{Talia}

I really didn't know what to expect when Happy said we were going back to Charming. After all that time up in Oregon, I almost forgot about my hometown, but I was happy to come back to my roots. It'd be a different place now that my parents were gone...

I didn't think about them anymore, well, I didn't think about my biological father anymore. He was the reason we had to leave in the first place and he was the reason my mother was dead. She didn't deserve to die. Mom was a saint; all she needed was a white dress and a golden halo. She'd always tell me that everything in life happens for a reason and we might not like the purpose behind it, but there is still a pretext for it. She was the gentlest soul and she was so kind to everyone she met. I tried so hard to be like her.

When Dad would bring his druggie clients to the house or start making his product, Mom would take me outside and we'd just walk around the rural spots of Charming. She found a barren field that seemed to go on forever and we'd sit in the grass, laughing and picking flowers. We'd stay out there for hours and just appreciate nature. I think Mom was a little on the hippie side because she couldn't stand wearing shoes when we were in that pasture, but I didn't mind it; I was more than happy to get dirt and blades of grass between my toes. She'd usually bring her guitar and it was made of Brazilian rosewood. She made it too, handcrafted. It had a heart-shaped sound hole and flowers carved on the fingerboard and headstock. It was a beautiful thing and it sounded divine.

The main thing we did in that open space was just run. We'd run away from all the troubles her husband was bringing on our family and we'd keep running until we forgot about all the problems in the life we were living.

When Happy took me in, it was strange at first. I didn't know who this menacing man was and I didn't know why he decided to adopt me, but I was grateful that he took me out of that dark hole. When I was healing and able to move, I wouldn't come out of my- actually, I wouldn't come out of Happy's room for anything. We made a routine. He'd come in every hour, attempt to talk to me and leave when I'd start crying. He'd bring me something to eat, grab some clothes from his dresser and the clothes he left for me always had price tags on them, so he was buying them daily. That's how we operated for a long time.

I'd wait until I screamed myself awake to finally creep out of the room. Most nights, I'd sneak around the new house I was living in and go searching for the strange man who always looked like the Big Bad Wolf just waiting for the Little Piggy. The first few nights, I didn't find him anywhere and I'd go back to bed to fall into a restless sleep. One day though, I found him sleeping on the couch and I just watched him. That went on for a few nights until one day, I got on that couch with him and went to sleep tucked under his arm. I didn't notice how used to Happy I was until I was close to him. I was always in his room and it reeked of his scent, so being close to the source of it was extremely comforting. That was the first day we made progress and Happy didn't shrug me off him when he woke up. I think he just watched me until I got up, but that was the first night I didn't have those godawful nightmares.

Things were smooth sailing after that. I'd come out of Happy's room more often and I'd just sit in the backyard to remind myself that I was free. Happy would find me out there most of the time and he'd just sit with me, never saying a word or asking why I was out here. We just sat in silence together and that alone built a bond. I started responding to him when he'd talk to me and I was just as polite as my Mother taught me to be, always said, "Please, Thank You" and "Sir" or "Miss" because that's how I was raised. Happy didn't mind it, but he always told me that I didn't have to be so proper.

Once I was verbal, I'd have little conversations with Happy and asked him if he was going to take me to school because I missed being around kids. He attempted to home-school me, but that didn't work out and he got me enrolled in a small school close to home. I'd have to wake him up every morning by gladly pouncing on him, but we'd make breakfast and he'd walk me to school. After my first day, I thought Happy wasn't going to come pick me up. I remembered that I wasn't his kid and that he wasn't responsible for me, but I didn't want him to leave me because he was all I had now.

But Happy's was the first face I saw when school was out and I ran to him as if he were gone for years.

As time passed, Happy and I got closer and I was attached to him. I loved him and when I told him that, he just stared at me, which made me laugh. He was a very strange man and I got used to his weirdness. Happy wasn't the type of guy to read me a bedtime story every night and he didn't know the first thing about how to style a little girl's hair, but we worked through the obstacles.

The first time I saw Happy covered in blood, I woke up because I heard something loud in the house. Of course, I panicked and went to find him. We migrated to sharing his room and my smaller bed was next to his, but I always ended up sleeping with him. After finding most of the house empty and starting to cry because I thought he abandoned me, the last place I looked was the basement. That's when I saw some bloody man tied to a chair with a swollen eye and busted lip. A few of his severed fingers littered the floor around him and Happy was pacing in front of the man with pliers in his hand.

