Hey all, I'm sorry about the slow update. I spent the last week laid up with some kind of horrible cold and I'm just now getting over things. I'm going to try and post again sometime this weekend to make up for it. Things will be a bit slower from here on out though as I'm getting back into classes for the fall and work has picked up.

Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows, and reads. You guys have made writing this story so far an absolute pleasure and I'm thrilled with how well received it's been.

I really hope you enjoy.


Teller-Morrow garage is not what Tia is expecting, in fact she drives past it the first time and has to follow the GPS directions around the block a second time before turning into the old lot. It's late in the afternoon and the place is packed with customers picking up cars after work. Tia pulls up to the garage trying not to stare at the line of bikes on the left. She's only ever seen Happy's bike once and she knows little to nothing about the big chrome machines but they're a draw to the eye nonetheless.

She parks the bug in front of the garage bay closest to the door marked office and checks her suit before climbing out. She feels out of place immediately, most of the customers are in jeans and T-shirts or work shirts from their blue-collar jobs and her suit makes her an easy mark. She turns slowly taking in her surroundings, the leather case clutched to her side with white knuckles. Her eyes catch on the grim reaper logo on the far building and Tia lets out a breath she hadn't meant to hold. It's the same image that's on the back of Happy's leather vest; she must be in the right place.

"What can we help you with today?" Tia jumps at the voice from behind her and turns to stare up at the speaking woman. She's tall with dark hair and intelligent eyes but there's something about her that makes Tia more than nervous. Maybe it's the tilt of her hips or the steel toed riding boots, either way Tia clutches her bag tighter and tries to stay calm.

"I'm looking for Luis Lowman." The dark haired woman cocks her head to the side and Tia has the uncomfortable sensation of feeling like prey.

"Never heard of him. You need that fixed? Cause we don't stock import parts, we'd need to keep it for a couple days." The woman nods at the bug and Tia has no idea what to do. Noreen had said she needed to get her car fixed and at the time Tia had thought it was more about talking around the truth but maybe the old woman had been serious.

"I guess so." She sounds uncertain even in her own ears and the woman gives her a hard look. "Sometimes he goes by Happy." The name feels foreign on Tia's lips but there's a sudden spark of recognition from the boot-clad woman.

"You a fed?" The woman is looking her up and down and Tia is suddenly painfully aware of how MaryJane she must look in her skirted suit and sensible heels.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you a fed? Only people who use given names around here are feds and you certainly look like one although you're too nice really." All the knowledge gleaned from reruns of Gangland kicks in and Tia suddenly understands what she's being asked. She had no idea people really talked like this.

"I'm Tia Connery, I'm a friend of Mr. Lowman's mother." Tia holds out her hand and the woman just looks at it until it falls back to her side.

"Well Mr. Lowman is out at the moment so you'll have to wait and if you don't need your car fixed you best wait in it." This appears to be the end of the conversation and the woman turns on her heel and heads back for the office door. Tia makes to follow but the wood slams shut in her face and the closed sign is suddenly turned in the window. She should have said she needed the car fixed.

Tia climbs back into the bug to wait. She made it here so she's certainly not going to turn around just because the employees at this horrible place don't have any understanding of good customer service. She pulls her bag into her lap and holds the top open so she can look down on the plastic bag inside. The ice has all melted and the eye is now floating in the dirty water like some kind of sick toy. She feels her gag reflex rear again but there's nothing to come up, she hasn't eaten since the night before. Ernie's probably dead, her sweet stupid twin is most likely in a gutter somewhere and he's left her with a forty thousand dollar debt and a dangerous situation. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. She's so caught up in the swirl of emotion she doesn't hear the roar of returning bikes until there's a sudden tap on the window.

"Hey you." Tia practically jumps out of her skin when a male voice filters through the glass. She snaps the top of the bag closed with a snap and turns to face the man standing outside the car. He's got dark messy curls and his bright blue eyes are focused on her face with an intensity that makes her uncomfortable. "What are you doing here?" He speaks the words slowly and she knows she must look stupid gawking at him through the closed car door. She pushes the door open a bit and it forces him back a few paces.

"I'm waiting on Happy Lowman. The woman at the garage said he wasn't in just now but that I could wait here." Tia smiles up at this new man and she doesn't miss the way his eyes scan her newly revealed body.

"Is that so?" He gives her a genuine smile and Tia feels relaxed for the first time since she'd climbed in her car in Bakersfield. "Well come on inside doll, no reason for you to sit out here all by your lonesome." He holds out his hand and Tia thinks she's finally found a polite person in Charming. "What's your name?" She closes and locks the car door before turning around to answer.

"Tia Connery, I'm a friend of Mr. Lowman's mother." The man snorts at that. "And you are?" She falls into step beside him as they head away from the garage and toward the other building on the property.

"I'm Tig." He turns his head and smiles at her indulgently, "I'm a friend of Mr. Lowman's." There's a teasing note to his voice and Tia blushes without knowing why. They've reached the dark door of the far building and Tia stares up at the reaper over the door. "Come on, we'll get you a drink while you wait. Hap should be back soon." She nods and follows him inside.

The inside of the low building is dark and even though the light had been fading fast outside it still takes Tia's eyes a long moment to adjust. When they finally do she takes in the messy room. A pool table fills one corner, a bar the other; the floors are swept but they've obviously never been mopped and her heels stick just a bit with every step. There are motorcycle posters all over the walls and several pictures of scantily clad women tacked up behind the bar. The most shocking part, however, are the men. There are six of them scattered around the room, all large and rough looking, Tia doesn't miss the vests they're all wearing. They match Happy.

"Who's the lil' bit?" The speaking man has a deep accent and he's sitting at the bar. Tia feels a shiver go down her spine at the sight of his face. Twin scars run across each cheek from mouth to ear. What does a man have to do to get cut up like that? She inches closer to Tig.

