Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of it's characters.
Sorry for the cliffhanger. On the other hand, originally the chapter ended when Happy got on his bike, but I changed my mind. If I had been a reader of this story that would have drove me insane. I would've hated it and not in a good way. This way it was sort of a cliffhanger but at least you knew that Ava was saved.
I know I'm nagging about it, but I'm just in awe of the number of favs and alerts and I can not believe the number of reviews I'm getting on this story. Thank you and I hope you don't find me extremely nagging for sending you thank you's for them. I just want to make sure that you know I appreciate it and if you take time to write one, I should bloody well take time to thank you.
Chapter 12: Want some privacy for this?
Happy ran into the club house and Bobby stopped him. "They're working on her, she's sedated."
"Did you get him?"
"Piney knocked him out, he's taking him up to the cabin." Cabin was secluded, he was going to beat the fuckhead to death, just as he had promised.
"I think Sunshine needs you." Bobby said and pointed towards Grace, who was sitting in the couch next to Gemma. She had her thumb in her mouth and her eyes were wide open.
He knelt down and looked at her, when she saw him she threw herself into his arms. "I did what Gemma said, I called you." She started crying and he looked at Gemma. Did what Gemma said?
"Sugar, you did the right thing, you did good." He hugged her closer and got up, still holding her. "You were great, honey. Mom will be fine, Tara is taking care of her."
He sat down in the couch, holding Grace. She fell asleep a while later and finally, it felt like fucking hours later, Tara and Chibs came out of the room.
"She's lost quite a lot of blood, but she'll be fine. I couldn't stitch her up, I had to close it with tape. I'll keep an eye on her to make sure it holds." Tara said.
"Why not stitches?" Gemma asked.
"There's to much scar tissue on her back, it wouldn't work and would only make the scars even worse."
"What?" Bobby said. He turned to Happy who just looked at Tara, he didn't even now where to begin.
"By the looks of it, he's been doing this more than once, more cuts than this time and judging for the scar tissue some of it is pretty old, her entire back is full of scars. Not only from a knife." She looked at Happy for confirmation.
"Yeah. Knives, whips and bite marks."
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Half-sack said.
"Gemma, can you take Grace and follow me. I'll carry Ava to my dorm."
He braised himself and then he opened the door. Her back was against him and he saw two big cuts and some small. He walked over to the other side of the table and saw a bruise on her jaw and she was black around the neck as well. He realized that the fucker must have choked her. Tara came with a cover and he wrapped her before carefully carrying her to his room. He put her on the bed next to Grace and then walked out to the bar.
"Tell me." He said while looking at Chibs and Opie. They knew what he meant, he wanted all the details.
"He met us in the hallway. Dad took him out with his tube. We found her in the bedroom." He trailed off and Happy turned to Chibs.
"He had taped her mouth and tied her to the bed, she was bleeding bad. She still had her jeans on so I don't think he..."
"He didn't rape her." Tara said.
"Did she say something?"
"Just asked for Grace."
"Why did Grace have a cell?"
"I talked to Ava once, she said that her only focus when this happened was Grace, to make sure Grace got away. So I talked to Grace, she told me about running to Mary's, I gave her a phone and told her to call you or me if something happened." He walked up to her and gave her a hug. He didn't know what else to do. She was one smart bitch. Then he turned to Tara.
"How long will she be out?"
"At least a couple of hours, she'll be tired from the blood loss as well."
"Give me a call the seconds she or Grace wakes up and tell her I'll be right here."
"Where are you going?" Gemma asked.
"The cabin." He answered and walked out the door.
-o0o-
When he came into the cabin, Piney was sitting on a chair with a shotgun in his hands and Jonah was tied to the wall and gagged.
"What's with the gag?" Happy asked. "No-one can hear him here."
"I can hear him. Broke his jaw and he still wouldn't shut up." Piney looked up at him. "Tied it hard, he didn't even flinch."
"Shit."Happy knew what that meant. If you gagged someone with a broken jaw it should hurt as hell.
He walked up to Jonah and grabbed his chin and pulled up his face to make him look into the light.
"Dilated?" Piney asked.
"Yeah."
"Just thought he was stupid when he didn't get the fuck out of there when Sunshine left." Piney laughed. "Must have been in combination with being high as a fucking kite. Think he'll feel any pain?"
Happy doubted it but was willing to at least try. He pulled of the gag, Jonah immediately started to scream at him, he wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. Instead he pulled out his gun and shot him in the knee, keeping an eye on his face to see if he even reacted.
