Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters.

As an attempt to apologies for leaving you hanging for two weeks. Here's another chapter and it's the long one. The longest one so far. I'm going on holiday so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again but hopefully it won't take that long.

As always, your reviews, favs and alerts makes me so, so happy. An extra thank you to the guest reviewers since I can't thank you in person. That you take time to review my story means the world to me.

Chapter 24: Most girls have smooth backs

Piney called her in the morning.

"Can you get to the clubhouse in an hour?"

"Sure."

She hung up and dragged her ass out of bed. She had gotten more used to sleeping next to Happy than she had thought and had woken up several times during the night when she couldn't find him while searching for him in her sleep.

She searched the paperbags in the hallway to find some clean clothes. The wash date with Tara had gone on until late in the night so by the time she got home she just dropped the bags in the hallway and went to sleep. She would sort it all later that day. Some of it hadn't been dry by the time she went home and she was going by the hospital later to pick it up from Tara later that day.

About an hour later she was at the clubhouse. She found Piney at the bar and a quite stunning woman was standing next to him. Ava was admiring her dress when Piney turned around.

"There you are."

"Hey, Piney. What's going on?"

"This is Ally Lowen, she's going to tag along when you're meeting the Richardsons."

She shook hands with the woman. "So you're the lawyer?"

"Yes. I work with Rosen."

"I met him a while back. Regarding the bail and... that.. thing."

"The thing." Ally smiled. "Still working on that." Her smile was nice but it was fairly easy to see that this was the kind of woman who ate insecure people for breakfast. She was like a battering ram in a very nice dress and shoes that Ava would, maybe not kill but at least bitch slap, someone for.

Ava sat down next to her and took the coffee Miles was offering her. Piney waved at him and he took off. Apparently he didn't think that this was anyone else business and Ava was quite touch by his thoughtfulness.

"According to Piney all I have to do today is to follow you there and listen what they have to say. Is that correct?" Ally asked.

"Yes." Ava nodded. "I just want to hear what there angle is on this, when I know that I know what to do."

"Sometimes it's better to strike first." Ally said.

"Not in this case. I need to know where they're coming from to know how to strike back." She looked at Ally's firm face. "I need to go to New York before I can do that as well. I need a couple of days for that."

"Why would they want visitation rights?"

"Not sure, that's one of the things I need to find out. I am however sure that whatever lawyer they have has told them they won't be able to get that." Ava sat down and they others followed.

"They won't?" Piney said and pulled out his Tequila.

"No. That's one of the reasons I chose to move to California. They must prove that they've had a pre-existing relationship with Grace."

"And they don't." That wasn't a question from Piney.

"She wouldn't be able to recognize them even if she sat in their lap." Ava explained to Ally.

"What would be their next move?" It was still Piney asking the questions.

"Custody. But even if the court would rule me as an unfit parent I doubt that they'd get custody of Grace."

"Once again since she doesn't know them." Ally nodded in agreement. "That would probably be what their lawyer would tell them. So what do you think they're doing?"

"They might think they can scare me into agreeing to whatever it is they want by showing up with a fancy lawyer. They would assume that I can't afford one. They also think I'm stupid." Ava was drawing patterns on the table with her fingertips. She finally looked up at Piney. "They probably want to know where Jonah is."

"Do you know where he is?" Ally asked and Piney took a sip from the bottle with his eyes on the door and Ava turned her head to Ally.

"No."

"We will see what they want later today. At four?" Ava nodded absently at Ally's question while looking at Piney again. She hadn't know for sure if Piney had been there when Happy killed Jonah, she did now. "I'll see you there and then you're going to tell me how to bring them down. I'm not a fan of working blind but we don't have time to settle all this now. Gemma left a mess and I need to try to handle that as well."

"I will explain everything, you just need to be there today." She got up and shook Ally's hand, then she watched her leave.

"If it's Jonah they're after they won't stop." Piney said and took another sip of his bottle. Ava wondered if he ever stopped drinking or if it was only different amounts everyday. "No one stops looking for their kids."

