Happy left Charming that night, stopping at the clubhouse in Portland, Oregon. The Sons there always had a room for him. He immediately retreated there where he passed out for the next six hours.
_-_-_777_-_-_
Charlie woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee being waved under her nose. Azalia was standing beside the bed with a large mug in her hands.
"Whassa matta baby?" Charlie asked, hand reaching out as she scooted up to lean against her head board.
"Girl talk." The teen replied, crawling in on the other side of her mom. She cuddled up to her mother. "So this Happy guy?"
"Ah! I should've known this was coming." Charlie chuckled as she sipped at her coffee.
"Yeah! I wanna know everything." Azalia said. Charlie laughed.
"Gilmore girl moment much?" She asked her daughter, setting her coffee down on her night stand. She picked up her cigarettes and lit one, lifting the ashtray off the stand and settling it in her lap before speaking. "He's something, isn't he?"
"Yeah. Where'd you find that hunk of sexy?" Azalia asked, giggling at her mother's look of disbelief.
"Well you helped that along. I met him the day you blew the engine in the truck." Charlie replied, taking a drag of her smoke. Azalia was trying to remember him from that day.
"Wait… The guy that was talking to you and Jax?" She asked, staring into her mother's face.
"Yeah that's him. He came up and started talking to me. He's the one who took a look at your truck and gave me the estimate for it. But I didn't really start talking to him 'til Gemma dragged me to the party. We had a few drinks, he checked out the tattoo on my neck, talked for a while. He even ignored all the sluts that hang around 'cause we were talking." Charlie said, picking up her coffee and taking a sip.
"You really like this guy don't you?" Azalia asked.
"Yeah, but you know the deal breaker for me. You and your brother have to like him." Charlie said, taking another hit of the cigarette. Azalia watched as her mother blew the smoke out and flicked the ash.
"You know that me and Carson love you. Yes I know shocking considering the knock out drag downs we have, but sometimes I wonder, if you didn't worry about us so much if you'd be happier." Azalia said, biting her lip.
"How can you think that Z? You and Carson mean everything to me. You two are my world. Everything I do is to make sure you have a good life." Charlie said, astounded.
"I know, but you haven't been on a date since divorcing Jesse, who by the way, is a douchebag that hasn't called in six months, not even on Christmas. But that's besides the point. We want you to be happy. And working all the time, staying home with us, cleaning, that's not doing it. Last night was the first time I've seen you completely peaceful mom." Azalia said, watching her mother stub out the cigarette and place the ashtray back on the night table. She wiggled her toes under her mom's legs, which earned her a dirty look.
"Those are cold you know?" Charlie said. "The other thing is, there's a rule amongst bikers, what happens on a run stays on a run. So for all I know, he's up in Washington banging every piece of ass who bats an eyelash. I can't handle that, as sexy and in a weird and dark way sweet as he is. You know yesterday he took me to a clearing. Didn't ask anything of me but to just be there. It was amazing."
Azalia watched her mother speak. She's never seen her mom like this before. This guy had really gotten under her skin. Charlie was very straight forward. She'd never lied to Azalia before. Everything was out in the open, Z's father, money situations, general bitching. So the fact that that was what her mom was thinking was surprising.
"Maybe you need a relaxed relationship mom. Just a guy to use for a lay when he's around."
"Azalia!" Charlie squawked, head snapping around to stare gob smacked at the teen.
"What? I'm seventeen, doesn't make me an idiot." Azalia said, laughing heartily.
"You know, random nights are bad for me. I get knocked up waaaay too easily." Charlie said, drinking deeply of the coffee.
"Well, you're Dutch and English. I'm that and Irish and German. Carson is that and Italian and French. Why not complete the set with a little Latino baby?" Charlie spit coffee across the bed. Azalia busted up laughing.
"Okay conversation over." Charlie said, climbing out of bed. Azalia was still rolling. Carson padded into the room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"What's so funny?"
_-_-_777_-_-_
Happy awoke at noon that Sunday. He rubbed his face and sat up. A pounding on the door, knocked him out of his sleepy state and he climbed out of bed and ripped the door open to see Poker, the Portland SAA.
"What?" He growled out.
"Tacoma called." Poker said, leaning against the doorframe. Poker was shorter than Happy by six inches, easily dwarfed by the latter's 6'4" frame. Happy glared down at him.
"Well call them back and tell them I'll be there tonight." Happy said, before slamming the door. Red came down the hallway.
