Chapter 36: Crescendo

"You can't be wise and in love at the same time." ~ Bob Dylan

The sun flooded in the windows of Liv's room; she stretched out in her bed and she smiled as she felt her body ache of where Happy had been. She rolled over ran her hand over where she expected Happy to be. Her bed was empty. Liv sat up and gazed sleepily around her room, was it all just a dream? No, she could still smell Happy on her skin.

"Happy?" She said quietly, hoping he would walk out of the bathroom. No answer.

Liv climbed out of her bed and grabbed a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt from her dresser. She gazed around her room, there was no sign that Happy had been there. His cut and clothes were gone. Her heart thudded hard in her chest, did he just up and leave her? Why would he do something like that after the night that they had shared? She wandered down stairs where the laugher of her roommates filled the silence. Maybe he was with them, she doubted it but maybe. Olivia walked into the dining room where: Chase, Reese, Bri and Sam were all eating bagels. Her eyes filled with tears, he wasn't there. Happy had left her without a word. She felt used and it broke her heart.

"Hey, sex machine! Where's your boy toy?" Chase teased but then saw the look of despair on Liv's face.

"He's not here…" Liv wiped the tears from her eyes. She was so hurt but she was also extremely angry. Had Happy just said what he thought she wanted to hear so he could get into her pants? Truth be told she probably would have slept with him no matter what he said to her, she missed him that much. "Excuse me." Liv said sadly as she wandered back to up to her room and crawled into her bed and hugged the pillow that Happy had slept on against her and sobbed.

There was a small knock on her door and Chase came in and crawled into bed with Olivia. He wrapped his arms around her and spooned her. "Shh, darling. What happened?" He knew that Happy meant a lot to Liv but he hadn't realized how much he truly mean to her.

Liv sniffled as she wiped her nose on the back of her hand before turning to face Chase. "He said he loved me…if he loved me why would he leave me like that? Why would he just leave me like one of his whores?"

Chase's green eyes studied Liv, "Do you love him?" He asked very matter-of-factually.

"Yes." Liv barely whispered.

"Then you need to go after him girl, at least to get an answer and some closure." Chase sat up and pulled Liv with him.

Liv never thought that going after Happy was an option. "What if he doesn't want me?" She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"If he doesn't want you then it is his loss. If I was straight I would have tried to get into your pants ages ago. You are beautiful, intelligent, caring and one of the sweetest people I know, baby girl you are a catch. If Happy doesn't realize that then he is a fucking idiot and it is his loss." Chase smiled at her Liv, who gave him a small sad smile in return. "Do you know where he is?"

"Tacoma…I think." She thought back to the previous night and tried to remember what he had told her, she thought she had remembered him saying something about Tacoma. Liv had just been in shock that Happy was standing in front of her, she really didn't hear anything he had said.

"Why not call your dad or that tasty morsel, Jax?" Chase smiled as he thought about Jax.

"I'm not calling either of them." Liv climbed out of bed, and grabbed her phone. She glanced at it, before calling Lyla.

"Liv!" Lyla answered the phone happily, it had been a few weeks since they had talked.

"Hey, Ly. I need your help." Liv confessed.

"Anything, what do you need?" Lyla had always been willing to help Olivia. She had been her friend from day one.

"Last night, I ran into Happy and Montez. Things happened between Hap and me…I woke up alone this morning Lyla. I am not one of his whores and I need answers. I thought he had mentioned going to Tacoma but I can't remember." Liv ran her hand through her tangled hair.

"What? You and Happy hooked up?" Lyla mused much to Liv's chagrin. "Oh sorry just excited. Yeah, they went to Tacoma to help with a patch over."

Liv was glad that she hadn't just imagined what Happy had told her; plus he was a lot closer than Charming even though she would have been willing to drive down there if that showed him she wanted him. "Yes, Lyla we hooked up. But he told me he missed me and he loved me. It was such a mind fuck to wake up and not have him here or at least a message from him. I don't know what went wrong."

Lyla felt horrible for her friend, "Liv he loves you, you need to go and tell him everything…unless you already did and then I have no idea what happened."

"I told him that I wasn't with Juice anymore. I didn't tell him why, there was just never a good time. One minute we were talking and the next we were making out and having sex." Liv's body rang as she thought about how fabulous Happy made her body feel.

"If you want him go after him Liv. I think that is the only way you are going to be able to show him what you want." Lyla said. "I have to go I have a shoot in a few minutes. Let me know how everything turns out. Oh, hey did you know your dad's birthday is coming up?"