"You're assuming that they give a shit." Ava sat down in front of him again.

"They wouldn't be here if they weren't."

"They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fact that they should look for him."

"I don't understand." He said and glared at her.

"Jonah was the prince. The one who was going to take over after his dad, carry on the family name and all that. A junkie wasn't in their plans." She explained. "They blame me, and above all Clark for what he was."

"Why?"

"They think it was Clark who introduced him to drugs. It wasn't, they found each other and had a mutual interest."

"He was Clark's friend?"

"Yes." She looked at Piney with a serious face. "It wasn't his fault so don't you dare blame him."

"I don't. But I'm guessing that Hap does."

"Probably." It was hard to miss the tense jaws Happy got everytime Clark was mentioned. "They kept Jonah out of the spotlight as much as possible. As far as I know it has never been mentioned in the press that the high and mighty Richardsons has a drug addict son. But they would probably notice if he disappears completely."

"So they need to play the concerned parents and try to find him."

"Yes." She felt like an ass when she had said it. "They might care. But I don't like them and I can't help thinking that this is an easy way for them to score points in the publics eyes."

"How long would it take before the press finds the rest of the shit. About you and Jonah having a daughter."

"The records are sealed. Jonah had enough connections to ensure that. For the first time I'm quite happy about that."

"And Grace?"

"He never signed the papers." She said with a smile and Piney smiled as well.

"And you didn't press him for it."

"No. As far as I was concerned it was better that way. He would have to jump through some extra hoops to file for custody. Which he never did."

"He didn't think she was his." That wasn't a question either and she looked at him. He took another sip of the bottle. "He said that to Happy." She just nodded. She almost asked and he noticed it and shook his head. "You don't want to know."

"You're probably right." She looked down at the table and took a deep breath.

"Hey!" Piney said and took his hand. "He got away cheap, no matter what happened."

"Ok. Thank you. For everything."

"You're family, we help family."

"Even so." She gave him a hug. "I need to get going."

"Let me know what happens so I can tell Clay and the others when I talk to them. They're worried. Especially Gemma."

"I will. I'll call you later."

"Kiddo, you do sound like you've got all this under control, but don't get to comfortable. You might miss what they have behind their back."

"I know, Piney. That's why I agreed to this meeting. I'm pretty sure that I know what they're up to, but I want to see what's behind their back."

"Good girl." He said and gave her another hug.

-o0o-

Tara was in her office and had a panic look on her face when Ava came inside.

"I don't know what to do."

"About what?"

She didn't say anything and just absently pointed at her stomach. Ava sat down. Tara had told her that she had an appointment for an abortion that afternoon.

"I can't tell you what to do. You have to decide that yourself and you know that."

"How do I know what's right?"

"I don't know. I've never been in your situation."

Tara had a surprised look and then smiled. "It was never hard for you?"

"No, the pregnancy woke me up, gave me strength. I would never had gotten rid of that."

"You make me sound like a coward for even considering it."

"You can't compare the two of us. It's two different pregnancies."

"If I forced you to advise me?"

"Are you going to pull out your gun now?" Ava smiled and then pulled her hair back. "I would tell you that you still have time, if you're not sure now there's no need to take a hasty decision."

"Gemma knows, she'll use the knowledge if she needs to and she could tell Jax, if he knows he would never let me do what I want."

"If you do this now, would it be because it's what you thinks is right or because you want to hurt Jax back?"

"It's not to hurt Jax."

"It sounds like you're sure."

"I want kids, I just want it to be with the right guy. Someone who'll be there. I know this is a horrible thing to say to you..."

"It's not Tara. It really isn't." Ava got up and put her arm around Tara. "Like I said, there's never two people in the same situation. You should do what feels right. Let me know if you need a ride or anything."

"Thanks. When's the meeting with the dragons?"

"Four."

"Are you going to go dressed like that?"

Ava looked down on her jeans, tank top and cardigan. "Oh yes. I'd like to get their hopes up before crushing them."

"Oh, you are most definitely a Gemma in the making. 'Crushing them'." She gave Tara a hug. "Go get them, girl. And call me when you're done there."