Hidden in the darkness, I watched Happy's pitiless interrogation and for some strange reason, I wasn't scared at all. I watched Happy take that man apart piece by bloody piece, but found nothing to fear.

When Happy caught me watching, he didn't say anything. He didn't tell me to go upstairs or try to cover up his bloody mess and he let me watch him clean up. The next morning, he asked me if I wanted to go live with a new family because of what I saw and if I was afraid of him.

My answer was a firm 'No' to both questions and that could officially mark the beginning of the end of my sanity.

By the time I was a pre-teen, I knew all too well how to make someone scream for mercy and how to tend to whatever wounds Happy came home with. He taught me how to fight like a man and I think I had too much fun with that. Once he saw how interested I was with it, Happy didn't get me into professional or legal fighting. We were getting into street fights in an alley or underground place for 3 grand per round and I loved the thrill of it all.

Everything from there is history. Happy became Dad and I'd follow him to the ends of the universe if he asked me. Whatever he wanted me to do, I did it without question because Happy gave me a new life. I owed him everything.

Most people don't understand that when something as traumatic and as unfortunate as rape happens, the victim's self-confidence is shattered. Interacting with people is never as easy as it used to be, not that I was a very assertive kid, and certain faces or things trigger that horrible memory. That's how I was for a long time, scared of my own shadow and even more terrified of the scary man that 'rescued' me.

Happy instilled a new confidence in me.

After being taken advantage of and feeling helpless for so long, he showed me a new way to feel powerful again. Granted, murdering and torture weren't healthy ways to restore my assertiveness, but it made me whole again.

...

Talia felt like she was in Charming for the first time. She didn't remember these streets, but they seemed so familiar. It felt like this place was a dream. She was currently back-seating Juice's Dyna and he was smoothly cruising out of the town to a neighboring district.

After another 10 minutes of driving, they were parked in front of a dark red store and it had The Round About in blue cursive on the top of the doors. There were a few people inside and Talia rushed through the doors with Juice on her heels. As soon as the bell jingled, someone behind the counter was telling them that they were closing up shop for tonight. The store would be open at 10am tomorrow and Juice gave Talia a sympathetic look, but she thought nothing of it. At least they could come back.

"So, you're Happy's daughter." Juice said as they walked down the street, a 7-Eleven in their sights. "How old are you?"

"eI'll be seventeen in a few months."

"He's been keeping you a secret all that time?" He smirked, but she didn't and his faded.

"I'm not his bio-kid." Talia shrugged.

"Seriously? You guys look alike."

Talia smirked at that. She knew that Happy could pass as her father because they had similar physical traits and with being around him for so long, she likely picked up some of his mannerisms. "I wish I was his blood daughter, but I can't complain about being his adopted kid."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but how and why the hell would Happy want to adopt a child?" Juice asked and Talia laughed a little. Happy was all kinds of strange and she was prepared for all the questions the Sons would be asking about how life was growing up with the Tacoma Killer as a parent. They got to the mini-mart and went straight to the Slurpee machines, getting cups. "He's not really Dad material, ya' know? Never seemed like the type of guy you'd see changing diapers or watching Disney movies with a kid next to him."

"Trust me, I know. He learned though." She smiled at Juice and switched from the blueberry nozzle to the cherry one, remembering all the difficult and awkward things Happy had to go through because he decided to have a daughter. "Don't tell him I told you this, but he always gets a little teared up whenever we watch Bridge to Terabithia."

Juice already had his Slurpee finished and he was drinking it, but choked a little when she told him that. While he was laughing, Talia was putting the top on hers and trying not to laugh with him, but his guffaw was a little contagious. She liked his laugh though. It was so full of kindness and his big smile just made her want to giggle.

"You're supposed to pay before you eat anything." Juice stopped laughing and they both turned around to see a guy in a green shirt scowling at them. He was either the manager or just the cashier, but he didn't have to be such a bitch. "Pay for the drinks and leave."

"What if we're not finished?" Juice asked and Talia didn't know this goofy guy could be so serious, but his voice was just as stone-cold as Happy's could get. "I saw some Cheetos a few aisles back and I've got a major case of the munchies."

"Don't make me call the police." The man warned and Talia's scoff was perfectly timed with Juice's. That threat didn't mean shit because neither of them were afraid of some badges. "You biker gangbangers and your groupies aren't welcomed around here."

