*Talia is 16 and a half, her next birthday's a few months away*
{Happy}
Happy closed the flaps of the brown box in front of him and grabbed the roll of tape hanging from his mouth. Pulling at the circle, he bit a strip off, placing it over the slit in the box. Patting around the hardwood floor, his hand brushed the smooth cap of Sharpie marker and he pulled the top off with his teeth. He's been drawing smiley faces on the sides to know which boxes had his shit in them and this box contained his tattoo equipment.
When he stood up, he stretched his arms and legs with a long groan that echoed through the empty house. He knew he shouldn't have, but he took a long look around and watched the memories play before his eyes, most of them being of a little girl with cherry-red hair skipping around with a renewed brightness in her eyes. He was going to miss this place.
Happy picked the box up and tucked it under his arm, headed to the front door. He managed to shut it with his foot and walked to the rented truck. The metal grate to the U-Haul truck was still up and he could see the silhouettes of their stuff inside. The interior was filled with his and Talia's things. She refused to let Happy buy her another bed because she had one of those fancy pillow-top mattresses, so he had to lug her Queen-sized bed in the truck by himself and that's what was taking up most of the space. Happy managed to make enough room for his bike to fit in there, but he couldn't even see it now.
He put the box inside and pushed it back as far as it'd go. He reached up for the handle, but stopped pulling the shade down when it was half-shut. Looking back at his former home, he didn't see Talia moving around upstairs from the windows. She wasn't downstairs, he didn't hear her singing and he didn't smell anything burning, so where could she be?
Happy was about to call his daughter when he felt the weight on his shoulder. Talia was hanging over his shoulder and Happy curled his arm around her back before she tipped forward. She's been begging him to let her ride in the back with their things and he kept telling her that she'd probably suffocate or hurt herself, but she didn't seem bothered by it.
He could feel her pistol against his fingers and her hair just fell over to cover her head as her arms dangled over his chest. She colored her hair when she came home and the pastel-green shade was definitely a change. Happy couldn't remember how many times she's dyed her hair, but the last color she had faded out while she was in lockup and she dyed her hair when she got settled. She was much better at it than he ever was because her dark roots never showed.
"Dad, I can't find my game." Talia whined and Happy couldn't see her face, but he knew she was pouting.
"Your Xbox?"
"No, my DS, the little portable one."
"Did you pack it up?"
"I left it downstairs. It was charging in the windowsill while I was bringing my boxes down." She lifted her head, but all Happy saw was a cloud of pale-green veiling her face. "I told you there were ghosts in that place and they stole my shit."
"The house isn't haunted." He chuckled and pulled the metal shade down, locking it. Happy walked to the side of the truck and opened the passenger door, but Talia didn't slide off him and with a smile, he shrugged her off. She slid into the seat and half of her was laying across the dashboard while her head was dangling off the seat. Her upside down pout made him smile. "I'll buy you another one, Tal."
"You'll buy me another one?!" Talia half-shrieked and Happy barely cringed at the sound. He was pretty used to it by now. She was still going on about how unbelievably special her damn game was, but Happy shut her door and went over to the driver's side. When he climbed in, Talia was still going on with her ranting, but she was sitting upright now. "-just buy me another one! That was a limited-edition item with sentimental value! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get all those medals, evolve my babies, beat Team Plasma and win all those World Tournaments?!"
"Tal-" Happy tried as he put the keys in and pulled off, starting their journey downstate.
"Forever, that's how long!" She answered her own question. "And don't even get me started on all the legendary ones I sold my soul to catch! I had all three Flying Legends, Regigigas, Mespirit, Registeel, Cresselia, Latias, Regice. I had Reshiram, Dad. Freaking Reshiram!"
"What the hell are those things?" Happy questioned, finally able to get a word in. "Sounds like you're listing off STDs."
"We've been through this a billion times." She slightly groaned and he raised an eyebrow, not catching on. "They're my Pokémon."
"Those creatures on those cards you collect?"
"Yeah!" She chirped and Happy remembered the 5-pack of cards she always bought. The cards were a dollar a pack and that's why she'd always be digging through his pockets for singles or 'Stripper Money' as she calls them. She had a book of all those cards and when she got doubles, she'd sell them at school. Apparently, these Chinese monsters were a pretty big trend. "I don't know where the hell my DS could've gone. Are you sure you didn't see it when you came out?"
"The house was empty, Tal. I'm sure it's in the back with the rest of your stuff. You can check for it if we make a pit stop." Talia made this weird sound that sounded like a crying turtle and she went limp, slumping next to Happy. He put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her arm, smirking.
Happy knew she loved that little handheld game and she's quiet when she has it, which is one of the reasons why he bought it for her, along with a billion of those tiny games, to keep her preoccupied. It took a second, but he realized that her DS was just an updated GameBoy and it didn't take long for him to learn how it worked. Talia was still teaching him how to play her Xbox, but she said he was getting better. As much as she wanted one, there was no way in hell Happy was buying her a guitar because she'd want an electric one and it'd need an amplifier to make more noise.
He knew Talia was going to be quiet for most of the ride because when she wasn't driving, she always went to sleep. It was just like when they went on stakeouts. He saw her chugging mugs of coffee this morning, but he didn't want her to stay awake. She needed to rest and relax.
Happy was never one to be uncomfortable with loneliness, but he seriously noticed Talia's absence in that year and few months. He never told her when they were doing work for Tacoma and she never asked, but their last outlaw episode called for fire, so she delivered. She got booked on another Arson charge and she took the jail-time for him because if Happy would've gotten caught, he would've gotten a 5 to 10-year sentence and Talia would've been on her own. As much as he trusted the boys in the Tacoma charter, he wouldn't have wanted any of them to watch over her while he was away.
