Chapter Three

As the heavy iron electric fence slowly slid open for her, Erin didn't feel any of the relief she'd been expecting to feel. After so many months behind bars, she should have been ecstatic at getting out. Instead, she found herself being more scared than when she had first walked into the prison. She dreaded what was waiting for her on the other side of those tall walls. She knew no one was there for sure. Her family had been wiped out, her son and her husband dying within two years of each other. Her parents had disowned her and the only person she still felt comfortable calling a friend she had left lived two states away. She was well and truly alone. No apartment, no job, and very little prospects. At the mere age of 31, she was gonna have to build herself a new life from scratch. And she had no idea where to start.

"You want to stay so bad we can arrange that inmate." She heard a CO cackled behind her. "If not, move it."

She did and with that took her first steps into freedom, clutching the handbag that contained her only belongings. A gold chain that had been her grand mothers, a couple of books, some legal documentation, her wallet and a small photo album. That was all she owned in the whole world now. As she heard the fence slide back behind her, Erin couldn't help but turn to look back as it closed, signifying the end of the worst chapter of her life.

She knew she was a different person that when she got in. She'd been broken hearted when she walked into prison nearly a year and half ago. Now she just felt numb to everything. Finally turning her back to the prison, she looked around to find the bus stop she'd been told would take her into town and spotted a familiar face waiting by a rental car across the street.

"Hey stranger."

Erin's heart went to her throat as she let out a relieved sigh. She'd been fully expecting to face the world alone But she wouldn't. At least not today. "Molly."

Her best friend was waiting for her, a loving smile on her face. Erin ran to her and when they fell into each other's arms, Erin held onto Molly for dear life, tears flowing freely on her cheeks as she let herself feel for the first time in months. "You came."

Molly moved back and grabbed her friend's face in her hands. "Of course I came. It is so good to see you."

"Thank you."

Her friend just shook her head before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You're my oldest friend Erin. More than that you're family. There's wasn't a chance in the world I would leave you alone. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to visit before."

"I'm just really glad you're here now."

Laughing through her own tears, Molly squeezed her arm. "Look at the two of us crying like little girls in front of a prison! Come on. Let's get the hell out of here. We can grab some food and tonight you and I are getting drunk."

Erin exhaled loudly as she tried a smile of her own. "I actually have to check in at the halfway house and I have a meeting with my PO tomorrow so not sure being hangover is the best first impression."

"Right. Well, I'll drop you off at the halfway house and we can still catch dinner and virgin cocktails. How is that?"

Looking at her friend, Erin suddenly felt a sudden rush of gratitude. "Sounds like exactly what I need."

Molly walked around her car and opened her door."Come on. Get in."

As Erin slid into the car, she met her friend's eyes. "It is really good to see you Erin."

Erin smiled warmly in response and Molly started the car, pulling off the curb away from the Washington Correctional Centre. As they turned the corner, Erin allowed herself one last look at the imposing prison, the dread she'd been feeling as she crossed its threshold ever so strong. They drove in silence for a few minutes while Erin watched the landscape. "You're doing okay?"

"Yes, it's just a lot to take in." Erin turned back to her friend. She didn't want to talk about herself though. She wasn't sure she'd be able to explain what she was feeling, even to her oldest friend in the world. "How are Scott and the kids?"

"They're good. The winery has been a lot of work but Scott's pretty happy about it. He sends his love. And the kids are great. They can't wait to see their aunt Erin! Emily actually did a drawing for you. They're in my handbag. Have a look."

Erin looked into the handbag that Molly had dropped by her feet and took out a piece of paper. Emily was Erin's god daughter. She was almost six now, just a year older than her own son would have been. Molly's son Bo was almost three and Erin had never actually met him, something she hoped could be remediated in the future. It was a typical child's drawing, with a colourful house, bright green grass, a dog that looked like a squirrel. In the middle in front of the house were five people. A couple that Erin guessed was Scott and Molly with a girl and a boy. To the side, was a tall blond figure with a huge toothy smile on the face.

"Is that supposed to be me?"

Molly quickly took her eyes from the road to sneak a look. "I think so."

Erin smiled. The proportion were all out but Emily had captured the important details about each of them. Scott's figure was almost double size of Molly, Molly's hair was short, black and wild which was an accurate reflection of reality on both counts and Erin's face was dotted all over which she presumed was meant to represent her freckles. "It's beautiful. Tell me about them."

"Are you sure? When I get started, I can't stop."

