A/N - Thank you so much to everyone for following me over here - and in answer to the question, yes Jax/Tara are still together. You're going to love this, I hope... can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Happy was positively glowing as he sped back towards Charming. There was a warm air whipping around him, and his cut clung to him in the damp heat. The thought that Natasha had been trying to reach out to him had relaxed him a little, and he flexed his hand for a moment on the accelerator. Suddenly, he wanted to go faster. He wanted to drive at speed, he needed to feel connected to the road, as if it would somehow give him the adrenaline to connect to her.
As he started to pull of the 680, Happy closed his eyes. The roads were empty, it was late into the night and he knew these streets like the back of his hand. As he urged over the crossing, he flicked his eyes open wide as he heard the sound of someone slamming their hand against the horn.
"Fuck."
He grunted as he saw the car in front of him and his eyes opened wide as he slammed himself down to the ground, it was the only way to protect himself. He winced as his bare arm scraped across the tarmac, his cheek slamming to the floor and tearing his skin. The wheels of the car screeched and he managed to lift his head just enough to see the vehicle as it catapulted into a street lamp.
Happy screwed his eyes closed once, twice, trying to bring himself round, ready to get to his feet. He clicked his neck from side to side as he managed to stagger up. It wasn't like he hadn't laid his bike down before, no, he had done it more times than he could even remember but usually it didn't involve getting an innocent driver into trouble.
Sure that he was steady, he dusted his hands off on his cut and started to walk over towards the car. He frowned, he was sure he recognised it. His feet moved a little faster, his walk turning into a jog as it dawned on him. Christ, that was Nero's car.
"Oh Jesus." Happy could see Nero's head, flat against the steering wheel. A trickle of blood was running down his forehead and Happy grunted as his elbow slammed against the window to break it. He tugged the lock up and wound his arm through the frame to open the door. "Hey, Padilla. Wake up."
As he shifted Nero's body, dragging it across the passenger seat, he winced as he saw that the damage was a little more significant than he had hoped. Nero's chest was crushed, his torso bleeding, probably from broken ribs. This wasn't what he needed. If it had been anyone else, Happy would probably have just hit the road and left him, but now, he couldn't.
Tugging out his phone, he scrolled quickly through to Tig's number and jabbed his thumb to it. He could hear Nero struggling to breathe as it rang out, and he looked at him with concern.
"S'up, boss?" Tig was chewing gum loudly on the phone, and Happy rubbed a hand over his head as he finally lay Nero flat on the floor.
"Need you to bring the van," he instructed shortly. "I think I may have just accidentally sped up our plans for getting the girls home."
The call was one that Tig didn't share with the rest of the club. He pursed his lips as he gathered his belongings and slipped out into the night, with no intention of letting anybody else know where he was going. Pulling on his black hoodie and tugging his gloves on as he climbed into the front seat of the van, he took the drive out towards the location Happy had specified quickly and quietly. The streets were empty and he was there in ten minutes flat, grimacing as he saw Nero's car twisted around the tree.
"You alright?"
He hopped down, nodding towards Happy's Harley. Happy nodded, even though Tig could already tell that graze on his face was likely to scar.
"Fluke," Happy said abruptly, motioning over Nero's chest. "I wasn't looking, thought there'd be nobody on that intersection." Tig sniffed, his nostrils flaring.
"Where was he going?"
Happy shrugged, beginning to lift Nero up. "Damned if I know." Tig picked up Nero's feet and carried him to the van, sliding the side door open as they lay him inside. "Club's going to freak."
Tig shook his head. "Table doesn't need to know, brother. It was an accident." It sure didn't look that way when they had only just been discussing how to hold Nero in a bit of hot water, but Jax would be the first to jump to conclusions of conspiracy. He was the master of it, after all. "You were riding back, hit and run, you got knocked off and we managed to help him. That's all." He patted Happy's shoulder. "Let's just get him to Saint Thomas."
Tara Knowles looked exhausted. It had already been a long night but having Nero Padilla brought into her surgery was not quite what she had been expecting to round out the evening. She scraped her hair up into a messy bun, holding a pin in her teeth to keep the stray bangs away from her eyes as she watched one of her colleagues stitching Nero's skin closed.
"Has someone notified his next of kin?" she asked, glancing towards the nurse assisting. He nodded.
"They've been called. They're already on the way, flying from Vegas. Should be here any minute now."
Tara licked her lips for a moment, glancing out towards the waiting area. It would be Nina, for sure, with Chibs in tow, and she could already feel a sense of foreboding settling on her at the thought of contention between the ex-president and the current. She flexed her fingers before nodding.
"Good. I'll… tell them to expect them."
Ducking out of the operating room, she tugged off her mucky scrubs quickly and pulled on her white coat again. She took a moment to check her reflection in the mirror before heading out to find Tig and Happy sitting outside, conferring quietly.
