Disclaimer-I do not own the Sons of Anarchy. I do own No Other Man Alive, my OCs, and some incredibly awesome boots.
Ace and Happy stood with their hands clasped in the lobby of Fallbrook's municipal building, people streaming around the knot of black clad bikers. The civilians were staring, no doubt because the Scot presiding over the group was determined to make a spectacle.
"And do you, Hector Alonzo Perez, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Chibs grinned at the pair, knowing that this was likely his first and only time to use Happy's legal name without reaping the consequences.
"I do." Happy replied, ready to have the circus over with. In the 4 short hours since Ace had tried to duck out of bed, he'd been working to tie up all her loose ends. A quick trip to a local lawyer took care of the last vestiges of responsibility regarding the house. The new owner of the dresser had picked it up. The only major hiccup had come when he'd walked in on Ace sitting on her closet floor trying to figure out how to pack for the road. A quick trip out to his Harley to see the contents of his hardbags solved the problem handily. He'd expected Ace to freak out and demand more space, but instead she'd marched back into the closet, grabbed a handful of tiny underwear, 5 tank tops, a spare bra, a pair of skinny jeans, some socks, and a hoodie. She shoved it all in the same bag that held her tattoo rig and sketchbook and pronounced herself done. Even Tig had been impressed.
"And….?" Prompted Kozik, laughing. The men broke out in a chorus of guffaws as Happy rolled his eyes and sighed.
"And I promise to treat you as good as my leather and ride you as much as my Harley." Happy groaned, shaking his head as his brothers erupted into cheers. Ace's mouth hung open and her eyes were huge, but she recovered quickly, regaining her composure.
"Alright, no rings, so then by the power vested in me by the lovely state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife. Kiss your bride and let's go file this shite!" Chibs pronounced grandly. After a brief pause for the newly married couple to kiss, Chibs led the group back into the office they'd left 15 minutes prior, after obtaining the marriage license.
"Can I just borrow your pen, love?" he inquired as he snagged it off the poor clerk's workspace. He signed his name with a flourish under officiant, passing the pen and paper back to Happy and Ace for them to fill in their signatures, followed by Kozik and Shark for witnesses. He handed it back to the clerk, then, ignoring the dumbfounded expression on her face. She stamped and sealed the top copy and handed it back to Chibs.
"Congratulations, then."
And just like that, Ace went from Reyes to Perez. Happy rushed her through applying for a new Social Security card and driver's license, not wanting to leave her any ties to her old name or life.
Out in front of the building, as the guys all lit cigarettes and pulled on their helmets, Happy tucked the papers into the small box sitting on the back seat of the Buick. He double checked with Ace before sealing it up.
"This is all you want to keep from the house?" he pressed.
"Yep. I've been trying to tell you that I can travel light." She replied, sliding her arms around his waist. Happy could never let Ace hang on him like he'd seen Tara do to Jax, or even Gemma, when Clay had been President, but he didn't complain this time. He let himself fall back against the Buick, taking her with him. He smoked his cigarette, keeping one arm around Ace.
"I'll follow you to the post office and we'll get that sent off to my ma's house." He told her, "Then we'll get back to the house and Shark and Kozik will take the rest of your shit out to Goodwill. Once it's dark, I will ditch the baby gangster, and we'll put this place in the rearview."
"Mmmm," She purred into his chest, "Sounds perfect."
"Quit it, Ace," he warned, "We got a long ride tonight and I wouldn't want you to be too sore for it."
"Come on!" Tig's nasal drawl sounded, "You two can play footsie later. I can't believe I'm signing on to watch you two fucking canoodle all the time."
Tig had presented Happy with his letter of release from Redwood that morning when the boys from Charming had rolled into Fallbrook. Happy hadn't been particularly surprised, but still questioned the former SAA's motives and warned Tig that Ace would be coming on the road with him.