"And you call me when you get home, or if you want a ride."

"I will."

She looked Tara into the eyes and then she gave her another hug before leaving.

-o0o-

Happy was standing outside a barn on the Irish country side, watching O'Neill walk away to 'murder a shite'. He had the distinct feeling that things were fucked up but he couldn't put his finger on it. Most of it was so fucked up it was hard to see the forrest for all the trees.

A few seconds later he heard screams behind him and saw the small kids putting a chain and lock on the doors. He took of with Juice to follow the kids for a few steps until he realized that they were not what was important at this moment. They had locked the others in for a reason and they needed to get them the fuck out of there.

Juice pulled out his gun to shoot off the chain when Happy heard a motor running on the other side of the door. He started running to the side and pulled Juice with him. The blast came just after that and it knocked him to the ground.

Funny thing was, he heard Ava's voice, just like it sounded when she mumbled in his ear in bed at night. It wasn't words, she was just chuckling in her teasing way and he shook his head to see and tried to get up. Opie was standing not far away and pulled something from the side of his stomach. Happy tried to feel something but besides the ringing in his ears, that had taken the place of Ava's laughter. There was a slight pain in his entire body, as if he had soreness from training. But no sharp pains, he ran his hands over his body and couldn't find any blood.

He got up and looked around. It was a fucking battlefield, burning stuff, blood and dead bodies. Chibs was sitting on the ground with that kid in his arms.

The fucking Belfast Prez and Sergant-At-Arms came walking and dared to fucking claim that it wasn't sure that it was Jimmy who blew up that truck. They had said it themselves earlier; The kid's were Jimmy's recruits and they locked the door to the barn. O'Neill had taken the perfect time to take a shit. McGee had been in the barn with the others, and no-one was stupid enough to blow themselves up. If he had known he had been outside with them.

They had a huge problem and he was pretty sure that all the SAMCRO boys knew it. They had no-one to trust and it was just pure fucking luck that the majority of the charter didn't die in that barn. Everyone, including him was in a state of confusion and slight panic. But as usual; Bobby was on top of things and calm.

"The explosion was seen for miles, we've gotta get out of here, now." He said. That pulled them all out of the shock.

He was right, this wasn't the time or the place and they all knew it once he had said it.

-o0o-

Later that evening Chibs and him walked into the living room after making sure that Fiona and Kerianne were ok.

The other's wanted him to send Fiona and Kerianne to the States. Happy could see the others point, that Chibs should get his family out of there, that he should keep them safe and take them back to Charming.

At the same time, he wasn't surprised when Chibs disagreed.

"The only way that I can keep my baby safe, is when that bastard O'Fallon is dead. And I guarantee ya' I am going to make that happen."

Happy could relate to that. They shouldn't have to run, just like Ava and Grace shouldn't have been forced to run. The only way to keep them safe was to kill Jimmy and he would do whatever it took to help Chibs with that. Just as Chibs had helped him with Ava.

He went outside, lit a smoke and called Ava.

"Babe, how did it go?"

"Are you seriously calling me from Ireland?" She laughed.

"Sure. How did it go?"

"I haven't been yet, it's just one 'o clock here."

"Miss me?"

"Yes, miss both of you like crazy. How's Ireland?"

"Explosive." He said after exhaling the smoke.

"Not sure I want to know what that means."

"I'm fine, we're all fine. I'll tell you when I get home."

She was silent for a second. "Can I ask you something?"

He laughed at how much she sounded like her daughter just then. "You can ask." He figured it would be about other women, or how they were doing or pretty much anything he didn't want to take over the phone.

She was silent for a while. "Know what, just forget it."

"No. Ask me."

"No, it was about Jonah, but I think Piney might be right."

"What did Piney say?"

"That I don't want to know. And I don't, and I want to be able to tell others that I honeslty don't know."

"Piney's right." He really liked Piney. "Is he helping you?"

"Yes, he's great. Don't worry about anything."

"Are you behaving or am I going to have to kill some guy so I'm the only living guy who's had you."