It was strange without Talia being around. Happy was used to her waking him up with a hot cup of coffee and watching her run around the house to get ready for school or hear her lovely singing all the time. When she'd come home, he didn't have to suffer through the squeals of teenage girls, but she'd sometimes drop in to ask if they had any work to do before she took off for a few hours. She wasn't the kind of kid that came home way past midnight in skimpy clothes, drunk or high or both. She could be a tomboy at times, so seeing her with a few new tears in her jeans or a scrape on her arm was normal. He missed the domestic things that came with their little family.
When Happy got a letter saying Talia's two-year sentence was countermanded and that she was getting out early, he rode up to Hillcrest Youth Correctional to go get her at the crack of dawn. He saw his daughter being escorted out of the Detention Center, with a head of cornrows, but the guards weren't leading her to him. They put her in the back of a paddy-wagon and rode off to a goddamn mental hospital in Klamath Falls. Of course, Happy was ready to blow his fucking gasket, furiously wondering how the hell could they put her in a mental hospital without his permission.
Then, he watched Talia get dragged into the place and she was fighting with all her might. That didn't do either of them any good because Happy started getting violent and she started with the biting. He didn't know where the hell she got that from, but she was like a goddamn Piranha and something always came off when she got her teeth latched onto it.
The police were called and with heavy protection, Dr. Warren McGrath, the shrink who evaluated Talia when she was in lockup, told Happy what was going on. The doctor informed him of all the 'problems' he 'diagnosed' Talia with and that he was going to 'cure' her. He made it clear that Happy couldn't take her out of the facility because he had a court order saying that she could be put in there against his and her own consent.
To add more bullshit to the pile, Happy wasn't allowed to see Talia for weeks. The last image he had of his daughter was her kicking and screaming and that's what he had to live with until he was granted visitation privileges, but that wasn't anything to be excited about either. When Happy got to see her again, they had her in a padded room and tightly strapped in a straitjacket. She was so out of it that first visit. Her eyes were glossy, pupils as big as gumballs and she was constantly muttering something that was impossible to hear because of her drug-induced slur. When questioned about it, Happy was told that Talia was an 'unstable patient who has a bellicose nature and resorts to truculent behavior' so they kept her sedated for 'the safety of staff and other patients.'
With a broken heart, Happy stayed for the hour they allowed him to and he was sure that Talia didn't know who the hell he was. That only increased his worry over her. In hospitals like these, where the patients are either crazy or always doped up, anything could happen to them and the last thing his daughter needed was to experience the traumatic hell of being taken advantage of again. Happy swore that she wouldn't go through that madness again and he was going to keep his word.
It took a few visits, but Happy managed to scope out the facility and learned the schedules of the workers. One of them always took a smoke break when the patients were having Recess, the time between sessions where they can walk around, socialize, play board games and watch TV. The worker had the same complexion as him and that made it easier to blend in after Happy stole his uniform. He freed his daughter from that restraining coat, tucked her in a laundry hamper and rolled out without any problems.
The first few days back home, Talia was still out of it and Happy was constantly pumping her full of water to flush all the medication out of her. Once that was done, he thought she was okay because she started talking clearly and she told him what it was like being in that place. She didn't like the isolation and the restraint, but nobody touched her and that's all Happy could ask for. She wanted him to stay close to her and he understood, so he did. It was how she was at night that made him nervous.
Talia could have pretty violent nightmares that would make her start screaming in her sleep. Most nights, Happy ended up just holding her for an hour and assuring her that she wasn't in that asylum anymore, that he was there and that he had her. It was like when he brought her home the first time all over again and he hated that she was scared like that. The worst part was that Talia never remembered freaking out. She'd wake up the next day and carry on like she didn't scare the hell out of Happy the night before, never told him how horrible those dreams were or if she even had them in the first place. He didn't know if she was hiding it from him because she didn't want him worrying or if she honestly had no recollection of the whole ordeal.
When Talia's nightmares settled down, she was up and moving around. She told Happy she was okay, so he let her go back to school and she got through her first few weeks back without any trouble, but one day, she didn't come home on time. He didn't start worrying until it was verging on 9pm and he didn't even get a call from her because Talia usually sends him a text when she's out of school and if she doesn't come straight home, she calls to tell him where she is.
As soon as he opened the front door, he saw Talia, but he couldn't even tell her off because she fell out right in front of him. She was a mess when she woke up, crying and blubbering about some men hunting her. Happy thought it was someone from the outlaw side of their life trying to get back at him by scaring her, but she said they were from the mental hospital. She showed him the bolt she had sticking in her thigh and it was a Vecuronium dart.
Happy spent the rest of the night getting them packed up and he got them some quick cash for the road by selling their furniture this morning. He had a house in Charming that he less than rarely stayed in, but it had two bedrooms and that's was the best place for them to go. He wanted to get Talia far away from Oregon and they weren't ever going to come back. They rooted down upstate, made some amazing memories in that house, but they had to leave. It was too risky to stay and Talia didn't need to be experiencing all the bullshit that Center brings.
Happy never let Talia meet the Tacoma Sons, but he told her about them and she's been dying to meet any of the Men of Mayhem. All this time, she thought Happy was the leader of all the Men of Mayhem in the world. That's why he was moving them to Charming. Being involved with the mother charter guaranteed more safety than the Tacoma guys could provide and Happy knew she'd like to be back home after all the years away.
He usually visited SAMCRO when he was going to visit his mother and he'd be available to them for a little while before heading back upstate. Opie just got sent to Stockton and everyone else was still walking freely. The last time he was there, they welcomed a new Son they nicknamed Juice and Happy wasn't sure why the kid wanted to run with bikers. He seemed a little soft, but if the kid got to wear the Reaper, he must have something useful to provide the Club with and Happy knew the others were going to toughen him up with some Brotherly Love.
They were on I-5 now and they'd be on this road for a few hours, then there was another 20 minutes separating them from Charming. For the first couple hours of the drive, Talia was fine with keeping her head poked out the window like a dog enjoying a drive and she had no problem with yelling at the other cars they passed. She'd usually tell the driver that they were attractive or she'd ask them to flash her and it actually happened once. A bunch of giggling women in a Ferrari California pulled their tops up and sped off, screaming in glee.
