Fighting Back

Chapter 1

Hale walked into the Police station, bracing himself for what he was about to do. He scanned the room until he found the person he was looking for. Clay was seated next to Jax who had his head buried in his hands.

Hale had been told about Abel being kidnapped and that Kip had been stabbed by the same man, he tried to protect Abel from. Hale knew the club would be reeling from these dramatic events, and the last thing they needed was more bad news, but unfortunately that's exactly the reason he had returned to the station.

Making his way towards the crowd of bikers who took up most of the space in the small station, he edged closer taking in their faces, all of them looked tired and deflated.

"Any luck?" Hale heard Clay asking Tig as he rose from his seat next to the Sargent of arms side.

"Nah."

"Where is she?" Hale figured they were talking about Nicole. He cleared his throat, to subtly gain their attention. Six bikers all with the look of desperation were now looking at him. But it was Jax who spoke.

"What is it, you got Cameron?"

"No, sorry Jax but I have my officers out there doing the best they can." Hale saw Jax's frown deepen, as he went back to cradling his head in his shaky hands. "Clay can I have a word?"

"I'm a little busy here." Clay uttered as he looked back to his stepson.

"It's important."

"Fine. What is it Hale?"

Hale felt the eyes that were already on him, narrow in on him even more. They were obviously waiting for him to talk, but Hale didn't want to broadcast the news he was about to deliver.

"Maybe we could talk in my office?"

"This better be good." Clay warned. He was annoyed by Hale's interruption.

Clay followed Hale into his office. He offered Clay a seat but he refused, telling him that he'd rather him get to the point of this little meeting.

"Nicole's in the Hospital." Hale blurted out.

"What...why what's happened?"

"She's been attacked." Clay took a faltering step back hearing Hale's words. He ran his hand over his grey hair.

"Was this Zobelle?" Clay demanded.

"No it was one of your Sons." Hale replied venomously, this attack was the last straw for Hale he wanted to close Samcro down for good. Clay was silenced, he couldn't comprehend the thought of one of his fellow brothers hurting his niece.

"He's also at the Hospital, he wa..."

Clay didn't wait for Hale to finish, he'd heard all he needed to. When he arrived back in the room that Hale had dragged him out of, he saw Tig, who had obviously been watching the direction Clay had left, a true Sargent of arms always on alert watching over his President. Clay cocked his head back silently instructing Tig over to him. Noting the gesture Tig walked over to him.

"What is it?" Tig knew that something was wrong, and his gut was telling him that the news Hale had recounted to Clay wasn't good, and the fact that the colour had drained from Clay's face backed up his gut feeling.

"I've got to head out."

"Where?"

"St. Thomas."

"Is Gemma..."

"Nah, she's fine Unser's with her. It's Nicole."

"Nic."

"Yeah somebody put a beating on her."

"Shit." Tig rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. "One of Zobelle's guys?"

"I wish, it's one of us." Clay watched as shock took over Tig's face. Clay could tell he was just as dumbfounded as he was.

"Who?"

"Don't know the details, I'm heading there now. I want to keep this between us for now, Jax has enough shit to deal with."

"What should I tell them?"

"Anything but the truth."

With that Clay walked out of the station. His mind reeling from the days events. The day had started out with such promise, their retaliation was going to plan. Weston was dead, they had Zobelle cornered, and then within the hour everything changed.

Abel had been kidnapped, their prospect Kip was dead, his wife Gemma was on the Lam and now he had found out that his niece had been attacked, and to make it worse her attacker was fellow Son. He didn't know how many more hits the Club could take, how many more times he could see a loved one hurt.

###############

Happy paced the floor beneath him. He was tired of waiting. No one was telling him anything and it was pissing him off.

The snotty receptionist had informed him that unless he was a family member she couldn't tell him anything. He tried to explain as nicely as he could that they may not be related by blood but she was his family, but the girl still refused, so when he tried again, this time not so nicely, she called for security who forcefully removed him from the desk area and into the waiting room, threatening him that if he kicked off again he would be kicked out of the Hospital. Not wanting to leave Nicole alone, Happy tried to maintain his anger, but with the security guard and the snotty receptionist staring at him he was finding it a little hard.

Happy was relieved when he saw Clay enter the Hospital but at the same he was a little apprehensive. He knew Clay would want answers, and although Happy didn't know the full story with Nicole and Ryan he knew more than Clay.

"I'm looking for Nicole Teller."

The receptionist took in the appearance of the older man standing in front of her and realised he was wearing the same leather vest as they guy who had been giving her trouble.

"And you are?" She questioned him with a sharp tone. Clay picked up on this but ignored it, he just wanted to find Nicole.

"Clay Morrow, I'm her Uncle." He snapped back, causing the receptionist to look at him with even more disgust.

"I'll just call her Doctor to come and speak with you."

"Thanks." Clay smiled at her sarcastically.

"Clay."

Clay turned around to see Happy standing before him. Clay's first thought was that he looked like shit and then he noticed that his shirt was covered blood.

"What the hell?" Clay bellowed.

"I fucked up Clay." Happy admitted, unable to look at his President.

"What the fuck you talking bout?" He shouted at Happy again as he stepped closer to him.

Right now many things were running through his head and none of them were good. Clay didn't like what his mind was putting together. Hale had told him Nicole was attacked by a Son, Happy was here, he had also mentioned that the guy was at the hospital, Happy was here and his t-shirt was covered in blood. Noway Happy was many things but he couldn't, wouldn't do that to her.

Clay turned his head to the side where he saw the security guard, his hand was hovering over his radio, he was obviously going to call for assistance. Clay raised his hands in a surrendering motion.