What her dad's birthday? She hadn't a clue. "No. Are you doing anything for him?" Liv asked. She had been such a crappy daughter over the past year, she hadn't even realized it was close to the one year anniversary of her kidnapping.

"We usually have a big party at Red Woody. Please tell me you'll come." Lyla pleaded in the phone, she wanted to see her friend so badly.

Liv nodded, "Let's see how things go with Happy, first." Liv said quietly. "But don't say anything to my dad. If I come I want it to be a surprise for him."

"Deal. Promise me, you'll at least text me and let me know what happens in Tacoma." Lyla was rooting for Happy and Liv. She wanted them together so badly. She missed having Liv around even if they had talked almost daily until lately.

"Of course. Thanks Lyla." Olivia smiled as she pressed end on her cell and glanced over at Chase. "I guess I am road tripping it to Tacoma."

Chase smiled broadly. Liv wondered how she had been so lucky to have been blessed with such amazing friends. Chase had quickly taken Natalie's spot in her life after they became estranged. He one of her nearest and dearest but he still didn't know the horrors she had been through like her family did.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Chase offered freely as Liv dug in her closet for clothes.

"Nah. I'm good, it's only about a two-ish hour drive." Liv pulled her shirt off, and pulled on a new one. She had changed in front of Chase enough that it didn't matter anymore. She pulled off her yoga pants and walked over to grab a pair of jeans from her chair. She had thrown a pair there the previous day that she decided not to wear.

"Holy shit girl." She said quietly as he saw a dark bruise that looked like bite mark on her hip bone. "That is one hell of a love bite."

Liv looked down at her hip and saw the mark Happy had left on her. She ran her hand over it and smirked as her stomach clenched tightly. "Yeah. We got a little rough." She trusted him enough to allow that, she had never trusted anyone with her body the way she did Happy.

"Obviously. You're totally closet kinky aren't you?" Chase smirked as if he knew a secret.

Liv let out an indignant laugh, "Only with Happy. I trust him and how far he pushes me." Liv sighed as she pulled on her pants. "Chase we need to chat about something. Something I should have told you ages ago." Liv sat down and gave Chase the quick and abbreviated version of what happened to her.

Chase sat in silence for a moment, "Please say something, Chase. I am the same girl, I have always been."

Chase had tears in his eyes. "No, you aren't. You are so much more; you are by far the strongest and bravest person I know." Chase's voice was full of pride.

"Don't cry Chaser. I am using my experience to help others. I only hope that I can help just one person to leave a bad situation or relationship." Liv moved to grab her purse and phone. "Look at me, Chase. I don't need you to feel sorry for me or pity me for what happened to me. I just need you to be the same overly dramatic, best friend that I have."

"Of course…wait! I am your best friend?" Chase stopped mid-thought.

"Um yes. Now if I don't run now Happy might do something stupid and I don't know if I could handle too much more of his stupid." Liv smirked as she kissed Chase's cheek and ran out of the room.

The drive to Tacoma seemed like it took forever, Liv kept running through what she might say to Happy but in the end she kept ending up angry. He was such a fucking idiot. Was he ready to throw away what they had? If he was, then he really wasn't the right man for her. She needed to prepare herself for that but she just couldn't. She wanted Happy more than any other person in world, she was willing to forgive him for his mistakes move forward with him. She had not done that with Matt or Juice but with Happy she had, she was wanted him and was willing to forgive.

Liv took a deep breath as she pulled her black Toyota Pries into the parking lot of the SAMTAC club house. The Pries had been a gift from Tig and Venus in hopes she would use it to visit more often, she had not. Tig had understood, he didn't want his daughter to be uncomfortable in the place he wanted to call home one day. The clubhouse was lined with bikes and several men stood outside drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. She spotted Montez before she got out of her car and took another deep breath, all the while wondering what she was doing. She stepped out of the car. She was wearing a pair of skinny black jeans and a gray and white striped tank top, she was showing just enough cleavage. Her black kitten heels clicked as she walked towards Montez, who turned to look at her with some of the other members.

You can do this, Olivia. She repeated over and over in her head.

Montez gave her a confused look. "Liv what are you doing here?" He knew it had something to with Happy, who was far from in a good mood when he arrived in Tacoma. It surprised him to have Hap arrive in such a foul mood after he had spent a night with Liv. And then there was Liv who drove over two hours to get there.

"Where is he?" She asked calmly but there was a white hot fire burning below her composed façade.

Montez frowned. They must have fought, he did not want to be in the middle of that battle. "I think he's in his dorm room. Last door on the left." Liv knew that room well it was the one that they had stayed in when they were in Tacoma. Montez would have readily admitted that Liv was becoming a force to be reckoned with and it was good for Happy to have that.