"I'm behaving and I'm practicing."

"Good girl."

"Piney said that to, not about the same thing but just pointing out that it's the second time someone's said that to me today." She laughed and Happy felt the first smile on his face that day."Are you practicing or do I have to go to Ireland and beat some bitch into a pulp."

He laughed. "You know these Irish bitches, they don't have tits as great as yours, I can't understand a word they're saying and all have smooth backs."

"Most girls have smooth backs, Happy."

"You don't."

"I love you too."

"Didn't say anything about that."

"Are you saying you don't?" He knew exactly what she looked like when she said that, her pretend horror face and he laughed again. The shit day was starting to fall off him, just from talking to her.

"Ain't telling you shit." He said. "Kick their ass later."

"You know it. You too."

"You know it, babe." He hung up.

He noticed Gemma, looking at Jax and that blond Irish girl, Trinity, Maureens daughter. She turned around and saw him.

"Talking to Ava?"

"Yeah?"

"How did it go?"

"Hasn't been yet."

Gemma nodded. "She knows what she's doing."

"I know." He looked at Gemma. "I'm not worried."

"Good." She came up to him and put her arm around his waist. "Those girls aren't going anywhere and those grandparents aren't going to see our princess."

"Princess?" He looked at Gemma.

"Ask anyone." She looked up at him. "I wouldn't order a pink SOA t-shirt for just anyone."

"You ordered it?"

"Not yet. But I'm gonna."

Later, when he went to bed and the place was quiet he noticed that his ears were still ringing. It was fucking annoying and he hoped that it wasn't some permanent shit.

-o0o-

Ally was sitting next to her and was tapping her foot impatiantly. They were in a fancy meeting room at a law firm and the lawyer and Richardsons were late.

"I should charge them for this." Ally muttered.

"They got the money to pay for it." Ava said and looked down and noticed some spots on her cardigan. That made her smile, it would drive Mary insane, she wished that she had done it on purpose.

They finally came inside and she didn't get up, she hardly bothered to look at them and didn't shake the lawyers hand. She knew she was being rude and it was the point. The ruder she was the more pissed Mary would get. And the more pissed she was the more she would reveal.

When the lawyer noticed Ally he froze up. "I had not been informed that you had a lawyer." He said to Ava and she shrugged.

"There was no need to inform you. I was under the impression that this was just an informal meeting." Ally said and Ava stole a glance of Mary and Eric. They hadn't been prepared for that. Maybe a lawyer had been a better idea than she had thought.

"Yes, of course." They sat down on the other side of the table. The lawyer continued. "Eric and Mary Richardson want visitation rights with Grace Sanders at least four days a mont and four weeks during the summer and finally five days during christmas."

Both Ava and Ally just looked at the lawyer. Ava was very pleased with Ally, she had obviously paid attention to her instructions while they were waiting for them.

When they didn't say anything the lawyer cleared his throat. "If you agree to this I have a paper for you to sign."

"I don't." Ava said. "If that's all you had to say..." She looked at Ally and pointed at the door. "...I guess we could leave then?" Ally nodded and they started to get up.

"It wasn't." Eric said. "Sit down, Ava."

She looked at him, back at Ally and shrugged and they sat back down.

"The court can give them visitation rights and they can order more extensive rights than the one we asked for." When he said that he looked at Ally. He had obviously hoped that it would scare Ava and that she would agree because of that. But with Ally in the room he knew that she knew the law.

None of them said anything yet. Mary was starting to turn in her chair. "We could sue for custody as well, considering the biker trash you're hanging out with I'm sure that wouldn't be an issue. The court would understand."

Ava looked at Eric and decided that it was time to start provoking them. "All this just so you can show a happy family to your voters." He looked away.

"You took our son!" Mary had reached her high pitched voice. "You and your brother destroyed him."

"I didn't take him. I did my very best to stay the fuck away from him." Mary hated the word 'fuck', and sure enough that sent her over the edge.

"You lying piece of white trash!" Eric grabbed her arm to make her shut up.