"You asshole, you shot me! When I get out of here I'll fucking kill you. I will rape that stupid fucking bitch and cut her up. Then I'll kill you, rape her again and fucking kill her too, you son of a fucking whore." He shouldn't even be able to talk without cringing and the shoot didn't effect him the least. Happy had no fucking idea how to do this. He wanted the fucker to suffer.
Piney laughed. "Can't just be the high if he's stupid enough to think he'll get out of here."
"Probably PCP." Happy said.
"People still use that?" Happy shrugged at Piney's question but he was still looking at Jonah. He had no fucking idea what people used. Whatever this fucker was on he couldn't feel any pain.
"Any idea how long the high lasts on PCP?" He had to yell to make sure that Piney could hear him. The idiot in front him was still stupid enough to yell threats at him.
"Depends on how he took it. Can take more than a day sometimes."
Happy didn't have a day. He wanted this fucker dead as soon as possible so he could get back to Ava and Grace. The thought of Ava made him focus on what the fucker was saying.
"That whore is mine, she'll always be mine, I marked her fucking back. If it hadn't been for that whore offspring she'd still be with me. I can't believe you shot me you moterfucker!"
Considering that he couldn't feel anything he seemed very upset about being shot. Happy pulled up a chair in front of him. "Whore offspring?"
"That little bitch isn't mine."
"She's got your eyes. Luckily that's all she's got from you." Happy said and he finally understood how he could hurt this idiot. Pain wasn't necessary to make someone suffer or scare the shit out of them. "If you had ever bothered to look at her you would've known."
"Cocksucker. You'll never have her, she a frigid bitch. A whore."
"Ava? I've already had her. And she's not frigid. Quite horny I'd say. You never noticed?" He smiled.
Jonah went crazy. "You fucking liar, you're lying." It was impossible to hear what he was saying after that. It wasn't even words.
He heard Piney laugh behind him. "Want some privacy for this?"
"Yeah. Wait outside. I'll shoot him in a while, won't take long."
"No hurry, I've got nowhere to be tonight." Piney was still laughing as he got up and walked outside.
When he finally stopped screaming Happy leaned forward. "Before I kill you, I'm going to tell you eleven things that I've done to her or she to me, and I'm going to cut off one finger for each thing. Your lying tongue will be the money-shot. You're going to die, without fingers, unable to speak, knowing that she was never really yours." And then he gave the sack of shit his most grim smile. That made him shut up for a few seconds before the screaming started again.
-o0o-
He walked into the clubhouse a couple of hours later while two of his Nomad brothers were digging a grave. He walked straight past the bar and into his room. Ava was sleeping and had her arm around Grace. After a quick shower he got into the bed, facing them, watching them for a while.
Even though a part of him was screaming at him to get out of the bed, go into the bar and fuck a Crow Eater to prove to everyone and himself that he wasn't tied down, he couldn't. He didn't really want to. They were his girls, both of them. No such fucker as the man he just shot deserved two such perfect girls. He honestly wasn't sure he did either but they had chosen him and he wasn't going pass up on the opportunity.
-o0o-
When Ava woke up Happy was sleeping and next to her Grace was lying awake, looking at her.
"He found us." Grace whispered.
"But you saved me again. You called. You're such a brave girl, honey." She gave her a kiss. "So very brave. I'm so proud of you."
"Does it hurt?"
"Yes, but I'll be fine. You know that." Grace just nodded. She looked slightly better than she did a few minutes ago. It wasn't over yet.
There was a knock on the door and Gemma walked in.
"Hey Grace, Bobby is making muffins, think you'd want some?"
Grace looked at Ava who just nodded at her. "You go eat. I'll be there later." She got a quick kiss from her and then she climbed over Happy who didn't even seem to notice.
When she put her hand on his cheek he woke up and looked around.
"Where is she?"
"Gemma came in when she woke up, she was going to make her breakfast." She tried to pull him closer and he moved towards her. "Did they get him?" He looked right into her eyes and nodded. "What did you do?" She probably didn't have to ask. She had known what he would do a long time ago.
He kissed her. "It was you or him. You know that."
"I thought it was you." She said while hiding her face in his neck. Trying to hide her face since she felt so stupid.
"What?" He leaned back to look at her.
"I didn't ask, I didn't have a gun, I just opened the door. I thought it was you."
He stroke her face. "I would have a go at you if I didn't know that it doesn't matter anymore. Besides. Still wasn't your fault."