"You should tell Jax that Chibs is on the way back," she said quietly, her voice low as she looked around the waiting room. There were enough people there, police officers trying to busy themselves with taking statements that might be 'useful' later down the line. Happy nudged Tig approvingly, maybe this would work out after all.
"He looking okay, Doc?" Tig asked, leaning forward. Tara nodded.
"A couple of broken ribs, broken nose. Chipped a tooth, but that stuff's easy to repair." She shrugged. "We've reset the bone and stitched the tissue, but he's got to stay put, it's not going to be easy." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she added, "Will that sit with your… plans?"
Happy chuckled. It was easy to forget that Tara was as much an old lady as someone like Gemma was, she was in on everything because Jax liked it that way. It wasn't like she could have a say in club business, but it was clear she was fully aware.
"We'll make it work."
The three conspirators looked up as, in a commotion, Nina came whirling into the reception area with half a dozen bags slung around her shoulders and chest. Tig chuckled, rubbing his hands together, and nudged Happy.
"Now here's some goddamn déjà vu, right?" He pushed his hair back from his face and winked at Tara. "Wish me luck."
He sauntered across, trying to keep his cool as one eye flicked around the hall looking for Chibs. He sighed as his eyes settled on Nina, drinking the sight of her in. She looked flustered, her face flushed and red, her hair wild around her face as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the front desk.
"I'm looking for room 1412," she said, leaning over the desk to get the receptionist's attention. "Nero Padilla."
"He's just out of surgery." Tig sauntered forward, trying to be useful, and Nina turned to look at him. It felt like too long since she had seen him, and she felt an enormous heat flood through her.
"Tig." For some reason she hadn't expected any of the club there, but seeing him didn't seem to surprise her. "I-" She wanted to hug him but it felt too uncomfortable, and she kept her distance but Tig smiled, trying to ease her.
"Let me take those," he offered, reaching for the bags on her shoulders. "Come and sit down." She seemed hesitant and he smiled. "He's in recovery, you won't be able to see him for an hour yet. Come on."
She shook her head, glancing behind her. "Filip's just coming. Kaya was crying, he had to-" She stopped herself as she heard Chibs whistling as he walked through, a baby carrier strung across the front of his chest. Tig felt a wave of nausea overcome him as he saw two little feet wiggling from either side as Chibs drew to a halt next to Nina and possessively rested his arm around her shoulder.
"Trager."
The two looked at each other with uncertainty and Nina grimaced as she saw Happy edging around the corner of the waiting room. She pulled a face to Chibs, trying to convey her discomfort, but he rested his hand on her lower back to support her. To break the overwhelming tension, the little baby strapped to Chibs suddenly let out a wail and Nina winced.
"Hey, now, come on you." She lifted the little girl away and cradled her, holding her tenderly and pressing kisses on her forehead. "Why are you crying, my darling?"
"Talk about goddamn déjà vu," Tig muttered, looking at the baby. A pang of jealousy stabbed through him, barely able to believe that Nina's world had been moving on and developing without him. For some reason, he had just thought that he would see her and everything would fall back into place.
Happy swallowed as he saw the wriggling little thing in Nina's arms. He wrinkled his nose as he looked at the tiny child suspiciously before glancing to Chibs.
"Looks nothing like you," he muttered by way of welcome, slapping Chibs across the back as he pulled him into a rough hug. Chibs laughed awkwardly, exchanging a little look with Nina that made her blush and hold the baby tighter. Happy watched her, unable to take his eyes away from the thing. "Mazel tov and shit."
The baby grew quiet as she heard his tones and turned to face him, her huge eyes and perfect rosebud lips pouting as she stared. Maybe it was his voice, but Happy chuckled as Kaya stared at him and he poked her nose with the tip of his finger.
"She's cute." He looked at Chibs awkwardly. "Can I hold her?"
Nina hesitated but nodded, lifting the little girl away from her and helping Happy to take her. Her hands grazed his, showing him how to support her head and her butt gently, and she nodded with approval as he got it. Tig was staring at the whole exchange in confusion and upset.
"You didn't mention you had a baby," he said, his words coming out in a jealous whine. Chibs laughed at him.
"I don't think we'd tell you anything," he replied, his voice curt. As much as he had missed his brothers, he had finally fallen into a life that made him happy with Nina and he wasn't about to get dragged back in. "Thanks for being there for Nero, but you can go. We're here now."
"I'll stay," Happy insisted, bouncing the little girl high in the air and watching as she giggled with pleasure. "Hold on to this bundle while you see the old man." Nina opened her mouth to object but closed it again quickly and nodded.
"Is Natasha here?" she asked, glancing around. Happy shook his head and she glanced down at her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket. "I should text her, she should be here for her Grandda."
Happy suddenly beamed, rubbing his nose adoringly against the little baby's as he winked at her, pleased that Nina had come to that suggestion by herself. "Sure, if Pelekov lets her." He tickled Kaya again. "And you can see your sister, right?"