"I think this meeting is over. We were hoping to find a quick resolution in everyones best interest." Their lawyer started to put his papers together while he was talking. Ava's guess was that Eric had warned him about Mary and her temper.

Ally cleared her throat. "We will contact you in a couple of days when we are ready to present our case. Would you like to present yours now?"

"No." Eric said and the three of them left the room.

Ally turned and looked at her. "You were like a teenage child."

"I know, just wished I'd had a chewing gum."

"You better have something good on this." Ally said.

"Do you know the origin of the word 'draconian'?" Ava was still sitting down, watching the door.

"No."

"It's from 'Draco' the first legislator of Athens. Before him the laws were not written down but around 620 B.C. He took over. And he was tough, even smaller offenses was punishable by death. And if you owed money to someone above you own status you were forced into slavery."

"Interesting." Ally said. "And the point of this speech?"

"Just trying to remind myself that I need to be unforgiving and not weak." Ava said more to herself that to Ally. "And that owing a debt to someone might put you into slavery."

"So, with all that in mind. Do you have something good on this?"

"I do." She was still looking at the door but when she turned she saw Ally's face. "Listen, I was hidden by the government because they found that Jonah was a threat against mine and Grace's safety and life. I still am. I have all that paper work. I've had massive injury to my back, all of it documented and if there's any questioning about that I can simply show my back. It's bad."

"How bad?"

"Really bad." Ally nodded and Ava continued. "I have a huge file and I'm going to get it for you so you have time to go through it. I even have a signed statement from a judge in San Fransisco that Mary yelled at me before, during and after a trial when Jonah was accused of rape and assault."

"Jesus Christ, that women really is stupid."

"The Judge removed her from the court room and was so appalled that he happily signed a testimony. He even promised to testify in my behalf if it would ever be needed." Ava added. "Still worried?"

"No." Ally smiled. "I'm kind of looking forward to this."

"I haven't even told you the best part yet."

"Oh, I like you." Ally was positively glowing. "I like these kind of cases. Tell me the best part."

"Nope, gonna give you something to look forward to." Ava took her bag. "They're going to pull me to the side when I come out. Let them."

Ava had been right, Eric and Mary was waiting for her and she followed them to an empty office. Eric was doing the talking, he had probably told Mary to shut her mouth.

"If you give us limited visitation rights, four days every second month and two weeks during the summer, and tell us where Jonah is, that'll be all." He had a begging look on his face. "It's best for all of us, we don't want Grace in court anymore than you do."

"If I say yes with the exception that I don't know where Jonah is and the addition that you can't have Grace in public, no PR whatsoever, would you agree to that?" She wasn't tempted, not for a seconds. She just wanted to see how he would react to that.

The problem for them seemed to be that they wanted two different things. Mary wanted to mess with Ava, get even, take her daughter just as she thought Ava had taken Jonah. Eric wanted the PR of being a grandfather. He might actually also want to have a relationship with his granddaughter.

"I can't guarantee that no-one would ever take any pictures." Eric said with a defensive tone.

"Didn't think so." Ava smiled. "And I'm not worried, this isn't going to court."

Mary looked like she was about to explode, and she obviously couldn't help herself. "Just tell us!"

Ava pointed at Eric and looked at Mary. "Didn't he tell you to shut your mouth?" She turned around and walked outside to the waiting Ally.

"What now?" Ally asked while putting her briefcase in her backseat.

"I'm going to New York. I'll call you when I get back."

"You do that."

-o0o-

She knew it was the middle of the night on Ireland, or possibly early morning but she wanted a quick word with Happy.

"What!" She had heard him answer the phone like that hundreds of times and she smiled.

"Hope I'm not interrupting your moment with a bitch and her smooth back."

"Nah, already sent her out."

Ava laughed. "Just wanted to call you and tell you that it went well."

"They're not suing?"

"They think they are, but I meant that I found out what I wanted to know. So I'm going to New York tomorrow."

"You need to bring someone."

"What?"

"You're not going alone, not with all this shit. So bring someone, Tig or Kozic. Preferrebly not Kozic."

"Why not him?"

"He thinks you're hot."