"Gangbangers?" Juice hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"Karma be merciful." Talia muttered and slipped away from the men because their augment was getting heated. This has happened a few times with Happy and she already knew how it was going to end. She wasn't too put off by the groupie comment, but she knew Juice was by that slur. She's barely known him for a whole day, but she already knew that they were going to be joined at the hip.

By the time Talia reached the register, she could already hear things crashing to the ground and the fighting sounds of the men. She put her cup on the counter and hopped over, easily finding the CD player that recorded all the security camera's footage. She took the disk out, snapped it and stomped on it until the silver was reduced to tiny shards. The next thing was cracking open that register and getting some pocket cash. While she was typing away, Juice managed to get to the front of the store with the beaten worker and he practically threw the man over the counter. His head hit the register and the drawer popped open, baring all the cash.

Talia quickly pocketed the money, grabbed Juice's arm while he grabbed their Slurpee cups and ran out of the store to his bike. She was holding the cups and laughing her ass off as Juice dashed down the roads. When they got back to Charming, Juice didn't go back to the clubhouse and she remembered Happy saying he already had a house down here. Talia didn't expect the place to be huge or fancy and it wasn't. It was a California bungalow with a chain fence, short porch and dirt path leading to the steps. It seemed like more of a woman's choice, but she wasn't sure what female could've possibly picked out a home for Happy. Other than herself, his Mom and Aunt, she didn't think he cared for another woman.

Talia spotted their moving truck parked a few spaces down the street and wondered if Happy already started bringing their stuff in. She and Juice walked up the dirt path and after failing with the first three keys, Talia finally managed to unlock the door. While Juice went into the kitchen, she took a minute to look around the new place.

The inside was very bare. Other than some pictures of motorcycles and a few Sons of Anarchy flags pinned here and there, the place looked like it was never inhabited. There were two bedrooms, but only one of them had a bed, dresser and small TV. The other one looked like it had white doors to a reach-in closet, en suite bathroom and a leather loveseat, but it looked like Happy was using it as a tattoo room due to the color caps scattered around. The living room had a slightly torn up sofa and a bigger TV than the one in the bedroom, but that was it. The place was in desperate need of a paint job and a good run through with a vacuum cleaner.

Talia found Juice in the kitchen and was surprised to see a square table with two chairs and a fridge. There wasn't a single plate, cup, pot, pan or utensil in any of the cabinets or drawers, but there were takeout boxes all over the counters. She was skeptical about opening the fridge because she didn't want to smell 40-year-old milk, so she left it alone.

Taking a seat across from Juice, she started to count the money she took from the register. She pocketed $150 and they'd both get 75 bucks, but Juice told her to keep his share. He looked around the barren kitchen and back at Talia, skepticism in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm worried about living in this place too." She must've read his mind because he chuckled and she smiled. "I'm not a germaphobe or anything, but I can literally feel the bacteria building up all over the place."

"I'm sure it'll be cozier when you guys get some furniture in here and start decorating." He assured.

"Happy doesn't understand the concept of decorating. He thinks putting up posters of pornstars with ten-inch dildos up their asses is decorating."

"It's not?"

"No!" She laughed and Juice did too.

For a minute, the pair talked and Talia answered all of Juice's burning questions about how life was growing up with the infamous Tacoma Killer. Once she got tired of talking about herself, she asked Juice to share his life story and he told her about growing up in Queens, New York without knowing a lick of Spanish.

As an only child and a Mother that barely affected his life, Juice spent most of his time on the streets with gangs and running with the wrong crowds. He stole from stores, broke into cars, tampered with light dope and got his head tattoos because he thought they made him seem tougher than he looked. Apparently, the people from his neighborhood used to call him Baby Face and Juice said it like it was a joke, but Talia saw through his forced smile. He probably hated that name and she did too. He said he met someone named Jax in his hometown and that's how he found out about the Sons of Anarchy. The guy told him to come to California if he wanted to run with men that would actually give a shit about him and have his back.

Talia was about to ask Juice about Chibs, utterly captivated by his brogue and those scars on his cheeks, when their stomachs decided to loudly talk to each other and they got to work on ordering something. There were menus piled in one spot on the counter and they decided on a nearby pizza place. They ordered a bacon, ham and pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, boneless honey BBQ wings, garlic bread knots and a 2-liter grape soda. While they awaited dinner, Juice went to tamper with the TV in what Talia suspected was Happy's room to see if they had cable. There was a knock on the door while he was back there, so Talia pulled a chair from the kitchen table and used it to look through the peephole.