"Told you not to wake the killer." He said.
_-_-_777_-_-_
Gemma called Charlie at about ten.
"Good morning, sweetheart. How's our Happy friend." Gemma asked, her glee ringing through the speaker.
"In Washington." Charlie replied shortly. She had just gotten out of the shower and was rifling through clothes trying to find something to wear during the day.
"Oh that's sucks, but how did yesterday go? Better yet, meet me for breakfast. Bring the kids, my treat. You, me, and Azalia can have girl talk while Carson gorges himself on Estelle's pancakes." Gemma said.
"I dunno Gemma." Charlie said, pulling on a pair of jeans, phone tucked in between her shoulder and cheek.
"Just meet me there. Half an hour." Gemma hung up. Charlie sighed.
"Z! Carson! Get ready to go. We're going out to breakfast!" She hollered out her bedroom door. She found a t-shirt that said, "Mom's rule, Dad's drool" and yanked it over her head. She grabbed a pair of socks from her dresser and walked out the door. She opened Azalia's door to see her standing in the closet rifling through shirts.
"Ten minutes mom. Swear!" Azalia said, glancing at Charlie. Charlie shut the door and walked down to Carson's room. She opened his door to see him pulling on his shoes.
"Be downstairs in a second."
"Okay." Charlie said. She walked back to her room and grabbed her tennis shoes, before heading downstairs.
True to her word, Azalia was coming down the stairs at 10:10. Carson had already run outside and was riding his bike in the yard. Charlie grabbed her purse off the entry table and walked out the door, Azalia right behind her.
"Carson, put your bike up. Time to go." Charlie said, heading to the car. Azalia climbed into the passenger seat. Carson ran up after he put his bike on the porch.
The three set off to Estelle's diner. A feeling of dread coiled in Charlie's stomach as she imagined Gemma's line of questioning. Of all the people at Teller-Morrow, the matriarch of the Son's of Anarchy who had walked into her shop two years before had been the closest to her, and also the nosiest. She'd never met the woman before that day in her store, even though she'd been close to Opie and Jax in high school. Gemma had become a regular customer and a friend but the woman still scared the shit out of Charlie.
"Mom. Who are we meeting there?" Carson asked, kicking the back of Azalia's seat. Azalia reached around and smacked his legs as Charlie said, "Ms. Gemma. Now best behavior everyone or deep shit. Got it?"
They pulled up at Estelle's and Carson went sprinting inside ahead of Charlie and Azalia. As the girls walked in, they could see Carson shamelessly flirting with the pretty waitress.
"Carson, let the nice girl find us a table." Charlie said. The waitress laughed and said, "Right this way." The trio sat down and ordered drinks.
Gemma walked in the door and ignoring the waitress that greeted her, immediately sat down next to Azalia.
"So how was it? Not many women catch our killer's eye." Gemma wasted no time with the questioning.
"It was fine." Charlie said shortly sipping at the Pepsi the waitress had brought her. Azalia snorted.
"Better than fine, I'd say. Judging from you two on the couch last night. Him not letting you pay for dinner. You being glued to his side. I'm stunned you two weren't making out like a couple in a bad teen movie." Azalia said, making Gemma laugh.
"Oh really?" The queen said, raising an eyebrow at the now brilliant red Charlie.
"Yeah she's just too shy to say anything." Azalia confirmed. Charlie just lowered her head.
"Momma, can I get pancakes, and sausage?" Carson asked.
"Ask Ms. Gemma." Charlie said absently.
"Yes you can doll. Anything you want." Gemma said. "Now Charlie." Charlie groaned. "How do you feel about our friend Happy?"
"I so don't want to talk about it?" Charlie said.
"Too bad. Spill." Gemma stated bluntly, flagging down a waitress. The girl rushed over and quickly took their orders. Charlie was grateful, for the minutes without questioning. The waitress walked away and Charlie sighed. Carson looked exceedingly bored.
"Charlie?" Gemma said.
"Fine. Yesterday went great. It was wonderful. All roses and sunshine." Charlie said, trying to get off the subject.
"Okay princess, how about telling us the truth?" Gemma said. Charlie looked between Gemma and Azalia, both of whom were looking at her like 'really? You think that's gonna fly?' She growled.