"Yeah, man, it's just that since Clay stepped down and Opie took the right hand seat, it ain't the same club. With the porn and the tat shop, we're barely an outlaw charter anymore. I just want to be out on the road again, it's gotten too soft at the table." Tig explained.
"I could use someone on the road, anyway, I think Shark's planning on staying on with Jury's crew for a while. We'll hit up Tacoma, then go see Quinn. I owe him a visit." Happy was glad to have another enforcer on the road, especially with Ace to consider.
When the entire, rowdy crew arrived back at the house, they made extremely quick work of what little was left. Ace had been slowly dismantling her life ever since she'd learned what kind of trouble Tony had left her in, and watching the last bits get loaded up and broken down felt like the emotional equivalent of ripping off the band-aid. Shark honked and drove the Buick off down the road with the last of the clothing and bedding. Tig and Kozik had broken down the bed and curbed it before the crew had gone to the courthouse that morning. Ace stood in her postage stamp living room and spun slowly around, saying goodbye to the life she thought she had.
"It'll get easier once you're away." The quiet, low voice startled Ace and she turned to find the big, bearded Sergeant-At-Arms from Charming coming out of the hallway.
"Uh, Opie, right?" Ace asked, uneasy.
"Yep. I lost my wife a few years back, under some fucked up circumstances. I just wanted you to know that it gets easier. It was weird with Lyla-that's my old lady, now-at first, but it doesn't feel wrong anymore. And I don't get all twisted over what happened with Donna." Opie explained awkwardly, all blue-collar uncomfortable with talking about feelings, but obviously feeling like something needed to be said. "So yeah, just be good to Hap, he's a really cool dude, ya know? Come out when you're ready, I've got some wedding presents from Lyla and Gemma that you're going to need."
"Thanks, Opie." Ace smiled a little sadly, and backed out of his way, preemptively avoiding any chance of being within hugging distance. She wondered what fucked up circumstances caused Opie's wife to die, and made a mental note to ask Happy about it.
Ace emerged from the house to find her new husband watching in dismay as Tig and Kozik stripped off the seat and pegs from his Harley. The two men kept up an impressive and constant stream of insults and arguments. Ace couldn't tell if they were lifelong enemies or best friends. "Do they hate each other or have they just been married a really long time?" she asked Happy, just as the entire yard happened to go silent. Ace was mortified, her face turning red as she slid partially behind Happy for protection, but the men all just laughed loudly. Happy pulled her around in front of him, just his hands resting on her shoulders.
"Yeah, she's got it all figured out, huh, Happy?" Tig sneered at them, "Just so you know, though, he's the bitch, not me." He addressed her, pointing the allen key at Kozik.
"Duly noted." Ace piped up, causing Tig's head to snap right back to her in disbelief.
"With a mouth like that, she must be able to suck the chrome off a tailpipe, huh?" Tig asked and finished pulling the seat off.
"Aww, no one sucks a dick better than you, Tiggy!"Kozik added, saving Happy from having to figure out how to defend his woman's honor and her blow job skills in the same breath.
"You just wait til we get up to Tacoma, asswipe, they're going to love watching me beat the piss outta their SAA." Tig informed him, then got distracted by the seat in his hands. "Is this a '12 Brawler?" he asked Happy. At Happy's nod, he turned it over in hands, squeezing it experimentally. "Think I can nab it? It's not like you can take it with you for later."
Ace glanced over her shoulder just in time to catch the pained expression flash across Happy's face.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
"It's no big, Ace, just go try on the shit Opie brought up for you." He replied, giving her a shove toward the open duffle on the driveway.
She pulled out the items one by one, starting with the low profile Outlaw flat black helmet. She quickly braided her red hair back and pulled the helmet on, fumbling with the buckles. She followed that with the black leather gloves and many zippered jacket. Once attired, she sat on the pavement to pull on the heavy, leather boots. The sun was blocked out, and Ace looked up to find Opie leaning over her, offering his hand to help her up. She took it, after a quick glance at Happy to verify that it was alright.