"It's kind of you fault." He looked at her again and she smiled. "You made me feel too safe."
"No such thing, babe. I'll keep you safe." He said and hugged her. She didn't want to know what he had done to Jonah before killing him. She didn't care and had no need to know that he suffered, it was enough that he was gone. "We'll talk about this later, ok?"
"Ok."
"How are you feeling?"
"Ok, I've had worse."
"Tara left some painkillers for you. Take them and I'll get you something to eat."
"Can I eat in your bed?" She teased him. "Oh my!"
"Shut up, bitch." He laughed and gave her another kiss. "Only because you're in pain and deserve it. Don't count on it ever happening again."
He left and came back a while later with coffee and a sandwich. She ate them and then he gave her the painkillers.
Happy watched her dose off, just before she was gone he heard her mumble it. "I love you." But he knew that she was so gone from the pills, she would never remember it. He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her for a while. He had that feeling again, when he felt completely relieved and in total panic at the same time.
There was no telling if she really did, or if it was something she said in lack of other words. He had just killed her ex boyfriend and she knew it. It might be that she was simply grateful but even if he wasn't sure if he loved her yet, he hoped that she meant it.
He got up and walked out to the bar. He found Grace at the table and he picked her up and kept her in his lap as he sat down again.
"Have you had breakfast?"
"Yes, Bobby made me muffins. I saved one for you." He took the muffin she was handing him.
He hugged her closer. "How are you doing, Sugar?"
"Ok." She was sitting perfectly still.
"No, you're not." He kissed the top of her head. "Tell me."
"I left her, mom." She whispered and he grabbed the coffee with one hand and her with the other and walked off to one of the couches, away from the others.
"Grace, you did the right thing. There was nothing you could've done there." He made sure that she was looking at her. "If you hadn't called we wouldn't have known. Do you understand? You did great. Perfect even."
She kept looking at him for a while then she got up on her knees and put her arms around his neck. "Will you stay with us?"
He hugged her even tighter. "I'm not going anywhere, Sugar."
"Will mom be ok?"
"Yes, she's just tired. She'll be fine. I promise."
She leaned back with her hand still on his shoulders and driller her bright blue eyes into his. Only looking at him and finally he saw a smile on her face. "Wanna know what Tig did?"
"When?"
"On the phone, he didn't know what to say so he started singing. He sang a really strange song to me. So I would know he was still there."
Happy started to laugh. "What song?"
"It was called 'Ring of Fire'. I liked it." She sat down in his lap again and he leaned his chin on her head.
"I know that song. I like it too."
"I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone." She giggled.
"You're telling me now."
"Yes, but you don't count. I tell you everything. Like mom." His heart almost burst when she said that and he kissed the top of her head again.
"So I can't tease him for that then?"
She sat quiet for a while. "Ok. Just a little." She turned around again and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna see if Bobby wants to play cards with me. Can you take me for a ride later?"
"Absolutely." He would have suggested it anyway. He knew that a ride would make her feel better.
He watched her run away with the usual twitchy energy. She was going to be ok. Kids had a tendency to bounce back and she was used to it, even if she shouldn't be. It was just a matter of picking up these moments, when she wasn't.
He got up and walked over to the table and sat down next to Tig.
"Sunshine ok?"
"She will be, as soon as she has recovers from hearing you sing 'Ring of Fire' to her."
Tig stared at him. "God damn. She promised!"
"She tells me everything." He smiled, felt really good to say that. "Seriously tough. Thanks, man."
"It was nothin'. Kid like that deserves the best." Tig watched her at the table with Bobby. "Fucking amazing, calling you like that. Good thing we have such smart bitches around us. Gem giving her a phone and your girl apparently managed to hit that fuck, pulled him into the apartment so Grace could get out."
That, he didn't like to hear. Crazy bitch. On the other hand, that's how she got Grace out and Grace called. "Grace told you that?"
He also wondered how come it had worked, why asswipe felt it. He would have to talk to Ava about it later.
"Nah, told Bobby." Tig said. "Gemma knew she would do that. We're lucky we have them. They're the fucking glue in this club. Least we can do is take care of them when they need it. And when they let us." Tig laughed when he said the last part.
"Speaking of glue." Happy said when Gemma walked inside with a brush in her hand. She sat down next to Grace and started to brush her dark curly hair. When she was done she put it up and then she came walking to him.
"I thought I'd go by her apartment and clean up." Gemma said. "She's going to need some things from there as well."
"I'll come with you." Happy needed to see it.
"I want some things too." Grace yelled from her table.
