldn't see it. He couldn't see the violence Happy Lowman was notorious for. The only thing that was in Happy's thoughts was his little sister currently nuzzled into his chest clinging to him as if he were her only lifeline.
It almost made Jax regret that he was going to vote her back to Charming.
Clay felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out to check who it was. He took a deep breath upon seeing his wife's name appear on the screen. He involuntarily clenched his teeth knowing what was about to happen. He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear.
"Hello, my love," he said.
"Don't you 'my love' me, you ass hole!" Gemma hissed on the other end. Clay rolled his eyes so hard that he was sure he strained something. He wasn't in the mood for this shit. "What do you mean you're voting to send Shayla home?"
"She's in danger," he said simply. It should have been enough to curb any normal Old Lady's attitude, but Gemma wasn't just an Old Lady. She was the Old Lady. She was closer to him than even his right hand man. She was able to put words in his mind differently. So he should have known that his simple phrase wasn't going to be enough.
"I call bullshit, she has half the fucking club there, how the hell can she possibly be in danger?" Gemma barked in her normal tone. Clay sighed again. Fucking women.
"We think it would be best if we send her back to Charming until all this blows over," Clay said. "She can come back as soon as we get the heat to die down."
"And how long is that going to take, Clay, huh? Long enough for Shayla to be kicked out of school? Long enough for us to lose the money you paid towards her tuition behind my back? It's not like we can get a refund on that shit!" Clay was only half listening to what she was saying. It wasn't like he hadn't thought the same thing a thousand times since he made the decision.
Besides, the fact that his daughter was swooning over Halloween decorations that had been pulled from one of the random closets wasn't helping. It reminded him of a time that didn't seem so long ago when she was still just a child. Before she had been taken. Back to when she was so carefree. He felt a small grin touch his lips. There was always something about Halloween that made her so happy.
He couldn't lose that in her. Not again. They had worked so hard to get it back over the years.
"Are you listening to me?" Gemma screamed.
"Always," Clay said even though that was a lie and he was sure his wife knew it. He stood up from the barstool he was sitting on so he could step outside for some privacy.
"I will do whatever it takes to protect her, Gemma," Clay argued once he was sure he was out of ear shot.
"She'll never forgive you if you send her back home," Gemma stated. He could almost feel the glare and tight lipped frown through the phone. It was a look that still sent chills down his spine no matter how many times he had seen it.
"At least she'll be safe," Clay countered.
"This is a bad idea, Clay. A very bad idea. I may not have agreed with her leaving for Tacoma, like at all, but. I've been in contact with Danvers, he said she has improved greatly since she left Charming and thinks that the move she made was the best thing for her and I agree."
"She's had a night terror and multiple panic attacks since I've been here," Clay argued again.
"And you're the one probably triggering them. You're taking away her freedom and there's nothing she can do since she's just a woman." Clay paused for a moment. He had never considered he was the one responsible for her panic attacks and night terror. He had just assumed it was the stress from work and school. She couldn't really handle a lot of stress and that was all she seemed to be doing when he arrived. She slaved over her school work and refused to talk about her place of employment.
Now he felt like an ass. He wanted her safe and out of harm's way, so the first thing he wanted to do was send her somewhere he knew she would be safe. And that safe place was home back in Charming. But Charming was no longer her home. Tacoma was her home.
He thought back to how Lee treated her. He always had a look of pride on his face every time Shayla was around. He liked her and treated her differently. He was sure he would go through hell to protect her, as would most of the Tacoma boys. Especially Happy. They had called in other Charters just to fill out empty spaces and Clay was sure they would protect her with their life.
He had been so blinded by what happened to her in the past that he hadn't even thought about it. She was safe in Tacoma. She had multiple Charters at her back. She was under constant watch by everyone. Everyone was going to keep her safe.
It was too late. He couldn't take the vote back. It was already in motion. Votes were being collected and the clock was ticking to when they would do the final count.
Jesus Christ what had he done?
"I fucked up, Gemma," Clay admitted. He heard his wife let out a calming breath on the other end of the line. That was all she wanted him to say. But she knew it was too little too late.
"Yes, you did, but I know why. You're still looking at her like she's still that little girl who spent months on her stomach waiting for her skin to heal. That didn't speak for nearly a year. The little girl you stood by while she became herself again, but she's not that little girl anymore, Clay. She's a grown woman and she's thinking for herself."
Clay was surprised at the painful lump that appeared in his throat and the tears that burned his eyes. She was right. The girl he helped raise was no longer a girl. She was a young woman and she was living for herself. He wasn't expecting to get so choked up about it. He hadn't been upset when she had pulled out of the TM parking lot with Tig. He was only so proud of her that she was following her dream.
Now, he supposed, it was sinking in. Shayla no longer needed him to protect her.
She was no longer his little girl.
A loud crash came from inside the clubhouse. Loud enough to worry Clay.
"I'll call you back," he said then flipped his phone closed. He stepped back into the clubhouse to see Tig, Jax, and Happy standing around someone sprawled out on the floor. He immediately recognized that someone as Shayla.
"What happened?" Clay called out as he rushed over.
"She was hanging some decorations and she fell off the chair, busted her head on the corner of the pool table," Jax said, holding his shirt to her head. His white t-shirt was already stained red from the blood.
"Why the hell did you let her get up there?" Clay barked.
"Have you told her no?" Happy asked. Clay shrugged.
"Good point."
"C'mon, Princess, I need you to wake up for me," Tig coaxed as he stroked her face. Her eyes tried to open, but all that accomplished was her eyes rolling back then falling closed again. He continued to talk to her, trying to get her to respond, but nothing was happening.
"Out of the way," Clay heard Pudge say as he stepped up. Clay, Happy, and Tig stepped away. Chibs knelt down next to her as well. Chibs pressed his hand on Jax's shirt so he could step away as well. All of the motions caused Shayla's eyes to open again, but it didn't last long.
Pudge forced her eye open and shined a light on her eyeball then did the same thing to the other one.
"Definite concussion," Pudge stated. He nodded to Chibs. Chibs slowly removed the t-shirt while Pudge leaned in. He hissed through his teeth.
"Okay, go ahead and put it back," Pudge commanded.
"She's going to need staples. I can't do that here. We need to get her to the hospital," Pudge said looking up at Clay. Clay nodded. Happy forced his way in so he could be the one to carry her. Once he got her in position, he looked to Chibs so they could stand together. He didn't want the t-shirt to leave the wound. They counted to three and lifted her up.
"Saint Joes," Pudge said as he followed them out the door into the night.
"At least she lasted this long without going to the hospital or being arrested," Tig said as he ran his hand through his hair. Clay hummed.
"Let's get to the hospital."