By the time the Lieutenant and his Deputies arrived, I was all cried out. Happy had somehow maneuvered us so that he was sitting on the floor and I was laying on the ground with my head on his thighs. He was stroking my hair with a slow, steady pace, staring his brothers down with an intense look all of them had become familiar with over the years. Somehow my eyes were still open even though there was no moisture left in them, but as I stared at the group in front of me, I did so without seeing any of them at all.

Gemma was pacing like a caged lioness while the men all sat or stood and waited patiently for the authorities to arrive. Gemma and Happy appeared to be the only ones willing to compromise evidence by touching me in order to offer me support but if I was able to think properly, I would remember that it wasn't the truth. The others just had much better control over their impulses… okay Tig not so much, but I wasn't his daughter… so I couldn't begrudge them for keeping their distance right now.

"Sheriff's here," Chucky announced as he pulled up the large bay door to open up the entire garage area.

I wish I could give you more details about what happened next, but all I heard was someone gasp out, "Holy mother of… What the hell happened here?"

Dad was helping me to my feet before I was alert enough to understand what was happening. While he was trying to get me to wake up out of my hazy stupor, Jax briefly explained the scene that the Lieutenant was taking in, as well as the events that led up the moment when the Sheriff's Department was called to Teller-Morrow Automotive to investigate a dead body in the garage that night.

Eli listened to Jax and when the President was done speaking, the Lieutenant immediately asked to see the proof Jax had referenced. They say a photo speaks a thousand words. So how many does a video tell? Two thousand? A million? More?

However many it is, it was enough for me to regain my faculties once the video of my attack had played through to the end. Dad had led me by the arm towards the tech room, but as soon as I could see everyone inside the closet, I was finally able to stand on my own. I tried to shrug of my dad's protective hold on me, but he wouldn't let me get away. He had physical… scratch that… he had BLOODY evidence of what could happen to me if he wasn't constantly play the role of my watch dog and protector while I was in Charming. I guess that would put a very extreme damper on some of my not so public extra-curricular activities until things had calmed down, IF they ever calmed down.

That thought should really bother me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that it should, but right now all I found was comfort and warmth at the thought of him being around to take out any threat that came my way. Sick? Twisted? Maybe, but as warped as it was, it didn't make it untrue.

"Maria?" Lieutenant Roosevelt questioned while I stared at my feet. "Maria Anastasia Cooper? Can you hear me?"

My eyebrows knitted together, which made me wince in pain as the cut in my eyebrow moved before I replied, "Only my mother has ever called me that." I then looked up to meet his eyes as I smiled more easily and added, "And that was only when she was really mad at me. Please, Maria or Mia, Lieutenant."

"Alright… Maria… May I ask you a couple of questions about the surveillance video that I just watched?"

I nodded and took a couple of steps away from my Dad so that I was (hopefully) making it clear that my answers were my own. "Of course, you can. Hell… err… Heck, with the dead body on the floor over there, I'm pretty sure that you are within your rights to compel it, Sir."

Lieutenant smirked as he nodded then said, "I heard you were smart. Alright. First question… The car that you were working on… Who does it belong to?"

"A client…" He subtly rolled his eyes at that and I could tell that it was because he thought that I was being purposefully obtuse. "He's a client from the Tacoma area that I used to do a lot of work for when I live in the Pacific Northwest. He found his dream car in Modesto and wanted me to work on it before he took it back home to Bellevue."

"He must really like your work."

I've never really been great at receiving compliments, so I unconsciously blushed before I answered, "My work speaks for itself and warrants the customer loyalty, if I do say so myself."

"So, Diosa has moved into the automotive world," Eli commented with a sneer on his lips.

I would have punched him in the face for that insult, but my Dad caught my arm before anyone, more importantly the Lieutenant, saw me make any motion to raise my fist. "I'm not a whore. I'm a mechanic. And a fucking good one at that. My clients know they can get top of the line work without being gouged from me. And Lieutenant… The only rim or lube jobs I do are on a vehicle… Well that is, unless my boyfriend has been a really good boy. So, stow the sexist bullshit or you can arrest me now, I'll keep my mouth shut and you can use that video in your hand to get a conviction. Because I have had a long fucking night, SIR, and I'm beyond ready to go home."

Lieutenant Roosevelt held his hands up in a sign of surrender and sounded truly contrite when he said, "I apologize if I touched a nerve with that comment. I honestly don't know where that came from and I didn't mean to do that to you, Ms. Cooper. Now…"

"Lowman," I interrupted. I'm sure everyone, my Dad included, gave me a strange look, but I only had eyes for Lieutenant Roosevelt as I clarified, "I put in the paperwork for the name change a little while ago. I just didn't want you to think that I was hiding anything from you on purpose when this goes to trial."

Eli smiled with a bit more ease as he replied, "And I appreciate the candor, Ms.… Lowman. Alright, so back to where we were… The video that Jackson and Juan Carlos showed me…? In your opinion, is that an accurate account of what transpired here tonight?"

I'm sure I looked confused, but that was only because I truly did want to be up front with the Lieutenant, especially on this topic, so I went with the truth. "To be completely honest, Sir, I haven't seen the surveillance video yet, but… but if you saw a guy pull me out by the cloth of my coveralls from under that Monte Carlo over there covered in black primer… and then you see us exchange words before you see him die with his knife in his gut…? If you saw all that, then I'm fairly certain that the video's accurate."