Happy's been keeping an ear and eye out for any motorcycles. A few passed them, but none of the riders had the Reaper on their backs. He didn't expect to have SAMCRO escort us to Charming because he didn't even tell them he was coming. He knew he'd have some explaining to do for how long he's been AWOL, then showing up with a kid on his back. Clay's been wanting him to patch into Redwood Original for years now, so he was sure the President wouldn't have a problem with him sticking around.
He just wondered how the Sons would react to Talia and how she would to them. His daughter doesn't have a problem with strangers, but these were tough men and he didn't want her to be nervous or scared around the Sons. They were harmless to family and she was his family, so they'd treat her like blood.
They were hitting the three-hour mark and Happy was content with their travel time, estimating that they'd probably get to Charming by 6 or 7pm. Talia was curled up on her side and leaning on the door. She told him that she didn't want to drain her phone's battery from playing games and listening to her music, so she turned it off, but Happy didn't know if she was sleeping or not.
"Dad," She mumbled and he glanced at her before putting his eyes back on the road. "I'm hungry."
"What'd you eat before we left?" He asked her before pulling a face at the thought in mind. "If you say those goddamn PopTarts-"
"I ate my last two Cookies and Cream PopTarts and they were delicious." Happy shot Talia a sideways glare and could see her smiling. He hated those damn things, they were too sweet for him, but she eats them almost every morning on her way to school. She didn't eat enough in his opinion. "Where are we anyway?"
"We're in Red Bluff, a few more hours 'till Charming. I'll keep an eye out for a diner or truck stop." He heard Talia hum and she stretched. She scooted over to him and put her head on his lap.
"Dad!" She jerked up and hit Happy's arm, making him swerve for a second. He pulled the truck over on the side of the road and snapped around to face her.
"Are you trying to kill us?"
Talia shoved her hand in Happy's pocket and pulled out a golden rectangle. Said rectangle just so happened to be her missing DS and she was right about it being a limited edition. The handheld was pale gold and there were a trio of goldenrod triangles on the bottom right corner. She told Happy what the symbol was, but he could never remember; he knew it had something to do with one of the games she loved to play on the small device.
"You were in cahoots with the goddamn ghosts." Talia shook her head at Happy. "What kinda sick world are we living in when you can't even trust your own father?" He narrowed his eyes at her, but couldn't stop the smirk that came on his lips.
Happy could never stay mad at his daughter and he rarely got ticked off with her. She was a pretty calm teenager and she was the exact opposite of what he expected them to be like. She didn't keep her phone glued to her ear and was chattering a mile a minute all day. She didn't wear tight clothes that showed off too much skin. She sometimes wore a little makeup, mascara and eyeliner from what she told him, but not too much for her age. He knew she didn't have some punk boyfriend to sneak off with because she was very proud to tell him that if she brought anyone home, it would be a girl whenever he asked. There was an endless amount of trust between them and she was comfortable with telling Happy just about anything, like how she could get more pussy than he could.
That was his little girl and he was a Dad, the last thing he ever thought he'd be.
Happy was a lot of things and the big one was a heartless, stone-cold killer. Typically, people like him don't become parents because it's too dangerous. There was a long list of people who wanted him dead and he had a high enough reputation that kept those people at bay, but that didn't mean his enemies wouldn't try to hurt Talia. Vengeance was one hell of a beast and hurting a teenage girl didn't seem wrong in the eyes of fury. There haven't been any attempts on her life and she hasn't gotten kidnapped since Happy took her in, but he always felt like it was going to happen, that someone was going to try to take her from him.
Happy loved Talia and she was his daughter. He took care of her and gave her the best life he could. He didn't have to and honestly, he wasn't planning on it. He didn't plan on finding her either. When she turned up in that basement, something inside him just wanted to lash out at whoever hurt this tiny little girl, but that fucker was already dead. Happy would've sent him into another world of pain if he knew what that monster did to this innocent kid beforehand.
While Talia was healing, she was in such a state of deep shock that forced her to lay in bed with an unblinking gaze and he'd be by her side, monitoring her. With a heavy heart, he'd listen to her trembling murmurs and tearful pleas.
"Please...don't hurt me anymore. It already hurts...so much. Please..."
"...let me go..."
"I want...Mommy. Send me to Heaven with her."
This kid, this tiny, fragile, innocent little girl, was begging for someone to kill her. That fazed Happy on so many levels. It was different when an adult was begging for someone to end their pathetic life, someone who made the wrong choices that led to their demise and probably deserved to die for the shit they've done. That's what Happy was used to.
Seeing a little kid asking to die wasn't something that could click with him. Kids couldn't do anything that deserved a death sentence. The little devils were supposed to start trouble, that's how they learned how to get through the rights and wrongs of life.
After hearing Talia beg for death, then seeing how broken and shattered she was, Happy knew he was going to keep her. He had to. He wasn't about to let this girl go out into a cruel and unforgiving world because she'd get eaten alive. He vowed to make her stronger and to make her forget what it felt like to feel fear again. Sometime along the way, feelings got involved.
He'd see how Talia's eyes would light up when she saw him every morning and how happy she'd be when she'd get the slightest form of affection from him. That took some time for Happy to get used to, but she knew what she wanted and she'd give him a hug until he hugged her back. She'd grab his hand and keep a tight grip on it as if she thought he'd leave her if she didn't hold on. With her size, she used him as a goddamn playground and climbed all over him, but Happy got accustomed to it, got used to having a cheerful little girl being in his life, and he liked it.
A thump tore Happy from his trance and he noticed that Talia was gone. He looked out her window and saw her green hair getting further away. He went to grab the keys, but they weren't in the ignition and he got out of the truck. He quickly caught up with Talia and went to put his arm on her shoulder, but she had his wrist clamped in her grip before he could touch her, glaring at him. Once she realized who he was, she let him go and Happy put his arm around her shoulders.
