Well I managed to finish this amid a computer malfunction and three hours on the phone with tech support. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. They brighten my day.
Thanks to my lovely beta, Kateriina Sofia, for betaing this
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Charlie and Happy stayed out in the clearing for another two hours. This time on the way back, Charlie relaxed a little. She began tracing his abs through the t-shirt Happy was wearing. God he is sexy. She soon noticed the speed on the bike increasing. She smiled to herself at his reaction.
Happy's jaw was tight as he felt her fingers trace his stomach. The engine revved as his grip tightened. He felt her pressed against him and her fingers. What the fuck is wrong with me? No other gash has done this to me! He sped up as he felt her fingers slide down his abdomen. He heard a small laugh from behind him.
He soon pulled into Charming, passing Jax and Chibs on their way out of town. Charlie chuckled at their obvious staring at the pair.
"I think they're surprised." She said into Happy's ear. Happy smirked. He took a right and pulled into her driveway. She hopped off the bike and handed the helmet to him.
"Do you wanna come in?" She asked, watching his face closely.
"I can't stay long. I've gotta head up to Tacoma for a week or so." He said, pulling his helmet off. She gave him a curious look but didn't ask.
"Okay." She said. She led him into the house. He looked around. Directly to his left was the living room. It had a black overstuffed sectional and matching chair, large black entertainment center with matching bookshelves stocked full, A wrought iron coffee table with a glass inlay had matching end tables. The walls were painted deep red with a cream carpet. Happy nodded appreciatively.
"Welcome to the house." Charlie said setting her sunglasses on a table by the door. Carson came running down the stairs.
"Mom, Azalia won't help me with my homework!" He said, pouting.
"I told him I would help him, not do it for him." The teen called down the stairs. Charlie raised an eyebrow at her son, who ducked his head and trucked back up the stairs.
"Do you want something to drink? We've got all kinds of pop." Charlie asked heading towards the kitchen. He followed looking at the pictures lining the hall heading into the kitchen. He stopped mid-stride. It was Charlie but when she was much younger. She was holding a baby in her lap, the two curled up in a rocking chair. Charlie's hair was a deeper red than what she had now. Her face was not as defined baby fat still in her cheeks. She was shorter than she was now to, judging by how the chair swallowed her up. The baby was wrapped in a pink blanket. Happy assumed it was Azalia. She had curly blonde hair and tiny features. Tiny fingers were wrapped in her mother's hair as she slept. The picture was peaceful. His mind began turning it into a tattoo. He turned at the touch of a hand on his arm.
"Oh. You saw that one, huh?" Charlie said, following his eye line. "I was thirteen, almost fourteen. Azalia was six months. I was watching a movie with her one night, just holding her and I passed out. Dad snapped this. When I found out I was mad, all he could say was, 'I couldn't resist.' Now it's one of the most precious pictures I've got." She said, reaching up and running a finger over Azalia's face. Happy watched the expression on her face. Charlie blinked back tears and snatched his hand, towing him towards the kitchen. She led him over to the table where there were two cans of pepsi waiting. She grabbed her cigarettes off the counter, lighting one up. She pulled the ashtray in between them before sitting down beside him.
"Some place you've got." He commented, pulling his own smokes out of his pocket.
"It's not much but I make do." She said blowing out a stream of smoke. "Kids go finish your homework." She called not even turning around. Happy heard footsteps clambering up the stairs.
"I like it. It's not too chicky." He said absently. "How did you know they were there?" he questioned, nodding his head upward.
"Don't pretend you didn't know they were there. But mother's instinct, eyes in the back of the head thing, totally true." Happy laughed, his whole demeanor changing.
Azalia waltzed into the kitchen.
"Homework done?" Charlie asked without batting an eye.
"Yeah and Carson is on his last bit of math." The girl said, walking to the fridge and opening it. Charlie sucked another drag of her cigarette, just watching Happy. He was taking in everything silently. She'd never been around someone where it felt completely natural to sit quietly. No talking just relaxing quiet. Azalia pulled a pop out of the fridge and walked over to Happy.