That was exactly what Erin needed. She wasn't ready to talk about herself or answer any of the questions she knew her friend would have. Plus, she really wanted to hear her friend proudly talk about her children. It was such a normal thing to do. And right now, it was the thing she needed the most. "That sounds perfect."

~oOo~

"Are you sure about the address?"

Erin glanced quickly at the paper she was holding in her hand, double checking the address. "149 adams street. We're there."

"When you said a halfway house, I was actually expecting a house. This looks like..."

"A prison?"

"Kinda."

They were parked in front of a large, tall building with largely set iron doors, security cameras and metal bars on the windows. Erin wondered if the place had actually known better days or if it had always been this uninviting. Erin opened her car door and stepped out. "Alright, we better get inside."

"Wait." Molly quickly popped the trunk of her car opened and got a small suitcase out, handing it to Erin.

"What is this?"

"It's not much, just some clothes and toiletries. I figured you'd need it."

Erin had no idea what happened to her possessions after she'd been arrested. Things had gotten so bad so quickly that she had never even wondered about it. The fact that her friend had known that and gone through the trouble of doing this for her touched her. "You didn't have to..."

"Of course I did. Now Come on, let's get you checked in at Hotel Transylvania."

Erin chuckled and followed her friend inside which didn't look any better than the outside. They walked down a corridor and came to a reception desk surrounded by a protection fence. A short, heavyset woman sat at the desk.

"Help you?"

"Hi, I'm Erin Kozik." She paused, the mere fact of hearing herself say his name making her pause. "Uh, I'm supposed to be checking in today."

"Right." she sighed as she opened a drawer, rummaging through it before coming up with a key. "You're in room 10, first floor on your right."

"Okay."

"Now listen up. I have four rules. Four. They're simple so pay attention. Sooner you memorise them, the better it is for everyone. Rule number one. Curfew is 9pm. Not 9.01, not 9.02. 9pm sharp. After that I close the doors. Rule number two, Bathrooms and kitchens are common areas. Clean up after yourself because no one else is gonna do it for number three, no visitors, men or women in your room." She paused looking pointedly at Molly. "So that's goes for you too Missy. Visits are allowed downstairs from 11 am to 4pm. Not a minute later. Rule number four, You break any of the three rules I just laid out for you, I'm reporting you to your PO. We clear?"

"Yes."

"Good, I suggest you settle in. Your friend can wait here."

Erin took the key from the desk and turned to face Molly who was just sporting a trouble look on her face.

"Jesus, we've got to get you out of this place." she whispered but the woman was no longer paying them any attention.

"I need to get a job and save up before I can actually leave." Erin forced a reassuring smile on her face. "I'll be fine. It can't be worse than where I slept last night."

"I hope so. Well, guess our evening plans just got cancelled. " she sighed as she checked her watch. "Listen, it's 5pm. We still have a little time. Why don't you just go put your stuff in your room and then we can just go grab a bite somewhere around here that doesn't give me the creeps. Maybe we can go through the classified."

"Sounds like a plan."

~oOo~

Happy pulled up in his mother's driveway and dismounted his bike, stretching his tired body. Shit had been crazy these last few weeks and he hadn't made back to Bakersfield since he'd gotten out of Stockton. He looked up and his aunt was standing at the door, wiping her hands on her apron, her disapproval clear on her face. With a weary sigh, he took a few long strides joining her on the porch.

"Hey Tia." he said kissing her cheek, bracing himself.

"About time you came to visit your mother."

"I told you on the phone, shit's been crazy."

That was an understatement. Since they'd gotten out from Stockton not four months ago, it had gone from bad to worse at record speed for the club.

"Shit's always crazy with you Happy. She's your mother. You've been locked up for fourteen months. You can't take a day to come see her?"

Happy loved and respected his aunt but sometimes he just wish he could just tell her to shut up. He had come for a quick visit as soon as he'd gotten out, but it had been cut short when he'd been needed back in Charming and since then he'd been split between Charming and Tacoma. The last thing he felt like doing after taking the four hour ride to Bakersfield was get into it with his mum's sister.

"I know." he conceded. "How is she?"

She let out a tired sigh and Happy couldn't help but notice how much she'd aged in the last couple of years. Bianca was his mother's younger sister. She was only older than Happy by ten years but she looked closer in age to his mother than to him.

"It's been getting worse, Happy. Her arms are starting to get worse. Doctor put her on some new medication but she says it's making her dizzy. She's going to be happy to see you though."