They were walking to a building and there were cars parked around it. Happy wasn't sure if this was a trucker stop, but there were two 16-wheelers in the parking lot. They walked up the few steps and he held the door open, but Talia didn't walk through. Looking over his shoulder, he found her taking the smallest steps towards the door, her focus on the golden handheld in her hands. With a roll of his eyes, Happy grabbed her shoulders and guided her inside the diner.
As Happy took in the scenery, two fat men sitting on stools looked at them. They were probably the truck drivers because they were wearing trucker hats and they both had huge plates of food in front of them. They set their eyes on Talia for a second, then Happy and quickly turned around. Happy kept his hands on Talia's shoulders and guided her to a small booth near the windows. There were menus on the table and he picked one up, looking through it. His ears twitched at the animated sounds coming from across the table. From the way Talia's eyes were locked on the screen and how the game was slightly trembling from the force of her pushing the buttons, she must've been playing a fighting game.
"Pause your game, Tal. Get something to eat." Happy told her.
"Just...one more minute...I'm almost..." She trailed off, but was making that low sound that she always made when she was doing good in her games. As the seconds ticked by, that sound got more content and louder, but Talia started squirming in her seat. "Oh, you are sooo gonna fucking die." She chimed in a sing-song voice and Happy smiled. Quickly, he snatched the game from her hands and shut it, slipping it in his pocket. "Why must you always disrupt my fireball justu, father? Do you not wish for me to succeed?"
Happy chuckled at the fake Japanese-English accent she put on and she smiled back. She started browsing her menu and Happy already picked out what he wanted: a strong cup of coffee and the meatiest burger the place had. Knowing Talia, she'd want chicken fingers and cheese fries or she'd get a burger too. When Talia put her menu down, she asked if she could have her game back and Happy gave it to her to pass the time as they waited to be served. The place wasn't packed and he saw four waitresses tending to tables, but none of them came to theirs.
"We're gonna starve to death before they get over here." Talia commented and he took his eyes off the only blonde waitress' ass. She had a nice figure on her that caught his attention. Talia just set her game down and closed it, sliding it over to him to put in his pocket. "You're scaring them."
"Scaring who?"
"The waitresses. You've got your 'Don't fuck with me' face on. You look like you're really upset 'cause you've you gotta two-day old boner and you're constipated. Like this." Talia's eyebrows came down and she was deeply frowning, making the corners of her lips tug down almost to her chin, but her eyes looked like they got darker. She looked like an ancient, grumpy old man. Happy started chuckling and she broke that strange expression to smile. "That's why they're not coming over here."
"What am I supposed to do? Smile at them?" He quipped.
"No, you look crazy when you smile." Happy scoffed at that and smiled which made her laugh, pointing to him. "See? You look like a rabid goddamn psychopath. Just stop staring at them."
Happy did what Talia advised and faced front, no longer looking at any of the female servers. Behind Talia was a man and a woman, probably a couple. The man had brown hair and a pronounced bald spot taking over a large majority of the back of his head. When he saw Talia smile, he noticed a shade of blue from the corner of his eye and figured they were finally getting some goddamn service.
"My name's Zenaida, I'll be your waitress for today." Happy barely heard the woman's soft voice and when he turned to look at her, Talia nudged him in the knee with her foot to stop him from doing so.
"That's a cool name." She chirped and smiled at the woman, but Happy rolled his eyes. Why Talia took it upon herself to make strangers comfortable around him was a mystery. "It sounds mystical as fuck. Are you a Greek goddess?"
"No, but my Dad's part-Greek." The woman replied and her voice was a bit louder. "He's got a little obsession with Zeus and I think he named me after one of his daughters."
"My name's Jezebel. Dad said he named me that 'cause my Mom was a caked-up junkie whore who lied about everything and got shoved out a third-story window." Happy tried to hide his laugh with a cough, but he could already picture how their waitress was looking at Talia. The kid could lie better than him at times.
Zenaida asked what they'd like to order and went to go their our drinks. When she was far enough away, Talia and Happy started laughing, getting quiet when their waitress returned with their drinks. She was trying to stop her hand from trembling as she poured Happy's coffee, but she was close to him now and since Talia didn't warn him not to look at her, he did. Turns out, she was that blonde with the nice ass and she had a pretty face to match. Ocean-blue eyes, soft pink lips and a nice rack on her. He could see the faint blush staining her cheeks too and she scurried away when she finished pouring his coffee.
15 minutes later, Zenaida came back with their food and Talia asked for a refill on her strawberry milk. They were talking as they ate and Talia got chicken fingers as Happy guessed, but she had tater tots instead of fries. She flung one of them at whoever was sitting behind Happy and ducked under the table. He turned around just to see how pissed the guy would be and the stranger whipped around, ready to lash out, but he flinched when he was facing the hard eyes of the Tacoma Killer. The guy gulped, then turned back around and Talia came up from under the table, laughing.
When they finished, Zenaida came back and asked if they'd like dessert. Talia wanted a slice of Oreo cake and Happy wanted a slice of apple pie. He felt like nobody's desserts compared to Gemma's homemade treats and he was settling for this box-made crap, but that would be changing soon. Talia needed a female role model in her life and Gem was the best candidate because she was the only stable woman in Happy's life. He respected and loved her and he knew Talia would too.
"This cake is life." Talia complimented and stuck another fork-full in her mouth. She had little dark crumbs all around her lips and Happy thought that she still ate like a 9-year-old. He licked his thumb, leaned over the table and started wiping her face off, expecting her to start with the squirming, but Talia was stiff as a board with wide eyes. "Holy burning cross on Jesus' front lawn, it's National Record Store Day!" She beamed at him, but frowned and dramatically wiped the drying spit off her face. "We gotta find a record store and buy a crate of vinyl records. They're like, five bucks a pop."
"You don't even have a record player." Happy reminded her.