"Thanks." She said without smiling and started in to the club house. It was just as she remembered it. However, this time there were double the amount of people in it. It was to her advantage as she made her way back to the dorms without being questioned. As she turned the corner to the room she saw a girl with barely any clothes on enter the last door on the left…Happy's room. "Oh hell no" she said to herself.

Liv got to the door and started to turn the knob, "Come on Hap. I can tell you need a release." The woman's silky smooth voice came from the other side of the door.

"Beat it, not today." Happy's voice was full of venom.

"I'm sure I can boost your moral." She pushed. Liv pushed open the door forcefully and stared daggers at the whore who was really not wearing much of anything she looked like she was wearing a tube shirt for a skirt and another for her top. "Excuse me this is a private party." The blonde who had been hovering over Happy who was lying down on the bed stood up to push Liv out of the room.

Liv raised her eyebrow at the girl. "Really? I believe I heard him tell you to beat it. Get lost whore."

The blonde turned to say something to Happy but he surprisingly back up Liv, "Get the fuck out!" He said sternly. She listened and closed the door behind her, leaving Liv and Happy alone. Happy stared at Liv, her chest raised in fast breaths, she was nervous. "What are you doing here?" He asked his voice still harsh but there was a soft tone to it. Happy stood up and face Liv.

"Why did you just go? Am I just one of your many sluts Happy?" Liv yelled at him as she shoved him hard in the chest.

"I had my reasons for leaving." Happy said with fury that matched Liv's. He didn't want to do deal with Liv when he was angry. The last time he had, he had shoved her into Juice's arms and pushed her away.

Liv put her hand on her hip and glared at him, "And what were those? You got what you wanted from me and shit why not just leave…right?!"

"You lied!" Happy snapped, his brown eyes flashed with rage.

"About what?" Liv glared.

"Juice. You said things were over but from the text you got this morning it is obvious that you two were still together." Happy clenched his jaw in frustration. "Why the fuck are you here anyway?"

Liv pulled her cell phone out, she had never seen a text from Juice. "What text Happy? I am here for an answer, I do not appreciate being treated like a piece of shit after you said you loved me." Liv found the text that Happy was talking about and looked up at him. "Oh my god." She let out an indignant laugh. "You think…tell me what you think." Liv's voice was calmer.

Happy glowered at Olivia, "You are still with Juice and you two have a kid together. I saw her picture."

Olivia snorted, "Oh my fucking god, why do you jump to fucking conclusions. Do you realize most of our problems happen because you either run or you jump to conclusion? You are so damn frustrating!" Liv shook her head.

"What the hell do you mean?" Happy growled, he was ready to pick Liv up and carry her out to her car and send her on her way back to Portland.

"The baby in the text is Avery." Happy didn't care what the fuck they had named their kid. "She is Juice's but she isn't mine." Liv stared into Happy's face, which seemed to relax at the revelation. Liv walked to the bed and sat down and patted it for Happy to sit next to her, he did. "She is Juice and Natalie's. They slept together when Juice and I were still together. He had found out about us and it happened. I told him I loved you and he shoved me against a wall. Thankfully my dad was there and he stopped him. I ended things before I found out about Juice and Nat." Liv confessed. "I thought I hated Natalie after the betrayal, we didn't talk for seven months. I realized when Natalie needed me I didn't hate her and that she saved me from my own misery. I was there when Nat had Avery, Juice was out of town on business. He was just thanking me for being there for them." It felt great to finally get that off of her chest. "You asked me why I was here today Happy, I am here because I love you and I don't want to lose you again."

Happy relaxed and looked over at Liv, who was willing to fight for them. He had been a fool for not just waking her up and stopping this from happening. He touched Liv's face gently. "Thank you, Liv." Happy said quietly

Liv frowned, "For what?" She searched his dark brown eyes for answers.

"For stopping me from making another shitty decision." He loved this firery woman with all his heart.

"You should really stop jumping to conclusions Happy, especially when it comes to me. I want to be with you, Happy Lowman and no one else." Liv waited for his response on bated breath.

"Olivia, I was going to ask you this before Jake traded you to Marks…but" Happy couldn't formulate the words. "Be my old lady." He sputtered out.

Liv smiled broadly at him, she never thought that the trip to Tacoma would have ended with such a commitment from Happy. She had assumed it would lead to more heartache. "Yes." She whispered as she placed her mouth against his.

A/N: I told you to wait. Just so you know it was going to be a longer wait but Liv had other ideas. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter…it will be interesting how Happy and Liv handle the long distance thing. Let me know what you think about this chapter….cheers for now.