The young delivery woman smiled at Tal and asked if she was going to eat all this food by herself. Talia would've said something that made her laugh, but Juice came out and the woman started drooling over him. They were talking for a minute and she had a feeling Juice was trying to get laid, but Tal pulled the 'Dad' card on him and the woman left. If she wasn't getting any tonight, nobody was.

Juice went behind the TV in the living room to see if he could get a response from it while Talia spread their dinner out on the coffee table. A colored flash made her look up to find the TV going in and out of a channel, the local news from the looks of it. She managed to catch a glimpse of the time and it was almost 10PM. Normally, she'd be wide awake and doing something with Happy at this hour. They'd either be watching a movie and having a popcorn fight or they'd be out on a hit. Talia was tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep without her Dad here...she didn't want to freak Juice out with her middle-of-the-night screaming either.

The nightmares Talia's been having since she got home were amplified memories from her time at Nightingale and they terrified her. Everything felt so real and the nightmarish ghouls she'd have tormenting or creeping up on her from the dark crevices of her padded room were enough to send her into the deepest depth of insanity. The worst part was that she could never wake herself up. She'd scream until her throat burned and cry until all the water in her body was gone, but nothing could free her from the terrorizing agony of her own overactive mind.

Happy made everything better though. Going to sleep with him in the room or together on the couch until he moved her to her own bed would ease her mind and she wouldn't dream of anything. She'd rest in peaceful, ignorant bliss.

Talia didn't tell Happy about the nightmares because she didn't want him going into his easily triggered over-protective mode. He'd probably have her trapped in a goddamn bubble. There wouldn't be any more late-night kills and he'd forbid her from fighting. He'd push everything aside and stay with her until he knew she was okay again and as sweet as that was, Talia didn't want him doing that. They just moved to Charming and she knew his focus was going to be helping the Sons with whatever they needed. She wasn't sure if he was going to be patching into this charter and she's never been to the one in Oregon, but she had a feeling that he liked it here. The Sons seemed to really like him and he was closer to Bakersfield, so he could visit his Mom more often.

Happy's taken Talia to visit his Mom a handful of times and they'd always stop at a florist. She'd make a bouquet of flowers for his Mom and when they'd get to her house, Talia always stayed outside on the porch. She wanted to give Happy his personal time with his Mom and she knew that it hurt when he'd see her. She was sick and he was taking care of her, but Talia knew it tore him up seeing her unwell.

"Juice, you got any pot on you?" Talia asked and Juice hit the TV. The static cleared and a game-show was on in crystal-clear definition.

"I've got Bubba Kush and Blue Dream in my satchel."

"You have Blue Dream?" She asked, smiling like a goddamn fiend. Talia couldn't get a single bud of Blue Dream in Oregon if her life depended on it.

Juice laughed at her and nodded. He came from behind the TV and went outside to his bike to get his stash while Talia went into the kitchen and searched for some cups for them to use. By some luck, there was a half-pack of plastic cups on top of the fridge, but she was skeptical about getting within 10-inches of that thing. Something was telling her that the icebox was full of ginormous, mutated crawlers and she did not want to have bugs nesting and laying eggs in her hair.

Thankfully, Juice came back in and got the cups down. While he was finding something for them to watch on TV, Talia was getting to work on some joints. On the table were two freezer-sized Ziploc baggies of Bubba Kush and Blue Dream, along with a dark green grinder. When she grabbed it, she saw Juice's name inscribed on the middle and smiled. She asked him about it and he said he knew a guy that makes custom grinders and bongs. He promised to take her to get her own and Talia knew that they were going to be good friends. She always used the term sparingly and she could only recall having one or two people she considered to be friends with while in Oregon. Happy told her not to get too close to people because of their lifestyle and she understood that, so she kept people at a distance, but there was something pulling her to Juice and she liked the feeling.

After their joints were finished, Juice convinced Talia that they could watch the remainder of the Batman Beyond marathon before the night was over. They decided to smoke first, then eat because doing it backward would just open endless doors of trouble. Once buzzed and handling their munchies, everything on the TV was hilarious. Hell, they were laughing their asses off at a paper towel commercial.

Talia's first day back in Charming was pretty good. She saw the woman of her dreams, got to have a few drinks, made a new friend and she had an amazing high. There was no doubt about it now. Charming felt like home again and she didn't want to leave anytime soon.