"I'm Azalia, call me Z." She said, looking him up and down.
"Happy." He said, shortly looking at her mother.
"Go check on your brother." Charlie said shortly. Azalia scoffed and pranced out of the kitchen. Charlie shook her head. "I should probably pick out a movie."
"Mind if I stick around a while?" Happy asked. Charlie was stunned.
"I thought you had to leave?" She asked, though her heart was pounding.
"It can wait 'til morning." He said, bringing a huge smile to her face.
"Well then. You get to pick the movie. Collection's in the entertainment center just open the door and pull out the big cases they're all labeled." Charlie said, walking down the hall and up the stairs. She knocked on Carson's door.
"Your turn to pick supper. What do you want baby?" She asked. Carson and turned around from his desk.
"I was thinking Chinese." He said, eyes pleading.
"You do know there's no Chinese place in Charming, right?" She asked.
"Yeah there is. New place just opened up on Ivy Road. Jake's mom took us there when I stayed the night two weeks ago." He said, looking at his mom like 'duh you should know that.'
"Do they deliver?" Charlie asked, resigning herself to his choice.
"Yep. I even got their number for you." Carson said bouncing up and digging through his backpack. He pulled out a flier with the number to 'Wu's Restaurant' and a list of their specials.
"Wow prepared. I suppose I'd better go order." Charlie walked by Azalia's room calling out,
"Chinese tonight."
"Make sure you get sweet and sour chicken." Azalia called back.
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Happy watched as Charlie went upstairs. He got up from the kitchen table and walked down the same hall Charlie had just walked down. He looked over the pictures on the walls again. He saw a wedding portrait that looked like it was Charlie's parents. Charlie and Carson still in the hospital, Charlie looked exhausted but had a look of pure joy on her face. Happy couldn't imagine what it must have been like in the hospital for her. Continuing on to the living room, he walked to the entertainment center and opened the cabinet. To his surprise, instead of seeing individual movie cases, he found four of the large cd cases each with a label bearing a name. He pulled Charlie's case out and sat down on the couch. Opening the case, he was surprised to find action movies, indie films he'd never seen, some chick movies, and several horror flicks.
"Find anything?" Charlie asked from the doorway. Happy turned and looked at her.
"Not yet. Good taste though."
"Thanks. We each have own case. Keeps Carson from watching movies he shouldn't and Azalia hates everything except romantic comedies and vampire flicks. Drives me crazy." Charlie laughed. Happy went back to looking through the movies. He pulled out The Hills Have Eyes and held it up for approval. Charlie nodded.
"Carson's already seen it. He'll be okay to watch it." She said. "But we'll probably have to watch something else 'til it gets dark. No point in watching a scary movie when it's still light out." Happy just continued flipping through the case, pulling out Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Charlie bit her lip.
"I'll just cover his eyes when I need to." She said.
"Nah, I'll just find something else." Happy said, replacing the disc. He noticed that each slot was neatly labeled with the title of the movie and the content of the disc. He flipped back a couple pages to find Shaun of the Dead.
"Perfect. You're gonna be Carson's hero. He loves that movie." Charlie said, "I need to call the Chinese place." She went and snagged her wallet from her purse.
She sat down next to Happy and picked up the house phone, quickly dialing the number. She placed her order and got the total. Hanging up the phone she turned on the T.V. She heard scuffling upstairs followed by shouts.
"Crap. Here watch whatever you want." Charlie handed him the remote. He watched as she left the room, hollering as she went.
"Knock this shit off! Or I'm cancelling movie night and you two can stay in your rooms for the rest of the night." The fighting ceased almost immediately. Charlie heard her phone go off in the kitchen. She went and grabbed it to see Gemma had text her.
Hows it goin? Charlie groaned.
Fantastic. But thats all the answer youre getting. She quickly replied. She heard footstep coming down the stairs as she reached in the fridge and grabbed four cans of pop. Her phone went off again.
Fine. Be a bitch. Gemma sent back. Charlie just laughed. She walked back into the living room to see that Carson was laying on the floor watching some show about motorcycles Charlie had never seen before. Happy looking over at her, small smile crossing his face.