"Because you refuse to buy me a Cruiser." She reminded. Happy rolled his eyes as she opened this can of worms for what had to be the billionth time.
"Those things are expensive."
"Compared to the kinky crap you spend your money on, forty-bucks is not expensive." She argued. "You're just a Frugal Frankie and don't even try that 'I don't like excessive spending' bullshit."
"I don't like excessive spending and that fits into the category."
"It fits into the Talia-Wants-It-But-It-Makes-More-Noise-Than-She-Does-So-I'm-Not-Buying-It category."
They started at each other then, neither blinking nor smiling, but with cocked eyebrows. She knew that she was right, but Happy would be damned if he'd admit it.
Talia always called Happy out on being 'cheap', but he hasn't bought her anything expensive since that Xbox and that didn't even cost much. She didn't ask for exorbitant things, but she'll gnaw her Dad's ear off about concert tickets, band t-shirts and new videogames, not that they were pricey. Happy wondered if this record player would get her mind off wanting a guitar. What she really needed was a cage because she has her license and even though he taught her, he was not going to allow her to ride his bike whenever she wanted.
Tal's been talking about a guitar for as long as she's been with Happy and he was almost certain that her mother taught her how to play it at an early age, that or a sitar. Whatever money she earns from her fighting, she gives it to him to hang on to and Happy does, usually put it in her safe after it gets 'cleaned.' When they do a job together, she always wants the smaller bills and he makes sure she has at least a couple grand tucked away in her safe as emergency cash should something happen to him, as unlikely as that sounds.
"If we see a store, we'll go in, get you a Cruiser and two crates of records." Happy leaned back in the cushions and smirked at Talia, accepting her challenge.
Zenaida came back with the receipt and Happy paid her, but Talia cleared her throat, obviously wanting him to do something else. He shrugged at her and she motioned to the wad of cash he was attempting to put back in his pocket. Happy narrowed his eyes at her and started pulling out $10 as a tip, but Talia started with that obnoxious coughing stunt and he gave Zenaida $20.
The blonde thanked Happy and for the first time since they've been in here, she didn't look scared. She smiled at him.
After Talia got a container for her cake, Happy had his hands on her shoulders again and kept his eyes on the greasy fat-asses still sitting on the stools. They didn't turn around again, but Happy heard them whispering before they left. Talia tossed him the keys to their truck and they were on the road again. She was playing her DS for an hour, then she went to sleep on Happy's arm and when she woke up, they were in Modesto. Charming was an hour away.
For the rest of the drive, Talia decided to turn her phone on and the little device was chiming as soon as it powered up. She showed Happy the screen and he saw that she had about ten alarms set to remind her that today was National Record Store Day. By the time they were off Main Street, she was focused on whatever songs were playing through her headphones.
Happy sighed when they were riding down the familiar street to Teller-Morrow Automotive and he managed to find a big enough space to park. He tapped Talia on the shoulder and got out. She was a few feet ahead of him and doing a little dance that reminded him of a flower child from the 60s as she sang, but he knew she had no idea where the hell she was supposed to go. She hasn't been in Charming since she was 7 or 8 and she said she only remembered the Sons of Anarchy by their name. She never came to the garage or talked to one of the Sons.
Talia was walking backward and when they were coming to the end of the sidewalk, she froze. Happy knew that meant one of her songs ended and she was waiting for the next one to play.
"Dad! Ohhh my- this is my jam!" Talia squealed as they were walking along the blue gates and Happy thought she was talking about this new-age band she just found out about. On the Down Low, Always Low, some shit like that. He couldn't keep up with all the names, but Talia always showed him videos of the bands she likes and this new foursome she discovered had a guy that was almost always naked or had Boner t-shirts on. Honestly, all those band members looked the same to Happy. "This is officially our theme song."
"What is it?"
"Obsessive acts of hate,
abductions and massacre
Breeding emotion subvergance
when the living become the dead
Home invasion,
private party of thieves
Blood spilled, material thrill,
a sign of the times"
Happy smiled when Talia started strumming her invisible guitar and making her own sounds to go with it. He remembered when she first heard that song.
They just finished a job and were heading home, blood-soaked. Happy was smoking a cigarette and Talia was just staring out the window, almost in a trance-like state. Back then, she didn't know what to do with the leftover adrenaline and she'd usually just squeeze something until the excitement faded or she'd have to spend a few hours on the punching bag. Happy, on the other hand, was as happier than a gopher in soft dirt and shoved a CD in the player.
Human Disease came on, it got Happy pepped up, Talia got into it and they took turns recklessly driving at the car's top speed all night. He thought she forgot about it, but it was nice to see that she remembered.
Happy grabbed Talia's arm when she kept walking past the opened gate and she was in her own little word, happily singing along with the thrash metal. She had his hand and would use it to help her spin around, making him smile. She was always so happy when she'd listen to her music and he always wondered what it did for her, why she liked it so much.
Happy didn't see any of the Sons outside, but the guys' bikes were lined up on the railing, so they were all in the clubhouse. Most of the un-patched mechanics were starting to leave and they sent Happy a wave or nod as they passed. He opened the door to the clubhouse and there were already some Crow Eaters or hang-arounds in there. As he stepped in, he felt Talia's fingers hook on the back loops of his jeans to keep close. He spotted the newest member, Juice, behind the bar and the newest Son looked like he was flirting with a brunette in a purple crop top.
"Beat it." Happy gruffly ordered the woman and she quickly slid off her stool.
Juice leaned up from the bar and had his eyes on Happy, but they went over his shoulder to glance at Talia. He gave Happy a nervous smile and set a beer in front of him, but Happy couldn't get his hand around it before Talia plucked the bottle from the counter.
"Is she old enough to drink?" Juice cautiously asked, but was smirking at Happy's daughter. He didn't know too much about Juice, so he didn't like how he was ogling at her. "She looks like she's barely verging on legal."