"He took me out to a clearing we talked and just stayed there, quietly for three hours. He brought me home and stayed and ate dinner and watched Shaun of the Dead and The Hills have Eyes with us. Yes he bought dinner. No he did not stay the night; he left right after taking Carson upstairs and putting him in bed. Anymore questions ask him." Charlie said very quickly.
Gemma and Azalia stared at her. Gemma couldn't believe it.
"Wait, he put Carson in bed?" She asked.
"Yeah. Carson had fallen asleep and rather than waking him up, he just scooped him up and carried him to bed. Is that so bad?" Charlie asked. Gemma just stared at her, apparently in shock.
"I think you're gonna tame the killer." Gemma said. The waitress brought their food. Azalia took her and looked at her mother.
"Mom, just face it. No arguments, avoiding the topic, or sarcasm is gonna get you outta this." She said, Gemma nodding in agreement.
"I'm in Hell." Charlie groaned.
"Not yet you're not. Wait 'til I tell Jax." Gemma smirked.
"Oh shit."
_-_-_777_-_-_
Happy pulled into Tacoma at 4:00. Two of his brothers approached as he parked and killed the engine.
"Hey Hap. Prez is looking for you." The taller Son, Bully, said. Bully was taller than Happy and had fifty pounds of muscle on him. The shorter one, Lorca, clapped him on the back and asked.
"How was SAMCRO? Find any good pussy down there." Happy grinned.
"Maybe." Bully and Lorca laughed.
"Happy!" A voice boomed out.
"Wolf." Happy greeted. The Tacoma president came up to the three.
"I need you in the chapel now." Wolf said. Bully and Lorca turned and headed towards the clubhouse. Thaddeus Fellow, or Wolf, got his nickname from a tattoo the Sons had discovered when he was prospecting in the '70s. He quickly lived up to that nickname when it was needed being one of the more ferocious members of the club. Happy remembered Wolf as his sponsor for the club, getting patched in just before Wolf became President of the Tacoma Charter.
Happy climbed off his bike and followed the president into the clubhouse. He ignored the sweet butts peering at him and headed straight for the Chapel. The rest of the Tacoma Sons were already gathered there.
"We have a problem that needs your brand of resolution." Wolf said as soon as the doors closed. That statement caused laughter to ring out through the room.
"What kind of problem?" Happy asked. Wolf grinned.
"Guy by the name of Jesse Vitolo got in deep debt to us. He's only been around a couple months but when we went to get our money back. Bully?"
"He laughed at us. Told us he'd never pay fuckers like us." Bully said. Happy growled.
"Well we'll just have to correct that." Happy said a smirk crossing his face. Kozik spoke up.
"Guy's got a wife and son. Just moved here from New York. Said he needed the money to pay off some prior debts he had. Alimony and child support." Kozik read out of the paper work Eddie, the Intelligence Officer, had collected. Happy looked over at Kozik.
"Who's the ex?" He asked. Kozik flipped the pages in the file.
"Charlotte Ryzdale and son Carson Ryzdale-Vitolo. He left her for Anne-Marie Winters now Vitolo. Charlotte has another child."
"A daughter. Seventeen years old. Azalia Ann Ryzdale." Happy said. The guys all stared at him.
"She's from Charming. Koz you remember that bitch I was with at the clubhouse down there?" Kozik's eyes widened.
"No fuckin' way." Happy nodded.
"I've been… well." A chorus of 'Ohs ' travelled through the room.
"Well Charlotte." "Charlie." Happy interrupted. "She goes by Charlie."
"Well Charlie." Kozik continued. "Has a case number attached to her name but it's sealed. Can't access it."
"Okay so you want me to solve this problem with this bitch I knows ex old man?" Happy asked.
"Is that a problem?" Wolf asked, unhappy with the reaction he was getting from his hit man.
"No. What do we know? Routines, where he lives, when the wife and kid won't be around." Happy asked.
"He works at a real estate agency as a broker. Wife is a stay at home mom. Vitolo likes to go to a strip club on the east side of town, Casanada, on Friday nights. Real high class joint if you can't tell by the name. His favorite stripper is a gash they call Sunshine. She's our in." Kozik said.
"It's taken care of." Happy said. Wolf nodded his head and slammed the gavel.
The Sons dispersed into the main room, getting drinks at the bar. Happy took the long neck the prospect behind the bar offered and walked to his dorm room. Unlocking the door, he pulls his phone out of his pocket.
Dialing a quick number, he shuts the door behind him.
He listened to the phone ring… Once… Twice… It picked up after the third ring.
"Hello?"