"Honey, I think it's best if you stay here with Bobby." Gemma said. "But let me know what you want."
Half an hour later they were in Gemma's car, on their way. He would have preferred the bike but Gemma had pointed at the car and told him to get in. You didn't mess with that woman.
"I don't think she needs to see the place. Gracie I mean."
"No."
They walked into the apartment, the door was bust but nothing seemed to be touched.
"Clay put the prospect on watch." Gemma said when he commented on it. He walked into the bedroom. Her bed was soaked in blood, he turned around and took a deep breath.
"I'll have the bed removed for you." Gemma said and put a hand on his arm.
"I'm really sorry about what happened to you too, Gemma."
"Thanks, baby."
"I that why you were so protective of her, when you heard what had happened to her."
"You picked up on that?" He just smiled at her, something had been off with how she was to Ava from the beginning, and she knew it too. "I guess that's why. Don't regret it, she's been great. Did you find out how he found her?"
"No. He was high, probably PCP, shot him in the knee and he didn't even notice. Piney found some picture in his pockets. Looked like it was from a webpage, it was her in the library."
"Probably some kids blog or something."
Happy shrugged. He didn't really care. "Might be, could as well have been Stahl."
"Should still kill that ATF bitch." Gemma said. "I'll get her some clothes and things from the bathroom. You can take my car back, just send the prospect here. I'll clean up."
"You don't need to do that, Gemma."
She walked over and kissed him on his cheek. "Just go. By the way, I called her brother, he'll be here later today."
-o0o-
Ava woke up, the cuts were hurting and the ribs made it hard to move. According to Tara they weren't broke but they still hurt like hell. There were pills on the bedside table with a note from Tara. She swallowed them and found a t-shirt and some sweatpants. Both of them huge but they did the job. She limped out to the bar and found Bobby, Chibs, Tig and Grace at table, playing poker.
Chibs got up when she came. "How you doin' darlin'?"
"It's ok. Thank you, for everything."
"Want some coffee and muffins? Baked them earlier." Bobby said.
"Bobby makes the best muffins." Grace said and threw some chips to the middle of the table.
"Well, I'm officially offended." Ava did feel slightly humiliated. "Sounds good though."
She sat down at the table and watched them play, Bobby came with coffee and a huge muffins.
When Grace called Tig's bluff and won another hand Ava started to laugh. "Are you just set on humiliating people today, Sweetie?"
"They're not very good. Not like Clark."
"I think they're just trying to be nice."
"Suckers." She laughed. It was nice to see her laugh, she seemed ok, at least for the moment. She would have questions later, when things started to sink in.
When the door opened, she saw Clark walking in with Opie. Grace jumped down from the chair and ran up to him. "Uncle Clark, I'm winning, they're trying to bluff me but I ain't falling for it."
"You never do, Pumpkin." he said while hugging her. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too." Grace said. "Very much."
Ava got up and walked up to him. He looked at her. "Hey girl, got somewhere private?"
She took him to Happy's room and he took her in his arms, stroking her hair and she did what she always did when it was just the two of them. She fell apart. He kept talking to her, stroking her back, whispering in her ear. All the things he knew that she needed to hear. That she did good, that she made sure Grace was ok, that Grace had been a brave girl and it was because of her, that she had people looking out for her and that she and Grace would be ok. And that he loved them.
Towards the end she was sitting in his lap on the bed, she was still crying and finally fell asleep.
That's when Happy walked in.
Happy halted at the door, Ava was sleeping in a big black haired guys lap, he could see her swollen eyes and wet cheeks. She had been crying, he had never fucking seen her cry. Not once. The guy looked up at him.
"Hang on. I'll just put her to bed." He got up and carefully put her down in the bed, putting a blanket on her. He stroke her hair and kissed her cheek. And then turned around and looked at Happy. He had the same amber eyes as Ava. He pointed at the door and Happy walked outside and waited for him. When he got out he extended his hand and Happy took it.
"I'm Clark, her brother. I'm guessing you're Happy?"
"Yeah."
"Can we talk?"
Was this guy really going to have a 'don't mess with my baby sister'-talk with him? "Sure."
They sat down at the picnic table outside and they both lit a smoke. He was quite interested to hear what this guy had to say.
"That Gemma-women called me yesterday. Ava had told me about her, but I didn't know she had my number. Anyway, she gave me the basics, that Gracie called you and some guys were sent over to Ava's place but she didn't tell me if they caught him."
"They did." Clark looked into his eyes, they were the same as Ava's, smart.