"Where's Clay?" Happy dismissed the younger Son's question and Juice straightened up a little.
"In the Chapel with Bobby and Tig." He nodded to the double leather doors across the room.
Happy turned around and grabbed Talia by the waist, easily lifting her. She felt like she only weighed a pound. He set her on the bar and she took a sip of his beer. He noticed that she's been throwing a shot of Jack in her coffee or having a beer throughout the day since she came home, but she hasn't been getting drunk. She probably just missed the buzz of booze, so Happy's been letting her have a drink first thing in the morning without scolding. It's not like he didn't do the same thing.
He gave Talia a look to stay put and she nodded, but it was more of a headbang because she was still listening to her music. Juice was smirking behind her and Happy shook his head. "Watch her." He told the new Intelligence Officer and Juice nodded.
Maneuvering across the room, Happy went to the tall leather doors and knocked. After a second, they cracked open a little and he saw a blue eye before they were thrown open. "Killa!" Tig cheered and brought Happy in for a friendly hug. Like Juice said, Bobby and Clay were in here and they were digging in the big safe, but they closed it to come greet Happy.
"Long time no see." Clay chuckled. "What brings you back home?"
"I'm moving down here, comin' home."
Clay's grey brows lifted in surprise and delight. "You got transfer papers?" He asked and Happy smirked at the interest in his voice, but shook his head.
"Tacoma doesn't know I left the state yet. I'm still Nomad, but I'm gonna root down here."
"Your Mom okay?" Bobby asked with a sympathetic voice and he nodded.
"If you're not transferring and everything's aces, why the fuck did you bring your ugly mug down here?" Tig sarcastically questioned and both men smirked at his snide tone.
Happy figured it would be easier to show them why he was moving, and he wanted to see their reactions, so he told them to follow him and went out into the bar. A couple more people trickled in and a few scantily dressed sweetbutts caught his attention, but he led the guys to the bar. He didn't see Talia where he left her and Juice was missing too, a new guy manning the bar. He had a kutte on, but Happy couldn't spot a patch, so he had to be the new Prospect. He shot Happy a nod and the Nomad nodded back, but looked around the bar for his kid.
"Happy!" A voice called and he would've thought it was Talia's, but this one sounded masculine. Juice shoved a few people to the side to get to the cluster of sons; he looked frantic.
"Where's the girl I left you with?" Happy demanded.
"She went to the bathroom with this guy- wait, Hap!"
Happy had already pushed past the youngest member and was stomping down the hall to the bathroom. He could hear Clay, Bobby and Tig teasing about him settling down, but he couldn't even get annoyed with them right now. He punched the door to the bathroom open and the first thing he noticed was the man on his knees with his pants down. Then, he noticed Talia. He finally took in what she was wearing today too. Homemade denim shorts, sneakers and a black tank that had 'Explicit Fucking Content' in black letters on white banners.
Happy heard the Sons behind him give a surprised 'whoa' or curse, but it wasn't because Talia was on her knees in front of that random guy. She wasn't bent into a scandalous position and neither was the man. The guy was on his knees with his head in the toilet and now that Happy noticed it, his hands were under his legs. It looked like his belt was bound around his wrists in some elaborate knot that tied to his waist. Talia was sitting on the tank of the toilet and her feet were on the man's head, keeping his face dunked in the water. She looked as calm as ever as she watched the man drown.
"I leave you alone for two minutes and you waterboard some poor sap." Happy tutted and Talia looked up, still calm while the body under her was still wildly jerking.
"I was out there, minding my own goddamn business and not disturbing anybody, when this dickbag struts up to the bar." She explained without question, pointing to the man under her feet. "He bought me another beer and we did a shot of JD, but I think he tried to roofie me because he stalked me back here! What the hell is wrong with him?! I know I'm one sweet piece of candy, but Jesus Christ, I am a baby! This sicko is exactly why I need a Leonberger!"
"You've been talking about a dog half your goddamn life." Happy sighed. "You're not getting that giant shit monster."
"You don't love me anymore, do you?" She accused and he scoffed at that line. The first few times Talia used it on him, Happy gave in to whatever she wanted, but he was immune to it now.
"Um, maybe we should be focused on the guy she's drowning." Bobby prompted from behind Happy.
"Let him up, Tal." Happy told his daughter and Talia's eyebrows almost flew off her face when they bolted up in utter shock. "We'll handle it, take him out back and teach him a lesson." The second she lifted her feet, the man jerked up, gasping, and she kicked him in his shoulders, sending him sliding back on the tiled floor to the Sons' feet. Talia slid off the toilet and stepped on the man's chest as she left.
Tig and Happy grabbed the hang-around by his legs and started dragging his coughing body out the backdoor where the hordes of tires or scrap metal were. Talia went to the nearest rubber mountain and tried to climb on it, but she was just a little too short and Juice went over help to her. He kneeled down and put one hand over the other, saying "Hup" when he gave her a little boost. Talia posed as if waiting to be judged and Juice gave her a 5 out of 5. Happy guessed that she made a new friend already. That was good.
After wailing on the sick bastard for almost a half-hour, snapping his arm and Talia got one brutal punch in, the Sons let the asshole run away. That was one way to let the town know that Happy was back.
"So, the girl…" Clay started as Happy leaned on the gate, lighting a cigarette.
Happy looked over at the tower of tires and Talia was chatting away to Bobby with Juice at her side. Tig was further away from the three, but he was in hearing distance of Clay and Happy and was watching them. Happy mused that the Cali Sons seemed to like Talia…or they could just be acting nice because they thought she was his woman and they wanted to see how weird they were together. He huffed at that thought, but looked to Clay, waiting for him to speak his mind.
"Never pegged you as the kinda guy to limit himself to one, but she seems like she's used to you and our lifestyle." Clay finished his earlier thought, inquisitively glancing at Talia before setting his eyes on Happy. "She's pretty young though…"
"Clay-" Happy started in a flat tone, making Clay raise his hand.