"Really?"

"Don't get any ideas."

Ava laughed and then she thought about it for a while. "They're already short on bodies here, Happy. Can't I take Big Al, or Sisco?"

He was quiet for a while. "Do I need to worry?"

"No, it just happened to be the only SOA-guys who are not from Charming that I even remotely know."

"Ok. I'll call Piney and set it up. Go see him in the morning and he'll let you know."

"Go back to sleep. I'm gonna go practice now."

"Any chance you can do it while I'm listening?"

"No. Go back to sleep."

He laughed. "Keep that pussy wet for me, babe."

"I miss you."

"I know. Keep me informed."

"I will. Good night."

"Sleep tight, babe."

-o0o-

She packed her suitcase in the morning and made sure that everything that should be turned off was before she left the apartment and locked the door.

As she walked into the clubhouse Piney, Tig and Kozic came out of the Chapel

"Have you heard from Tara? She was going to call me yesterday but never did. Just want to tell her what happened yesterday."

They looked at each other and finally Piney sighed. "Tara's been kidnapped."

Ava sat down on the closest chair. "Kidnapped?" She took a deep breath. "I thought..."

Tig turned around and looked at her. "What did you think?"

"I called her and she never called back. I thought... I doesn't matter." She'd thought that she had just turned off the phone so she could sleep after the abortion.

"What did you think?" Tig had a very serious face.

"That she just needed to sleep. It's been a lot for her lately." She looked at Piney. "With Ima and shit."

"Happy called me yesterday and Big Al will be here any minute. We have to go."

"I know." She took a deep breath. "I feel like shit leaving you with all this..."

"You take care of your girl and we'll take care of Tara. Ok?" Piney said.

"You can't tell Hap about this yet. Were not going to mention it to Jax." Tig added.

"You'r not?"

"He's got enough as it is."

"Fine. I won't tell Hap, but he better not give me shit for it."

"He won't. If it comes to that I'll explain to him." Tig said. "Go get our girl." He said and gave her a hug.

"You go get Tara."

She sat down and waited and Chucky gave her coffee.

"That book you read to the kids?"

"Yes?"

"What was it?"

"Goodnight Mr. Tom."

"It was good." He said and then looked embarrassed. "I know it's a book for kids..."

"I love it." Ava said. "It's a beautiful book. Even if you're not a kid."

"Am I catching you in the process of flirting with another man?" Big Al bellowed. "What would Hap say?"

She laughed and got up to. "So, you ready to go to New York?"

"Absolutely!" He said and picked up her bag. "Looking forward to it, haven't been in a while."

"I'm sorry to keep you from your family."

"This is my family as well, they know that."

They drove to Oakland airport. While waiting Ava had a coffee and Al had a beer.

"How are your kids?"

"All good." He smiled. "Skip's had his birthday a couple of weeks ago."

"His twelfth?"

"No, eleventh."

"Oh, I thought you said..."

"Yeah, but he was almost eleven." Al was still smiling. "I need some time to get adjusted to their age. They grow up so fast so I start saying they're a year older a couple of months ahead. Keeps me sane."

"I think I'm going to try that. I can't believe Grace is six." She laughed.

"You can't have been old when you had her."

"No. I turned twenty-two a while before I had her."

"You remind me of my wife."

"Was she young when she had... Marcus, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Marcus." He nodded. "She was 25, but that's not why. She'd do anything for those boys. So would I, but she's got that tigress look when something's threatening them." He pointed at her with the hand holding the glass. "You've got that now."

Ava stared at him and then started to laugh. "Good. I need it."

-o0o-

Happy was lying on his bed. They had caught O'Neill and he had watched a pro torture him. He knew that they others was bothered but Happy was mostly impressed with the lever of pain he managed to inflict without O'Neill passing out. He had learned a lot from watching that.

He was and he picked up the phone to call Ava. She answered the phone and he could hear that she was in the middle of a laugh.

"What's going on?"

"I'm a the airport. We're on our way to the flight."

"How's Big Al?"

"All good."

"Talked to Grace earlier."