"Fairly certain. Nice wording there, Counsellor. So? Who here went to Law School?"

"Does it really matter?" I questioned with and exasperated sigh. "Is that really what you want to know, Sir?"

"You're right. It isn't." He paused dramatically for nearly an uncomfortable, agonizing thirty seconds then asked, "What did you tell him to make him hesitate? That's the one thing I can't figure out. During that entire video, he looked like he was trying to decide where and how to hurt you, but when he finally had his chance to reign all matter of pain on you, you managed to gain the upper-hand. So? How did you manage that, Ms. Lowman?"

"Oh… that…" I started slowly while I tried to regain my bearings. I had already told him some uncomfortable details and truths and had hoped those would suffice. But of course, just like Gemma, he wanted more.

I didn't want to answer him and had hoped that my uncomfortable squirming with a small river of blood flowing down my cheek would deter him, but the Lieutenant just continued to stare me down. He wanted answers, answers I wanted to give, but wasn't sure if I could.

I watched him tap the surveillance tape against his palm while he just silently waited for my reply. Great. How can I NOT tell him… them the truth?

"Alright. I… I told him… That is to say… I begged him not to beat me because I'm… err… uhh… I told him that I was… that… I'm pregnant."

There were a few gasps in the room before I heard a low, gravelly, incensed voice ask, "Are you?" from behind me.

I turned my back partially on the Lieutenant so that I could look my Dad in the eyes as I very firmly replied, "No, Dad, I'm not."

He nodded and looked like he accepted that to be the absolute truth, so I turned back to the Lieutenant and continued my explanation with a bit more ease, "I was hoping that he would think twice about beating me any more than he already had by saying it…" I shrugged and forced myself not to look at the body again. "I guess it's lucky for me that it worked."

"It appears that it did," Lt. Roosevelt replied with an almost proud smile. "Alright, I think that covers my most pressing questions for now. I'd like to take you into the station to take an audio statement, but I think we should have that cut on your forehead checked out before we do that."

Happy stepped up to my side saying, "I can drive her to the hospital."

"Actually," Lt. Roosevelt started slowly… neigh, cautiously. "For chain of custody, I'll have to drive her myself or have a deputy ride with her in an ambulance. I'll also have to seize everything that she is wearing since it's cover in the… his blood, so someone should probably get her some clothes to change into at the hospital."

My dad didn't look overly happy about that explanation, so I gripped his forearm tightly to get him to refocus his attention on me.

"Dad, it's just standard procedure." I then turned to the Lieutenant saying, "The cut isn't that bad, so I don't see the point in wasting an ambulance's time."

"Alright. I'll take you in my truck then. Mr. Lowman, you are more than welcome to follow us there."

"I'll definitely do that."

I went up to my tip toes to kiss my dad's cheek and gave him my best reassuring smile, "I'll be fine, Dad. Don't worry so much."

"Maria…" Dad started to caution with a very serious look in his eye that told me arguing with him would be futile.

"I know… I know… I'll… I'll see you at the hospital."

I fell into step beside Lieutenant Roosevelt to get to his truck.

Before we managed to make it out of the garage, Tig called out, "I can head to your place to get you a change of clothes."

My nervous apprehension must have shown plainly on my face because Juice quickly jumped in and showed that he had pulled my keys out of my backpack offering, "I've got this Tig. I've been there before, so I know where everything is."

Happy stopped suddenly to glare at the younger male and growled out, "You have?" He then turned his increasingly angry eyes towards me to ask, "Maria?"

"I… Umm… I should really catch up with Lieutenant Roosevelt."

I then sprinted to the awaiting police vehicle. Eli's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter as he opened the passenger's side door for me. Before he could close the door, Happy was suddenly at his side to pass me my backpack. He still looked angry, but his voice was much less severe when he said, "Once you're finished with the Lieutenant, Maria, we WILL be having a conversation about all of this."

I could feel my cheeks heat up as I whispered, "Yes, Sir."

Once my door was closed, Lieutenant Roosevelt moved to his seat and started the engine. His silent laughter became very audible and boisterous once we were alone. I was sure he would have some sort of comment about what had just happened, but thankfully I was wrong, and he remained silent. Well, except for his laughter.

As I listened to him, I slumped in my seat then asked, "Couldn't you just arrest me for manslaughter and throw me in a cell overnight, please?"

"Sorry, no can do, Mia. But I can promise that I'll stick close to your side while we're at the hospital."

I groaned then answered, "I guess that's the best I can hope for."

****Back at Teller Morrow Automotive****

Everyone but Gemma and Nero made their way over to their motorcycle to head to the hospital or to Happy's house. Happy placed a heavy hand on Juice's shoulder as he younger man put on his helmet and said, "Make sure you find me when you get to the hospital."

Juice swallowed thickly then stuttered out, "Y-y-yea… oh-okay."

Happy quickly mounted his motorcycle and sped out of the parking lot to catch up to Roosevelt's truck. Juice stood frozen by his bike while he tried to process everything that had just happened.

Jax, Tig, Bobby and Chibs all patted him on the back as they passed him. Chibs stopped by Juice's side and very solemnly said, "It's been nice knowing ya, Juicy."

He then burst out laughing. Jax, Tig and Bobby joined him with their own boisterous chuckles as they turned to follow Happy's path.

Juice watched them all leave and quietly lamented out loud, "I'm so fucked."