So once again I am apologizing for not getting back to any of my commenters. I really really do appreciate them! And to the guest commenter that asked a very specific question, I do not have a one shot about Happy, Gabby, and Happy's mother, but the very next one shot is about Happy finding comfort from Gabby after he finds out his mother is sick. Sneak preview for all of you I guess!

I am moving on Saturday so as you can imagine I am super busy right now. I am going to post a one shot Saturday morning, god willing I remember, (someone remind me on twitter!) because I will probably not be able to post one next Wednesday. If by some miracle I get my internet up Monday or Tuesday I will post again Wednesday and Saturday will be a bonus. I will let you all know on twitter what I'm doing, I can tweet from my phone even though I can't get online from it, yeah that's right, I have an old school flip phone that can't get online, the horror!

This one shot is a little short, but it hits on 2 different things I wanted to mention, Happy seeking information about Gabby during the 4 year gap, and the moment he finds out for sure Tig is her father, (the shellfish scene I mentioned in the last chapter of The Reluctant Lion Heart.)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

2003

Age 11

Happy greeted his brothers warmly. He missed his SAMCRO brothers. He hadn't made a trip to Charming in nearly 2 years and the small Redwood charter didn't travel to Tacoma often; it was usually the other way around.

The brothers were all enjoying a Friday night party after the club business that brought them together was dealt with. Happy was outside finishing a whiskey watching Tig and Kozik in the ring. Kyle sat down next to him waiting in silence till the fight was over to pull an envelope out of his cut.

"Old lady wanted you to have this. Don't know why." Kyle pretended to watch the next pair of brothers enter the ring as Happy opened the envelope to reveal a large group photo of the entire Charming elementary school class, 6 grades. His eyes found her immediately.

"Charlie's in the 5th grade now, hard to believe he'll be in the middle school next year. He's in the back row." Kyle took a swig of his beer and cleared his throat. "She's in the 3rd row, from the back."

Happy slowly nodded his head and tucked the photo into his own cut. "She's good man." Kyle patted him on the shoulder and walked away. He didn't need to stay, Hap wasn't gonna say anything.

Happy rejoined his brothers after he had gotten his emotions in check. Not that they'd really been out of control, but damn if that girl could get him worked up, more than his own damn ma. He sat down at a table of mostly Charming men, Tig, Bobby, Clay, Jax, and their new prospect. The damn Latino was so green Happy was impressed he'd been able to ride his own bike all the way here.

Lee's old lady Kelly set another large plate full of grilled shrimp down in the middle of the table. Brothers were still arriving and every bit of seafood you could imagine was still being cooked for this giant party. Tig shoved Juice off the end of the picnic table and moved down to the end, away from the food grumbling under his breath about 'being promised a damn steak.'

Happy tried pushing the thought of Gabby to the back of his mind, but being surrounded by these men didn't help things. He truly felt like he abandoned her. He had, hadn't he? He walked away, he let that bitch Emily drive him away. He hadn't gone back for her, hadn't checked on her, hadn't reassured her, hadn't asked another brother to look in on her. How had he managed to fuck up so badly?

"I said stop!" Happy looked up at the sound of Tig's voice. He hadn't meant to zone out so completely.

"What the hell, I'm just eating!" Juice sucked the meat out of yet another shrimp and tossed the tail on the empty plate he had left at his spot now in front of Tig.

"STOP!" Tig screamed as one hit his arm and he tossed the whole plate into Juice's lap.

"Jesus Tig you scared of a little shrimp tail?! Come on, they're good man." Jax picked a fresh shrimp up off the plate and held it out toward Tig whom nearly knocked the entire table over trying to get off the bench and away from the food.

"Keep that shit the fuck away from me!" Tig pointed down at the plate while backing up from the table.

The rest of the Charming men erupted in laughter at their brothers odd antics. Not Happy; he sat frozen watching Tig back away toward the ring where there was no food in sight. Happy saw early on the resemblance between Gabby and Tig, the hair, the eyes, the face, even the personality. But this…all he could see was his precious little Gabby laying in a hospital bed. Because her throat swelled closed. Because she was allergic to shellfish.

Thanks for reading

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