"It's all new, except for the jacket. Gemma said that it's "vintage" and that if you liked it, obviously you had some taste. Does everything fit? We were kinda guessing on sizes based on what Koz said, and we had Happy check your shoes so we could get the boots right."
"Yeah, everything is great, thanks Opie. And tell Lyla and Gemma thanks, too." Ace replied, and peered around Opie, looking for Happy.
"Right here," he spoke, coming up next to her, "You look like a real riding bitch, Ace. It's good." She didn't have to reply, because Happy wrapped her braid around his hand and yanked her head back, kissing her hard, hard enough for her to taste blood. "Hurry up and get inside, I called Shark to pick up some food, and I'd like to fuck you on the kitchen counter before he gets here." Ace's belly twisted up in the most delightful way, and she pulled Happy along by the hand as she ducked around the back and into the little kitchen.
Happy prowled around the house, locking all the entrances, not wanting to be disturbed. When he turned back into the kitchen, Ace was already naked.
"Good girl." He muttered, and crossed the distance in two easy strides. He didn't give her time to catch her breath before he was on her. Happy thrust his tongue into her mouth, loving the way she moaned into his mouth. He pushed her back and up, so that she was balanced on the edge of the counter. He deliberately drew back to watch as he slid two fingers inside her, she stared back at him, her eyes already heavy and desperate. Happy rubbed just his thumb across her clit, wanting to get her close to the brink quickly. He was so engrossed with watching her face and then his fingers disappearing into her pink pussy that he was caught way off balance when she cupped one breast in her own hand and squeezed.
"Oh fuck." He growled, then pulled his hand from her and sucked his fingers dry, pleased to hear the greedy whine come from Ace. He pulled her from the counter and spun her. He undid his belt and jeans with one hand, the other one between her shoulder blades, holding her down. Condom on and cock in hand, he kicked her feet wide with his boots.
"Hold on." He warned her and then, knees bent, pushed into her on one stroke. They groaned together, and he moved his hands to her ass, controlling the pace. They fucked hard, his hips slapping into her, leaving the skin of her thighs and ass red from the impact. His balls tightened, and he barely kept himself from cumming when he felt her reach down and start rubbing herself. He pistoned even harder, spreading her cheeks wide and praying that she came soon. No sooner had the thought passed through his mind, than she came, clamping down on his cock with a keening cry. Happy silently thanked the gods and then followed suit, one big hand falling to her shoulder to keep her ass nice and snug while he recovered. After a long minute, he pulled out and tucked himself back in his boxers, pulling himself together in less than a minute.
Ace laughed drily as she pulled off a paper towel, cleaning herself up. It was the perfect visual for how she felt with him. In less than a minute, Happy looked completely unaffected by their exertions, while she stood naked and debauched in a kitchen.
"You good?" He asked, and pulling on her braid again, kissed her. Her core throbbed a little when she tasted herself on his tongue, but she just nodded when he released her lips. "I like the braid." He added with a grin, leaving back on the opposite counter and watching Ace put herself to rights.
When they unlocked the back door to go back outside, Happy and Ace found all the men standing around smoking and eating. At the sound of the door, though, they all set their plates down and stuck their smokes in their mouth and applauded.
"Fuck all of you." Happy laughed and crossed to the food spread on the hood of the car.
No Other Man Alive
When the sun dipped low on the horizon, the gathered Sons all stood and attended to their last minute details. Happy finished balancing his and Ace's combined possessions in his hard bags, Chibs and Shark stacked the very last of the trash neatly on the tree lawn, and all the Harleys were lined up for a quick exit.
"Ready?" Happy questioned Ace as they moved to the house. Her throat was tight, so she just nodded and tucked the helmet awkwardly under arm.
The small living room seemed unbearably crowded, with all the big men gathered in a loose circle. Happy tucked Ace in behind the wall of bodies, just inside the door and then stepped through to the center.