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What the fuck is going on? Got the whole kid thing started? Why did I ask to say? Fuck fuck fuck! 'cause it brought a fucking smile to her face, that's fuckin' why. Fuck! What is wrong with me? She's just another pussy, fuck no she's not. Shit!
"Charlie." He rasped out. She looked over at him. He patted the seat next to him and set his arm on the back of the sofa.
"One sec. Z! Time to come down." She called up the stairs. Charlie went and sat next to Happy. Azalia stepped down the stairs lightly.
"Who picked the movies tonight?" She asked her mother, taking note of how she was sitting really close to this biker. Azalia scoffed before sitting on the opposite end of the couch.
"Guests pick, you know that." Charlie replied. Happy wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side.
"Carson put the movie in baby." Charlie said, Carson popping up and taking the movie from Happy. He quickly got it all set up and tossed the remote to his mother, who started the movie. They watched for about half an hour before there was a knock at the door. Charlie made to get up and answer it but Happy pushed her back down.
"I got it." He said, getting up and going to the door. He opened it to see the delivery kid from the Chinese place. The kid went white at the sight of Happy. His eyes took in the leather cut, the knife always at his belt and finally the dark eyes that were currently boring into him.
"How much I owe ya?" Happy asked. The kid swallowed hard.
"Th-th-thirty one , s-s-seventy three." He stammered out. Happy dug around in his pockets and pulled out a roll of cash.
"Keep the change." He said, peeling off a couple of twenties. The kid took the money and handed the food over before bolting. Happy walked back into the living room to see Charlie sitting up right on the sofa. She was looking at him as he walked in the room. She paused the movie as the kids made a beeline for the food Happy had handed to Charlie.
"On comes the radar." Charlie said, giggling. She quickly handed food and chopsticks to Carson and Azalia, who retreated back to their spots. Charlie scooted into Happy who peered into the bag and grabbed the carton of beef and broccoli and the steamed rice. Charlie pressed play on the movie as she took her own carton of General Tso Chicken out of the bag. They sat in silence, the occasional laugh coming from Carson until the food was gone.
Charlie curled up into Happy as soon as they finished eating. She loved the way he smelled, leather from his cut, the smell of his cigarettes, and some kind of cologne under it all. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they watched the movie.
Soon Shaun of the Dead was over. Carson switched out the movie for The Hills Have Eyes and they all settled back in. Happy smiled as he felt Charlie jump, during the movie. He wrapped his arm a little tighter and she laid her hand on his chest.
Azalia and Carson had fallen asleep by the end of the movie. Charlie reluctantly got up and stretched. Happy watched as she began picking up trash, carefully stepping around Carson, who was sprawled on the floor. She sighed.
"Time to wake them enough to get them upstairs." She said softly, smiling at him. Happy stopped her and got up scooping Carson up and carrying him upstairs. Charlie stared after him, wide-eyed. Happy walked up the stairs and began nudging doors open. Finding Carson's, he laid the sleeping kid on the bed and walked out the door. Azalia passed him in the hall, he heard her door creak and a soft thud as she fell into her bed.
Charlie was putting pillows away and folding blankets as he walked into the living room.
"Thanks." Was all she said. Happy walked over to her, took the blanket out of her hands, pulled her close and kissed her. Charlie melted into him as his tongue ravaged her mouth. Her arms wound around his neck as he leaned toward her. Happy pulled back and looked down at her. She opened her eyes and looked directly into his. He was caught off guard at the green eyes piercing his.
He let her go and backed away. "I gotta head out of town, I'll be back in a couple weeks. Keep your phone on." He said, walking to the door.
"Okay. " He walked out. Charlie sat down hard on the sofa. She heard the bike start and the engine rev, the sound fading as Happy headed back to the clubhouse. Charlie's phone began ringing.
"Yes Gemma?" She answered.
"How'd it go?" The biker queen asked abruptly.
"Good. I'm going to bed. Goodnight Gemma." Charlie said, snapping the phone shut. She shook her head as she locked the front door and headed up the stairs.