Adira was sitting in one of the many waiting areas of St. Thomas with Gage. Today was her last appointment and she was anxious to be released and be normal again. She was ready to dance again.
She had been in Charming about two months now. She had been seeing her new therapist three times a week for the last six weeks. Her therapist was super nice, he actually went through a majority of school with her previous therapist. He gave her hope that she would dance again without issues except for her knee tiring out on her. He made it very clear that when she started dancing again she needed to ease into it, and when her knee got weak it was time to stop.
"You excited to see if you're released to start dancing again Dee?" Gage asked from beside her. He could see his sister just bouncing in her seat. He knew that as soon as she got home she would go down to the basement and go through warm ups and start easing back in.
"You know dancing is my life Gage. I just need to dance, not doing it is driving me insane." She said looking at him.
"Miss Baudin!" A nurse yelled as she emerged from behind a door. Adira looked at her brother and got up to follow the nurse.
Gage had seen Adira progress at an amazing pace the last six weeks. She was no longer limping when she walked. She was even walking at her normal pace again. As moving became easier she became more anxious about dancing again. He just knew that the first time he saw her dance after this, it would be an amazing sight to see.
Adira made it back to the exam room with the nurse. She sat on the exam table as instructed as the nurse began doing her initial assessment. All of her vitals were normal, she had no complaints, and wasn't having any pain with her knee. After the nurse left it was a short time later that her surgeon from San Fransisco came in with her new orthopedic.
"Miss Baudin! It's so nice to see you!" Dr. Murphy, her surgeon, smiled. He had been amazing since her surgery. He made sure he kept up with her progress and always told her that he wanted to know when her first performance was because he would be there.
"Dr. Murphy what a pleasant surprise! Hello Dr. Hughes." She smiled greeting the two older men.
"Well Adira all we need to do is take a quick look at you and you should be free to dance again." Dr. Hughes said with a smile. He chuckled as her face lit up unlike any expression he had seen her wear.
Twenty minutes later Adira was walking through the halls of St. Thomas, smile plastered to her face, when Gage's burner began blaring. He stepped to the side of the hall to take his call. After a few hushed minutes of conversation he hung up and looked at Adira with an unreadable expression.
"Gage what's wrong?" She asked walking over to him. What ever the person told him on the other line wasn't good, and she began going over scenarios in her head.
"Jax's junkie ex wife. Gem found her, on the way here now in an ambulance. It ain't sounding good for the kid." Gage said running a hand through his hair.
Adira stood there stunned. Of all the calls she thought, this one never played out. She couldn't comprehend why a woman would do drugs while she was pregnant. She couldn't justify hurting a child, and to think someone could stunned her.
"What the actual fuck Gage." She said in a low tone that made Gage snap his eyes to her. He knew that look she had on her face, and nothing good ever followed.
"Dee don't you go and get all Gemma on the poor girl. You contain your ass when they get here. Do you understand me?" He said with warning clear in his voice.
Adria stiffly nodded her head as she made her way to the ER waiting room. It wasn't long before Gemma strode in. Almost instantly she found Adira and strode over to her. The tension rolling off her in waves.
"Hey baby I heard you got released to dance." Gemma smiled hugging her. Before she sat down.
"Yeah, I'm excited. Where's Jax?" Adira asked looking around as Gage walked back into the seating area.
"Can't get none of them on the damn phone. I swear Clay better have a damn good excuse or I'm chopping his balls off! I mean it!" She snapped clearly irritated. Adira wouldn't doubt for a second if Gemma did to Clay as she said.
Hours later Jax and the other guys came storming into the hospital. When Jax spotted her he all but ran over.
"Where's ma?" He asked frantically. She took his hand and led him to follow her. When they finally got on the floor he ran over to Gemma. Adira stayed back with her brothers.
Adira had been officially released for three weeks now, but she had yet to have the opportunity to dance. Between Jax's kid and everything else she was stressed. She had also been looking for a house to buy to move into her own place. She couldn't handle living with her dad anymore.. Janet and James had been at her moms, apparently she was sick and she hated Adira's dad.
Adira sat outside the clubhouse at one of the picnic tables when a motorcycle came roaring into the lot. When she looked up she saw the familiar face of Happy walking towards her. Without realizing it a smile spread across her face as he sat beside her straddling the bench she sat on.
"Hey Hap." She said softly looking at him. The nerves creeping into her as he sat by her silently. "Guys are out right now." She added looking back out across the lot. He took out a cigarette and lit it before replying to her.
"Yeah I know. How the knee?" He rasped taking a drag from his cigarette.
"It's better. Got released a few weeks ago." She smiled looking over to him
"Good. You dance yet?" He asked stubbing his cigarette out.
"Not yet. Been too busy lately with all the craziness here." She sighed leaning into him. She knew he only allowed her to do it because no one was around. It was something that started back before he came to see her dance in Seattle.
Every now and then Happy would crash at her apartment if he was too tired to finish his trip to Tacoma. There had been several times he had caught her at a bad time. When some asshole boyfriend cheated on her again because she devoted her life to her dancing. When she was down, or had something on her mind he would sit like this with her.
"You okay girl?" He asked settling an arm around her waist bringing her closer to him. She adjusted and rested her head in the crook of his neck. She let her body lean into his as she enjoyed the peace.
"You know me Hap, I'll be okay." She answered quietly. It was then she heard the distant sound of a motorcycle and she stood from her seat.