"Alright, once I'm done with this asshole, we're all going to follow Ace to the tattoo shop. Tig, I want you to stick close to her the entire time I'm gone. Kozik, you can follow the car and guard my six. When I'm back, we're all rolling immediately; I don't want us getting caught with our pants down if the Bastardos manage to follow me back. When we get to the I-5, we'll split up. Alright, Kozik, go get him, I wanna be out of this fucking town yesterday."
Kozik dragged the young man to stand in the middle of the floor and ripped the tape from his mouth with one yank. The kid immediately started cursing and threatening, his eyes narrowed petulantly at Ace, who pulled further back, sliding in behind Tig. With a vicious roar, Happy pistol whipped the punk across the face, and he feel to his knees with help from a kick dealt by Kozik. The Sons all laughed, low and mean. Happy stepped in front of the kid, dark and dangerous. He holstered his SIG, and pulled his shirt up, exposing the tattoos on his stomach. His face was in shadow, but his eyes were hard. Happy spread his arms wide and turned in a slow circle, making sure the kid got a really great view of him and his cut.
"My name is Happy. I'm a Nomad of the Sons of Anarchy. The entire West Coast knows me as the Tacoma Killer. And if you, or any of your pussy friends even considers laying a single finger on what's mine, I will put a bullet neatly through that smiley face on your forehead." With that he put a hand inside his cut, causing the kid to recoil quickly, which made the Sons laugh again. Happy just pulled out a brown envelope filled with cash and held it up. "20 grand. Ashley Reyes has no more business with the Bastardos. Load him up." Happy turned and walked out without a thought for the boy that glared at his back.
No Other Man Alive
Once at the shop, Ace slipped in the back as Happy took off in the Buick with the kid tucked neatly in the trunk. She was surprised to find that Tig took his orders very seriously, stepping quickly in front of her to enter the shop. Once he'd assessed that there wasn't any danger, he nodded at her to get on with her business.
"Be quick, dollface."
Ace nodded greetings to her former coworkers as she crossed to Bill's workspace, glad that they were all busy with clients and couldn't grill her on her sudden departure. When she got to Bill, she held up the envelope with the power of attorney and house key in it and placed it on his desk. Suddenly incapable of speech, she flung her arms around the elderly man and hugged him tight. He rubbed her back soothingly, and then put her away from him.
"You're sure this is what you want to do?" Bill asked her quietly, pointedly ignoring Tig's glare.
"Yeah, Bill, I'm good. I'll miss you, though." She replied, stepping back toward Tig, easing his tension a little. It hadn't occurred to her that Tig would take Happy's orders so seriously, but she found that she didn't want to make it difficult for him. "Should we go wait outside?" She asked Tig, wanting to get it right, and when he looked relieved and nodded, she knew that she had.
"Thanks, Bill. I'm sure we'll cross paths again." She said over her shoulder.
"Anytime, Ace. You know that if you need a job anywhere on the Coast, you just drop my name and you'll be fine. Be safe." Was Bill's reply, as she headed for the door.
In the parking lot, Ace rebraided her hair and pulled on her leather and helmet. She flinched, and turned panicked eyes on Tig when 4 shots rang out and the distinct sound of shattering glass followed.
"That's Hap. We should probably mount up. You just stand over by his bike, he'll want to get on first." Tig instructed. The parking lot exploded with the sound of Harleys roaring to life, the reverberations bouncing off of the neighboring walls and echoing back. Tires screeched as Happy slammed the Buick into park and leapt out of the driver's seat, tossing the keys to a waiting Bill.
"Thanks!" Happy yelled over the deafing sound of the motorcycles. He snatched his helmet from his handlebars, mounted and kicked the stand up. He nodded to Ace, who scrambled awkwardly onto the bitch seat behind him. As soon as she was settled, he started up and shot off down the road, all the Sons behind him.
Ace only looked back once, then wrapped her arms tighter around Happy's waist and tried to hunker down for the long night's ride.
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