"Hey, to each his own. I'm not judging you or anything, but for Christ's sake, Happy, she's prime jailbait. I'd expect some shit like this from Tig…" Clay paused to give his SSA a chance to debate, but of course, Tig just smiled at them with one of those disturbing grins that made him look like a fucking creep. "But you're not the type to be swayed by pussy."
"I'm not fucking her." Happy earnestly tried to keep the annoyance out of his tone out of respect for the President, but that shit was annoying to hear and it gnawed away at his last nerve when people assumed that he was fucking Talia. He looked at Clay and already knew, just by the expression on his face, what he was about to ask. "I'm not waiting 'till she's legal either."
"She's not your traveling fuck buddy, so why do you have her?" Both men turned to Tig and his body was facing tire mountains, but his head was turned to them. "She a witness or something?"
"Dad, I'm hungry." Clay whipped around and Tig had his pistol out, but he didn't raise it.
Talia's voice came from behind Clay and Happy started to hear Bobby and Juice laughing at them. Talia was eyeing Clay's patches and Happy knew she was going to be very polite to him because he was President. He taught her about the importance of what a man wore on his leather and she knew how to conduct herself around the higher-ups.
Clay mouthed 'Dad?' to Happy and he ignored it, but the President cocked one of his grey eyebrows in amusement. Happy had a feeling that the guys were going to have way too much fun giving him shit about having a daughter.
"Babygirl need meat." Talia announced, making the guys quietly laugh.
"We just went to the diner." Happy reminded.
She scoffed. "Yeah, about twelve hours ago."
"It was less than three hours ago. How can you eat so much in one day?"
Talia's expression set into the calm one of a deranged woman about to murder her husband when she caught him staring at another female. "Are you implying that I'm fat?"
"No." Happy quickly blurted out because they've been down this road before. With a sigh, he asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Talia smirked and skipped in front of him. He didn't know what she was about to do, but bent down a bit to be more leveled with her. It was something he's learned to do over the years because Talia was so short. She called herself 'fun-sized.'
"I would like to dine on some delicious PopTarts." Talia nonchalantly told Happy, but his blood was starting to boil at the mention of those damned things.
"If you say one more fucking thing about those goddamn PopTarts-" He growled at her, not an ounce of seriousness held in his tone.
"Fine, when the hell are you gonna get me a guitar? I can't be the Grunge Goddess without a guitar!" She yelled back at him and to the Sons watching, stifling their laughter, the pair sounded like a bickering married couple.
"You make enough noise by yourself! You don't need a damn guitar!"
"What the hell, man?! You don't love me, you want me to starve, you won't get me a Leonberger or a guitar! I can't take this dictatorship anymore! I'm running away to be a groupie or a stripper, whichever comes first!" Talia turned on her heel and took a few stomping steps away from Happy. He didn't even think about the spectating Sons when he ran up behind his daughter and grabbed her.
Talia screamed and was trying to squirm away from Happy, but he wasn't letting her go. Her sweet laughter had him laughing too and they were still playfully yelling at each other until she said she wasn't leaving him, not that he ever thought she would. Happy curled his arm around Talia's waist and under her legs before lifting her over his shoulder. She was upside down and still cheerfully screaming as he carried her back to the guys. One of the good things about her being fun-sized was that Happy could still lift her like he did when she was a kid.
Bobby and Juice migrated over to where Tig and Clay were. All the men were all smirking at the pair and Happy set Talia down. He introduced her to the Sons and asked where Jax was because after Chibs, the blond was the last Son missing. Clay commented the Prince was probably in his dorm getting through his fifth Crow Eater of the hour. They started heading back inside the clubhouse and Talia was hanging back with Juice.
Tig, Bobby, Clay and Happy sat at a table and a pair of hands clamped down on the Nomad's shoulders. He heard Chibs' laughter and the Scotsman welcomed Happy back home, asking what he was doing around Charming as he pulled a chair to the table.
"He came back to Charming with his daughter." Bobby put a heavy emphasis on his last pair of words and that made the Sons laugh.
"You've gotta wee one? You?" Chibs asked in disbelief and Happy nodded. He prepared himself for the incredulity the Sons have towards him having a child and it was hilarious. Chibs muttered something with a shake of his head, but his thick brogue made it hard to hear. "How screwy is the girl's Ma?"
"Mom's dead."
Chibs tutted. "Christ, Hap. You've gotta get that temper in check."
"I didn't do it." Happy defended. "You remember that half-assed gang pumping dope around Oregon, the ones that offed Judas and roughed up Knot?"
Chibs thought about the names for a moment, then nodded as he recalled the Sons. "Aye, used to run with Judas when I first came over. Man was a dope fiend, but he never let that get in the way of him bein' a Son."
"Tacoma sent me to handle it. I found one of the dealers, told him the Sons wanted to be their main customers, he took me to their base of operations and I massacred all twelve of them."
"A dozen guys by yourself? No fucking way." Tig challenged and Happy smirked, standing.
With pride, he tugged his shirt up and pointed to the dozen smiley face tattoos on his stomach. The Sons all gave some form of praise or uneasy congratulations and Happy sat down. He took a look around the room and spotted Talia at the bar with Juice again. She was behind it with him and it looked like she was taking notes on how to make drinks. The new Prospect was going back and forth from the bar to get drinks, then into the crowd.
"Where does the kid come in?" Clay asked and Happy got serious. He didn't want anyone listening in on their conversation, so he scooted his chair closer to the table and the Sons took the hint to lean in to listen. Clay inclined his head to the Chapel, but Happy shook his head. What he had to say wasn't that secretive.
"She was there, trapped in the basement. She was seven or eight, really small for her age." He started in a low voice, not wanting to tell this brutal story, but knowing he had to. Happy didn't like pussyfooting and he'd rather get this out in the open sooner than later. "I didn't know why she was there, but she was pretty beaten up. She looked like she was drugged and I thought they were testing their dope on her. I got her outta there, patched her up and she told me what happened. Her Dad used to make dope and that gang bought from him, but he didn't have their shipment. They took his kid, his wife, killed his girl and beat him to death in front of his kid. Then, some bastard raped her and it kept going on 'till I came."