Happy wasn't going to lie, he enjoyed those moments with her. They never lasted long enough to full satisfy him though. He had gotten to know her over the years when she lived in San Fransisco. Those first couple of years were his favorite. She refused to become attached to anyone. That was when he didn't have to share her, and he was the only person she would sit that way with. Then she began dating, and he didn't like sharing her affections with anyone else, but it wasn't his place to say anything. She wasn't his old lady. She didn't belong to him at all.
Happy watched as Gage pulled into the lot with Brooklyn on the back of his bike. She had been at some camp when she got to charming and it finished yesterday. Gage promised Brooke he would bring her to see Adira when she found out she was in charming. James was due back tomorrow from his sick grandmas with his mom.. School started next week.
"Sissy!" Brooke squealed as she hopped off the back of Gage's bike and dashed to Adira. When she reached her she gave her one of the tightest hugs Adira had ever gotten.
Happy shook his head as he watched the two blondes giggle together. As the girls giggled Gage walked over to him taking Adira's spot.
"You got any plans ever pursuing whatever the hell it is between the two of you?" Gage asked not even looking at Happy. Happy sat stunned momentarily by the younger mans bluntness.
"What you mean brother?" He asked playing dumb. Hoping it convinced the younger man.
"Hap, I ain't stupid. I see the way you look at her. I see the way she looks at you. Ever since dad put you checkin' on her after she moved to San Fran you two got close. Well, in some weird way you two are close. It's kinda fuckin' creepy at times." Gage replied shaking his head laughing.
"I ain't got a clue what you're talking about." He said playing dumb before standing and walking away from the awkward conversation which caught the two blondes attention.
Gage shook his head as he watched Happy's retreating back. He knew the man was protective of Adira. He also knew there was more to their friendship than either was willing to admit. He didn't know if the two would ever acknowledge what it was they had. It was becoming clearer to everyone there was something as time wore on. No one, other than Gage, dared mention to Happy though.
"So Dee," Brooke started with a sly grin on her face, "when are you two finally gunna hook up?" She asked giggling.
Adira swatted at the younger girl laughing. "We aren't guna hook up. Besides don't you think I'm a little too young for Hap Brooke." Adira laughed trying to avoid the topic.
"No, age is a number anyway. That's what mom says when I asked her about Paul." Brooke said referring to her step dad. "I mean he's like Papa Piney's age." She snorted.
Adira laughed knowing her sisters mom was a bit of a gold digger. She married some old banker with a lot of money after she divorced her dad. It was clear Brooke wasn't fond of him and preferred her dad. Like her older sister, she was a daddy's girl.
"This is so not a conversation I should be having with my fifteen year old sister." She laughed bumping her hip into Brooklyn.
"Well you need someone to talk about boys too. So your choices are me, Gem, Janet, mom, or one of the guys." Brooke stated matter of factly, placing a hand on her hip. The younger girl knew the only possible person she may talk to was Gemma. Even then she doubted Adira would talk to Gemma about Happy.
"Brooke, you're fifteen. What could you possibly know about dating a Son that I wouldn't know already?" She asked laughing as the two girls walked to the clubhouse as the other guys pulled into the lot.
"I know when two people like each other Dee. Happy looks at you the way Clay looks a Gemma, Opie looks at Donna, dad looks at Janet. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm blind, Dee." The young girl stated crossing her arms stopping to look at her sister.
If there was one thing Brooklyn absolutely was, it was observant. Sometimes it got on Adira's nerves because Brooke would pick up on anything going on. So she knew when she said something about Happy, she knew eventually the others would pick up on it too. She didn't know how she felt about that. She enjoyed things the way they were at the moment in her love life. She didn't want going and getting attached to anyone.
"Brooke he's just a friend who checks up on me from time to time. That's all it is." Adira said trying to end the conversation about Happy as she sat on one of the couches in the club house.
"Yeah, keep on telling yourself that one sis. Maybe eventually we will all believe it too." Brooke stated as Adira shot her a glare electing a laugh from the younger girl.
"So anyway how was camp?" Adira asked changing the subject, not willing to talk about Happy anymore.
"Good, we have our first competition in a few weeks. You going to be there?" Brooke asked sinking into the couch.
"You know I will be baby girl. I mean who trained you all those years before I left." Adira giggled throwing an arm around her sisters shoulders.
As the two girls chatted and caught up the guys slowly started to trickle into the the club house. Bradley, Gage, Slade, and Adam all came over to kiss the girls on the top of the head before meandering to whatever it was they were doing. When their dad walked in with Clay he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he saw all his children but one at the clubhouse. It was rare they were all in the same place at the same time. This was one of those rare times that wasn't a holiday that he had almost all of them in one place.
"Dee, Brooke you two behaving?" Her father called from the bar." Giving the girls a goofy grin.
"Yes daddy we are being little angels!" Brooke called out causing Tig to choke on his beer.
"You two! Angels?!" Tig sputtered laughing sitting his beer down and turning to the girls. "The day you two act like angels when you are together is the day I tie myself down to a woman." He finished as he walked over and plopped in between the two of them.
"Now Tiggy, I'm a good girl." Adira pouted causing Tig to look at her like she was insane.
"Now tell me another lie Dee. You and I both know from the time you were eleven to the time you were sixteen you were a little hell cat." Tig replied ruffling her hair.
"I'm the good one, right, Uncle Tig?" Brooke asked with a Cheshire grin.
"While you ain't the hurricane Dee is, you're still a woman. Still crazy." Tig laughed as Brooke hit him lightly on the arm.
The longer Adira was home, the more she realized she missed being here. She missed her dad, her brothers, her sister, the guys. This was what her life was. After six years of living away from home she was happy to be back. She still had no idea what she was going to be doing yet, she was still helping Gemma in the office. She knew though she made the right choice by coming home.