"What? She didn't call me."

"She called me to tell me that our club was better than the New York one." Ava laughed and it hit Happy how fucking much he missed her. "Take care of her."

"You know I will. How's Ireland."

"Fucking sucks. I'm done with Ireland, I can tell you that much."

"Good, was worried you'd want to stay there."

"No fucking way." He laughed. "Do you miss me?"

"Yes. I do." She was mumbling.

"Tell Big Al that he'd better keep you two safe, or I'll kick his fucking ass when I get back."

"No, I'm not going to do that."

"Then put him on the phone."

Ava was quiet for a while. Then she spoke very silently. "No! He's been kind enough to come with me so I'm not going to let you be rude to him."

That made Happy laugh. "I'll get you for that. Defying me."

"I'm sure you will. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah. Babe, think about me."

"You know I do." Then she hung up.

-o0o-

Later that night, Ava was sitting in another Clubhouse with Grace in her lap and Clark at her side. They had been asked to stay at the clubhouse instead of Clark's house. She had tried to convince them that this was all an overreaction from Happy's side and that there wasn't much of a risk.

Waldo had laughed. "Honey, If you got hit by a car, lightning or just a randomly falling coconut, Happy would consider it our fucking fault that we weren't there to push you out of the way. You're not leaving our sight."

So now she was in a sofa, Big Al was next to her and was talking to Grace about Tiny and Skip.

"I gave Happy a picture of me and mom, so he could have it in his cut, like you do."

Ava looked at her. "You did?"

"Yes, before he left." Grace nodded, then she looked down at Big Al's picture. "I thought he should have one."

"That's good, Sunshine. He should have a picture of you with him at all times." Al said.

The morning after Al followed her to the bank. He waited outside and when she came out he smiled at her.

"All done?"

She nodded, when they started to walk towards Al's bike, she felt dizzy, her mind was racing and all she could think about was what she was holding against her chest. What the file's content was.

Al stopped and looked at her. "Come on." He said and sat her down at a bench. "Don't move."

He came back a few minutes later and handed her a coke then sat down next to her. He handed her a cigarette and she took it.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head, that it was nothing. "Did you know that they're planning on building an underground garden in an old trolley terminal here in New York?"

"No. I didn't."

"Below Delancy street on Lower East Side." He nodded. It sounded amazing, she really hoped that they did build it.

"How do you know?"

"Linda, my wife, read it somewhere. She always tells me stuff like that." He looked at her again. "Wanna tell me what's in those papers that you are hugging harder than you hugged Grace yesterday." Ava looked at him and was suddenly very insecure. "I'm guessing it has something to do with why Happy wanted me to go with you. And why you sent Grace away."

She smiled into the ground and then looked up at him again. "You're all a lot smarter than I give you credit for."

"Not all of us." He said and waved with his eyebrows. "I'm a smart motherfucker though."

"Grace's father... was abusive. I left him when I got pregnant." She realized that it had never been easier to say it to anyone than it was this time. It didn't have anything to do with Al, even if he was a nice man. It was because it was behind her now, a finished chapter. Even Jonah's parents showing up couldn't change that. "His parents showed up earlier this week. They claim that they want visitation rights with Grace. They threaten to sue for custody if I don't agree."

"Where's Jonah?" Al was leaning his elbows on the backrest and was looking on a park on the other side of the street.

"I don't know."

"How many times has he found you?"

"Many. I'm protected by the government to some degree. I have most of it on record. I stopped filing charges about three years ago and I only tried to testify once." She was dreading the question she knew would come.

"Did he come to Charming?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath and then she managed to look at him. He smiled and nodded but he didn't ask anything. He understood. Or knew, she wondered if Happy or Piney had said something.

"So what are those papers?"

"I kept records of everything. This is all of it. Pictures, testimonies, police investigations and pretty much anything that I thought worth saving."

Al leaned forward and leaned his elbows on his knees. "My dad used to beat up my mom."

She wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry."