"Says she's waiting for Hap. Gemma had her sitting out there in her car, thought I'd invite her in for a drink." Tig seems unconcerned by the men's stares and just puts a hand on the small of her back leading her over to the bar. "This way doll." He helps her settle herself on a barstool.

"What'll you have?" The man behind the bar smiles and Tia takes in his long messy curls and braided beard. These men belong on a pirate ship, not at an auto repair shop.

"Gin and Tonic with lime please." There's sudden laughter and Tia blushes again, hugging her bag to her chest for comfort.

"Don't mind them darlin, they haven't heard the word please since their Mama's were begging for it the night they were conceived." The bearded man smiles again. "I'm Bobby, and I'm sorry to say we don't have tonic and we certainly don't have limes so straight gin it is." He sets to pulling a dirty looking glass from under the bar and Tia watches in mild disgust as he splashes a very healthy measure of the clear alcohol into it.

"It's okay. Does anyone know when Mr. Low— Happy will be back?" She takes a sip of the drink and winces at the burn. It's not good gin.

"Depends on why you're looking for him." One of the men from the table behind her speaks up and Tia turns on the stool to look at him. He's blonde and far too pretty to be in a gang.

"Said she was a friend of his Ma." Tig speaks up for her and Tia nods.

"I run the nursing home where Mrs. Lowman has been staying for the last year." There's a strangled noise from the mowhawked man in the corner and Tia feels recognition surge through her but she doesn't have time to dwell on it as the pretty man starts talking again.

"Why did Gemma make you wait in the car?" He's studying her carefully over a bottle of beer and Tia can only assume Gemma is the woman from the garage.

"She asked me if I was a fed?" There's sudden movement at this but the blonde man laughs.

"And are you?" Tia shakes her head.

"She certainly doesn't look like one. I've never seen a fed in a suit that tight and she's driving a yellow VW bug." Tig speaks up again and Tia can't help smiling up at him in thanks. He winks back.

"So what do yeh want with the lad? He owe yeh money?" The Scot leans around Tig to look at her and Tia shakes her head.

"No, no. He was—" She trails off trying to decide how to explain why she wants Happy. "He was helping me with something and the, um, circumstances have changed. His mother told me I should come here and tell him in person." That sounds vague enough. She clutches the bag tighter and her mind drifts back to Ernie, she can already feel the tears threatening. She takes another burning sip of gin.

"That doesn't sound promising." Bobby speaks up from behind her and Tia wonders if she should just come clean about everything. She's already reaching into the case to pull out the eye when the door bangs open. Happy fills the frame and Tia can just make out her sunny bug in the background. She realizes her mistake as soon as she sees the look on his face; he looks murderous.

"What are you doing here? What the fuck is she doing here?" He doesn't even glance in her direction as he scans the room looking for answers from his friends. Kicking the door closed behind him he pushes into the low room and Tia realizes she's only ever seen him upright a handful of times. He's a tall man.

"Showed up in the lot brother, said she was waiting on you." Tig is speaking and Tia doesn't miss the way he's suddenly standing between her and Hap. The protective gesture seems out of place considering they all look like murderers and thieves.

"What's going on now?" The blonde speaks up again and his voice has more authority than before.

"She shouldn't be here." Happy grinds out the words as if they're painful and Tia realizes she's made a horrible decision in coming to Charming.

"He's right, he's right. I'm sorry. I'll just go." She hugs the bag to her chest and jumps off the stool trying to push past Tig for the door. "I'll just go. I'm sorry."

"You're not going anywhere." Tig throws out an arm to stop her and Happy literally growls when the other man's hand hits against her shoulder.

"No, he's right. I shouldn't have come." Happy's got a look in his eye Tia has never seen and she can hear her heart in her chest as she tries to push past Tig.

"What's this about brother?" Bobby speaks up from behind the bar and Tia takes the distraction his words cause as a chance to force her way past Tig.

She underestimates his strength and ends up getting pushed back into the bar; the leather briefcase falls from her arms and skids across the floor scattering it's contents. Tia watches in horror as the ziploc bag bursts open sending water over her heels and Tig's boots but it's nothing compared to her shock when the gun falls free with a clatter and pop. Everyone ducks as the piece accidentally fires and Tia hears the bullet ricochet for a moment before things go impossibly quiet. In the aftermath Tia is the only one still fully standing and she takes a gasping breath before opening her eyes to find seven angry faces trained on hers.

"What the bloodly hell."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Is that?"

"What the fuck is going on?"

"You forgot the one in the chamber." She's suddenly staring at Happy's chest and she can't bring herself to look up at his face as she accepts the gun he's holding out. She finally takes a deep breath and reaches out with shaking hands to accept the heavy metal.

"I… I looked up how to unload it on youtube. They didn't mention an extra bullet." There's a laugh from somewhere behind her and she thinks it might be Tig.

"You want to explain why I'm looking at an eye without a face brother." The blonde man is speaking again and Tia peers past Happy to stare at Ernie's eye resting on the dirty floor at his feet. Well they'll never be able to put it back now; not that they really could before.

"Not now." Happy's voice is dangerously low and Tia finally looks up to his dark eyes.

"Yes now Hap." The blonde man sounds insistent.

"NO!" It's a terrifying shout and Tia feels a shiver run through her. "Come on." Happy's hand is too rough on her wrist and Tia just knows he's going to kill her but she lets him pull her along anyways. He ignores the shouts from the other men as he tugs her down a dark hallway and her heart is in her throat as he forces her into a small room. He slams the door so hard the walls shake and she finds herself pressed against the old wood, his hand around her throat. "Explain."


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Until next time...