"Were good here, no need to call your friends." The security guard nodded his head, but kept his hand near his radio just in case. "You need to tell me what the hell is going on here, right now."

The silence that now filled the waiting room was excruciating. Happy had told Clay everything he knew. He told him about Ryan and about him being Nicole's ex, and that he was the reason for her coming back to Charming.

He told him how he had gone back to the Clubhouse just liked he'd asked him to but when he got there Nicole was gone. He went straight over to their house where Grey said she'd gone and that's when he found Ryan beating on her and that he took him out.

The only bit of information he left out was the fact that it looked that Ryan was about to rape her, on top of everything else Happy didn't think Clay needed to hear that.

Minutes passed before Clay finally found words. "Why wasn't I told about this?" He spoke barley above a whisper.

"Jax thought we could handle it."

"Yeah well a bang up job you did of that." He scoffed.

Happy didn't have to think of anything to say, he was saved when the Doctor walked into the waiting. Clay made his was towards him.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Howell I'm working Nicole's case. You must be her Uncle." The man extended his hand toward Clay, who shook his hand.

"How she doing?" Clay saw him look at Happy. "It's okay he's a family friend."

"Okay. Well your niece took quite a nasty beating. She sustained two cracked ribs, a fracture to her left wrist and multiple lacerations and bruises."

"Jesus." Clay took a seat. Hearing her list of injures was too much. Doctor Howell took a moment so that the man in front of him could catch his breath.

"Mr Morrow all them injures are fixable but..."

"But what?" Happy asked in his raspy voice. Doctor Howell turned his attention to the bald man.

"She took a bad knock to her head. Deputy Hale told me that she was unconscious at the scene, and I'm sorry to stay that she has some swelling of the brain."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she had retained a lot of fluid in her Brian. Right now we have her on a ventilator to ensure she has an adequate supply of oxygen. Were hoping that should work. But Mr Morrow I'm afraid if that doesn't work we may have to operate."

"She's a fighter she'll pull through." Clay stated, Doctor Howell nodded his head. "So can I see her?"

"Certainly Mr Morrow." Before Clay followed Doctor Howell he turned to Happy.

"Call Jury, get him here. Something tells me he might be able to shed a little more light on this whole situation. And call Quinn, he needs to know about this." Clay ordered before leaving the room.

##############

As Clay walked into her room, his breath caught his chest. The girl lying in the bed didn't look like his niece. Her face was bruised and swollen, she had tiny cuts along her arms and her left wrist was bound in a splint. There were various wires attached to her delicate body.

He couldn't help think how young and fragile she looked. His blood boiled with the thought that a Son had done this to her. He had always promised her that she was safe within the club, safe with his fellow brothers. But he was wrong. One thing he knew for sure though, was that this act of violence was not going to go unpunished. He leant down and softly placing kiss on top of her head.

##################

Happy found himself once again waiting for news, and it wasn't getting any easier he still hated it. He started cracking his knuckles just out of pure frustration and for something to do, he only stopped when he saw Tig walk pass the waiting room. He was on his feet and out the door with seconds of seeing him.

"Hey." Tig turned to face the new voice.

"Hey man."

"What you doing here?"

"I called him." They both turned to face Clay who was walking toward them.

"Did you get hold of Jury?" He asked Happy.

"Yeah. Sad he'd be here as soon as he could."

"Jury." Tig queried.

"Yeah the guy who attacked Nicole was Ryan."

"You're shitting me." Clay shook his head. "Where is he?"

"Here. Hap took him out but..."

"I fucked up." Happy spat. They could both tell that the fact Ryan was still breathing bothered the hell out of Happy.

"Look it doesn't matter., we need to concentrate on what happens now. I don't want her left alone. Tig you take first watch, Hap you go home get some rest."

"I'm fine." He snapped.

"Look I'm going to need you on top form. So go back to the clubhouse, clean yourself up." Happy looked down at his blood stained t-shirt. "I'm going to head back to the station."

The two men agreed with Clay's orders.

"Another thing we keep this from Jax and Gemma for now, they don't need any more worry."

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Clay arrived back at the station, he saw the bikes still lined up outside so he knew they were all still waiting. When he walked inside he noticed that Jax was missing.

"Where's Jax?"

"He's in with Stahl." Bobby answered.

"Great. Right now I have you all here there's something I need to tell you. Nicole's is hospital. Ryan attacked her." Clay wiped his hand over his face, the words were getting harder every time he had to repeat them.

"Ryan as in Ryan from the Nevada charter?" Opie asked in shock.

"Yeah, Hap..."

"Fuck. Is she at St. Thomas?" Juice cut in.

"Yeah."

Juice went to walk pass Clay, but he was stopped when he felt the older man grab his arm roughly. He knew what was coming next.

"You knew about this, about her and Ryan."

"She promised me not to say anything. I tried to make her tell you but..."

"But nothing you should have told me no matter what. She is my niece and if someone was hurting her I had every right to know, whether she begged you not to tell me."

"I know, I'm sorry." Clay stopped when he heard a door opening, he saw Jax coming out of the interview room.

"Go, but don't think this conversation is over." Clay released his arm, as Juice practically ran out of the station.

"Jacky boy is gonna freak..."

"No he's not. For now we keep this to ourselves."

He could tell that not everyone agreed with his decision, but Clay didn't need Jax doing something stupid which is exactly what he would do if he knew about Nicole. He was in no mental state to deal with this situation logically, he would probably just walk straight into Ryan's room and shoot him. No keeping him the dark was the right thing to do for now, Samcro didn't need any more heat on them, they were already juggling enough shit.