"As soon as I turned 17 I joined the army. My mom signed the consent form." He finally looked at her. "I felt like a coward but I didn't know what I could do. I felt like an ass for leaving her behind but I guess I hoped that she would leave him when I wasn't holding her back."

"She signed those forms because she wanted you out of the way, to be safe." Ava said. "Or at least that would've been why I did it. Must have been bad if she thought the army would be safer than your home."

He nodded. "Six months later, he beat her to death. I guess that me not being there meant there was nothing to hold him back.

"Or she knew it was coming and didn't want you to be there and see it."

Al looked at her. "I never thought of it that way. Thank you." He threw his empty coke-bottle into the trash. "When he woke up from the drunken fog and realized what he had done he shot himself."

Ava took his hand, "I'm really, really sorry."

"I've never, once, laid a hand on a woman or my boys."

"I have no doubt."

"My point is, no matter what Grace has seen and even if it'll never completely leave her, she'll be fine. She could have a good life and you're a good role model. Judging from what she is like now, she'll grow up to be an amazing woman."

"Thank you." She squeezed his hand. "That warms my heart."

"I'm glad I could help you and come here with you, even if it's a small part in it." Ava smiled at him and then she thought about the entire situation. "What?"

"Just. Everyone is so nice, helpful and concerned. It's strange."

"Well, we did get the mail."

"Mail?"

"That you were family and we should all take care of you like you're family."

"Even so."

He gave her a strange look. "What do you know about Happy?"

She go uncertain when he said that. "Well, do you mean about... his role in the club."

"Yes. He's called The Tacoma Killer. He's... a scary guy." Al noticed her face and put a hand on her. "I like him, consider him a friend, and most of us do. But him having an Old Lady was, a surprise. An Old Lady with a kid even more surprising and seeing him with the two of you." He shook his head. "He loves this club, he'd do anything for it, he's all in. We know what that means and how far he would go for us. He'd go that far for you too. We all know it and we all owe him, one way or another. We also know that he'd kill us if we fucked up and you got hurt."

She stared at him for a while and she felt her throat choking and she swallowed. "He's done a lot for me all ready."

"I'm sure." He lit another cigarette. "I wouldn't worry about a thing if I was you. I'd be slightly worried if I was Grace."

"Yeah. I've thought about that as well." Ava laughed. Grace would be safe and he'd always be nice to her. He would probably be extremely overprotective though. The teenage Grace would probably go insane.

-o0o-

The spent the afternoon with Clark and Grace. Al was with them the entire time. In the beginning of the day he tried to keep his distance, to give them space but that wasn't something that Grace would allow. She kept running up to him, take his hand and literally drag him into the conversations. Finally he gave up and joined them. None of them minded. That night she and Al went back to Charming. Grace was fine with it, said she wanted some more time with Clark, Waldo, Eddie, Randell and the other members.

Piney met them at the clubhouse. "All good?"

"Yes. Grace sends her love."

She stood next to Al as he packed his bike.

"Thanks for this." Piney said and gave him a hug, smacking the leather on his back.

"No worries. Sure you don't want me to stick around until you've solved the other shit?" Al was referring to Tara.

"Nah, go home to your family."

Ava walked up to him, standing quite close. "Thank you, for everything, not just following me but... sharing."

"Had to return the favor." He gave her a hug. "Take care of that little ray of sunshine."

"I will, and you take care of your boys."

"Absolutely."

"You're a good man, Al. Don't ever doubt that."

"Thank you." He hugged her again. "I'll bring Linda here when it all settles down. She'll love you."

When he was gone, Piney took her arm. He had given her the information on Tara. Which basically was that they were on the same page as they had been when she left. "Ally want's you to call her. She's a bit wired up and want to set the meeting tomorrow morning."

"I'll call her immediately." She took a look at her watch, it wasn't that late and she would have time to sort somethings and still see Ally the same night. "Do you have a copy machine here?"

"Of course."

"Can I borrow it?" He took her to the office of the garage and pointed at the copy machine. She picked up the file from her bag and then she looked at him. "This is... I mean..."

Piney smiled and went outside, closing the door carefully. Ava took a deep breath and then opened the file.