"Poor girl." Bobby sighed and all the Sons grimly looked over at Talia. Happy couldn't, not right now. If he did, he'd see that destroyed little girl who was afraid of her own shadow and he didn't want to. They were past that, she was strong now and nothing like that was going to happen to her again.
Tig instructed a pair of Crow Eaters to fetch the men drinks and they quickly came back with cold beers for the table. As they sat in silence, digesting the backstory on Happy's daughter, the Sons took a few swigs from their bottles and Happy caught them looking at Talia again with distressing eyes. He knew what they were thinking too: how could a kid that looks so happy and carefree have gone through something like that? Outwardly, it seemed like Talia was just another teen living her life as carefree as she pleased, but it was what was going on under that pretty face and inside that chaotic mind was what the world had to be cautious of.
"She's fine now." Happy ended the silence, calmer than he was before, and the Sons' downcast eyes lifted to his. He was clutching the bottle in his hand and he had to remind himself to loosen his grip before he shattered the damn thing. "She's not timid or jumpy or anything like that. She's not afraid of men. Kid's probably got more balls than I do. She's a tough one."
"And just how fucked in the head is the little lass?" Chibs asked in an attempt to elevate the mood and Happy raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"You think my parenting messed her up?"
"She almost drowned someone in the toilet 20 minutes ago. I think that's all that needs to be said about your parenting." Bobby pointed out, smiling. "The real question is does she know what Papa Happy does for a living?"
Happy's grin widened, a piece of his psychotic side coming out. "She helps me with it. She likes it."
"Alright, I'll peg her as 'severely disturbed and mentally unstable' then." Chibs joked and the rest of the Sons laughed. "What's her name?"
"Talia."
"What?" Happy flinched a little when he heard Talia's voice right next to his goddamn ear and judging from the sound of someone's knee hitting the table, the guys got a little surprised too. He looked up and Tig was standing; he seemed to be the only one who wasn't startled that she was there. Juice was standing next to him and smiling at Talia.
"Tal, this is Chibs." Happy pointed to the Scotsman and he stood, smiling as he held his hand out over the table for her to shake.
"Nice to meet ya', lass."
"Dad, he's foreign." She leaned over and whispered in Happy's ear with deep fascination, making Chibs smile before he sat down. "Does anybody know who the pretty lady with the nice knockers is?" She asked the table.
"You're gonna have to be a little more specific, darlin'." Bobby chuckled, motioning to the bar crawling with busty Crow Eaters.
"I couldn't really see her face, but I know she's the prettiest woman in here and she's definitely not a whore." Talia elucidated. "I only saw her in the kitchen for a second, but I am madly in love with her and I'd like for her to have my children."
"Did she have a crow inked on her chest?" Clay asked through a chuckle and Talia excitedly nodded.
"Those babies are natural too. My God, what I'd do to get that lady alone with me for an hour." She dreamily sighed and all the guys were laughing.
"That was Gemma, my wife and Queen of the outlaw bikers. She's not too crazy about clubhouse parties, so she's probably gone home by now."
"Consider yourself divorced." Talia said and it must've sounded like a joke because the guys were laughing, but Happy knew she was dead serious. She looked at her Dad with that 'They think I'm kidding?' face and he shook his head. The kid was so charismatic that she could get a faithful woman to divorce her husband if she got the chance. She reached for Happy's beer again, but he pushed her hand away, making her pout. "It's cool being in a moving truck and all, but I can't take a girl in there and expect to get laid."
"You think about fucking more than I do."
"That's 'cause I get more pussy than you." She retorted and that earned a round of ooh's from the Sons. Happy was pretty sure they could tell which gender she preferred by now. "We've barely been here two minutes and four girls have asked to take me home. One of them wanted me to be her pet. Who's been trying to get your pants down? Nobody."
Smirking, Happy looked around the room and his dark eyes landed on a somewhat curvy butterscotch-blonde with emerald eyes. He beckoned her to come to him and she looked overly-excited, but she calmed down as she strutted over. She gently sat on his lap and he looked at Talia with a shit-eating grin. She rolled her eyes at him.
"I've gotta house down here. You go get settled. I'll be there in a couple of hours." Happy lifted the blonde on his lap with one hand under her ass, hearing her giggle, to dig in his pocket for his ring of keys. He pulled them out and told Juice where his place was, being assured by the tanned man that Talia would get there safely.
"Juice said he'll take me to a record store that sells Cruisers." Talia said as Happy handed her the keys. "Is it okay if we swing by before going home?" She asked and he nodded.
Juice looked to Clay and got a nod of approval from the older man that basically ensured the Intelligence Officer had the rest of the night off. He and Talia started heading out, already talking about something before they got too far away.
Remembering the woman on his lap, Happy pushed her off and heard a startled squeak as she fell to the hardwood floor, but she got up walked off. She was just there to show Talia that he could get a woman just by looking at her and now that Happy thought about it, he wasn't planning on getting laid tonight. He was sure the Sons were expecting him to go on a fucking spree, but he just wasn't feeling it. He figured out a long time ago what caused his lessening sex drive: Talia. She'd always be on his mind when they were separated and he was usually thinking about what silly thing she was going to do next, which turned him off completely.
For most of the night, Happy talked with Clay and got updated on what SAMCRO's been up to. He was relieved to hear that nothing crazy's been going on and there haven't been any casualties. Clay hinted around there being some Club work for him to do and some jobs around town, but Happy would worry about that tomorrow. He was hoping that things were calm in Cali and was glad to hear that his suspicions were correct.
Talia was safe from that mental hospital and she was already settling in Charming. The Sons seemed to like her and she was already getting friendly with Juice. They were going to make it work here.