"I take it he won't be a problem anymore?"
"No."
"Good. Thank you."
"How is she?"
"She just needs to let it out, only happens once, she'll be fine when she wakes up."
"I've never seen her cry."
"Doesn't happen often. She does it like this, falls apart when it's just the two of us and then she's fine." He shrugged. "Does she know?"
Happy didn't have to ask what he meant. "Yes."
"I guess she'll be staying here."
"Hope so." She was, he was going to make sure she did. But saying that to her brother wasn't the smart move. Not considering that he just had told him he killed the other guy who had decided she was his.
"I'll stick around for a couple of days, if it's ok?"
"Sure."
They both got up and Clark walked up to him. "Thanks, you've done a lot for her. She's... she's the only family I have, her and Grace, It means a lot to me, what you're doing for them." Then he turned around and walked inside.
Very straight to the point, reminded him of Grace.
-o0o-
When Ava woke up Clark was gone and it was Happy's black eyes she looked into.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Hey, babe. Feeling better?"
"Yes."
"Got you some clothes and stuff from your house. Gemma picked it out for you."
She looked at him for a long time and decided that she needed to tell him. "Happy. I love you." When he opened his mouth she put her hand over it. "I'm not expecting you to... love me, or even if you ever do, tell me. It's not the sort of thing you say and I'm ok with that. But I need you to know that I do."
"I know you do." He smiled. "You told me earlier."
"No I didn't." She would have remembered that.
"You were out on painkillers and was falling asleep." He leaned forward and kissed her. "But it's nice to hear you say it when you're aware of it."
She felt slightly embarrassed. "Hmm, ok. It's not just because what you... did... to Jonah."
"You need to say it. Just once, but you need to admit it."
"Not just because you... killed Jonah." It was surprisingly hard to say it out loud. "That's not even that far up on the list."
He was playing with her hair, stroking her bruised cheek and was so close to her she could feel his lips on her forehead. "Then why?"
"Well, you make me come, hard." He laughed when she said it.
"I do." She looked up at him and he kissed her. "And?"
"You're fishing! But I guess you've deserved some pampering."
"Pampering? Makes me sound like a kid." He seemed offended but he was still smiling.
"I like the person I am with you. Even when I'm yelling at you." He looked at her, startled almost. And she felt she needed to explain. "I'm not afraid around you, you've... made me confident. And you never pitied me. You pissed me off instead. That's when you weren't extremely patient, but I think that's mostly because you wanted to get into my pants."
"Thank you. That's very high praise." He kissed her. "And yes, I was only trying to get into your pants. You were driving me insane, it was worth it. It's a very nice pussy."
"Oh, geez, Happy. Could you please not call it pussy."
"As long as I can make you come, hard, I'll call it whatever I like." He had his smug, cocky look. "It's your pussy and I like it. A lot."
"Hmpf, I had more, but I'm not going to tell you now."
"Was it about Grace?" He said while kissing her neck again.
"Yes."
"Then I already know." he smiled. "And she's worth it."
"Good to know." She finally opened her mouth and kissed him properly. "Thank you."
"You're worth it too. Mind saying it again?"
She laughed. "Mr. Lowman. Are you begging?" He always teased her that she ended up begging him to come inside. She knew she did, she tried every time not to, but she always did. He knew exactly what buttons to push. "I love you."
-o0o-
He was leaning against the bar and the blond tattoo artist was standing in front of him, making his twelfth smiley face. Grace was standing next to him, looking very carefully. The bitch looked at Grace.
"Wanna get out of the way?" She snared to Grace who looked at her with big eyes.
"She stays." Happy said and the bitch looked up at him with questioning eyes. He glared at her, dared her to say another fucking word about or to Grace.
She started the machine and went to work.
"Does it hurt?" Grace said and looked at him.
"Not really. It's not big." He looked up and saw Ava leaning against the wall in arch leading to the hallway and the dorm. She looked at the tattoo artist and then up at him. She smiled at him, knowing why he did this.
When it was done he looked up at her again. Teasing bitch, asking him if he was begging! He just liked to hear her say it. There had been chicks who had said it before but this was the first time he had heard a girl say it and really mean it.
She loved him and even if he wasn't prepared to say it yet, she was the first woman who had been able to make him do a tattoo for her. And she hadn't even asked. He was aware that this probably wasn't the most romantic tattoo and he wouldn't even tell her that it was for her. Didn't matter, to him that smiley face would be for her, for the sack of shit he killed for her.