His mother had been diagnosed with ALS two years ago and since then the symptoms had set rapidly. It had taken barely a year for her to lose movement in her legs. The doctors had given her three to five years but her decline had been quick. Soon, she'd stop feeling her arms, then the rest of her body would turn on her and she'd die.

"You hungry? I have some chili."

"Later. Where is she?"

"Same as usual. In the backyard."

Since she got stuck in her wheelchair, his mother spent most of her time in the rundown backyard. Happy kept promising himself he'd fix it up but he just never had the time.

He made his way through the house exiting via the kitchen door and saw her sitting in her chair, staring in the empty space. She would usually be cross-stitching or reading but her symptoms likely made it impossible for her to use her hands nowadays. He approached her and put a kiss on her temple as she smiled.

"Hey ma."

"My son. It's so good to see you."

He took her frail hand in his as he kneeled in front of her. "How you doin'?"

"I'm okay. I'm glad to see you." she said as she caressed his face with her free hand. "Bianca give you a hard time."

He tried to ignore the tremor in his mother's hand and flashed her a smile. She knew the relationship between him and Bianca was strained at the best of times. "Don't worry about it."

She poured over his face looking for clues that would let her in into his mind."How are you Happy?"

"I'm good ma."

She tutted, shaking her head. "You always say that. I worry about you Happy."

He let out a chuckle. He was forty three years old but he knew that had never stopped his mother from fretting about him. "I'm too old for you to worry about me ma."

"Don't be stupid. Don't matter how old you are. You'll always be my baby. Come one, tell me what's wrong?"

He shook his head in a laugh. "Fuck makes you think something's wrong?"

"You ain't too old for me to whack you on the mouth you know. No foul language here." They both knew she wouldn't have been able to if she wanted to but they bith ignore that fact. "I always knew when something was wrong because you say a whole lot when you keep your mouth shut."

His mother had always had a sixth sense when it came to him. She was the one person he couldn't bullshit.

"I's just…club shit Ma. Nothing for you to concern yourself with."

She raised an eyebrow as she threw him a dubious look. "Club shit… that why Kozik hasn't been around? Usually can't keep him away from Bianca's kitchen."

His mother had been quite fond of Kozik. Funnily enough so was Bianca. The man always had that effect around women. Didn't matter how old, he just needed to charm the pants of every broad he met. Of course, his mother and aunt had not been immune. Ever since their Tacoma days, he would occasionally come with Happy to visit, watching his back on what was a two day ride. They would usually stop in Rogue River for the night to avoid stopping by Charming and stirring shit up with Tig and continue riding the day after.

So when Happy had gone inside barely a few months after his mother had been diagnosed, he had naturally asked him to watch over them and his old friend had taken his task at heart. He'd visited them every couple of weeks, making sure they were doing alright. He also knew that Kozik having virtually no family of his own was also one of the reason he enjoyed spending time with Happy's mom and aunt. He didn't want to tell his mother the truth but he realised he didn't really have a choice. "Kozik's dead, Ma."

"Dios mio." she exclaimed in shock. "What happened?"

The look Happy gave her was answer enough and she shook her head sadly. " I really liked that boy."

"I know."

"He visited us every two weeks while you were inside, you know." She let out a sigh looking away for a moment. "What about his wife?"

Happy looked up, surprised. Kozik never talked about Erin at least not to him and Happy had been pretty sure he wouldn't talk about her to anyone else. At least now. Shit that had gone on between them got buried deep and he'd never shown that any of it was weighting on him. "He told you about that?"

"He told me a lot of things. Lot more than you ever did."

Happy couldn't help but wonder what she meant by that. He didn't want to think that Kozik had shared details but something in his mother's eyes told him that he might be wrong. He nodded, suddenly wishing he could light up."She knows."

"Your club helping her out?"

His mom had never liked the club much but she respected it and knew how much it meant to him. "Erin ain't got no love for the club, Ma." He didn't mention that the club had no love for her either. Or that it was mostly his fault.

"What about you? Are you helping her?"

That told him that Kozik might have shared some details but not the fact that Erin was in prison. He guessed he hadn't wanted to explain how she got there. "I tried."

"You keep trying son. She was his wife. He loved her."

Again, Happy wondered how much Kozik had told his mother. "He tell you that too?"

"He didn't have to. Neither do you."

He didn't miss the double entendre in his mother's words. He met her eyes and he didn't need to ask.

"He was going back to her you know. He said he was going back to Tacoma to be with her."

That lying fuck. When Kozik had told him he was transferring back to Tacoma, Happy had asked him why. His brother had told him it was because of the cartel deal. Drugs and Kozik had never mixed well, yet Happy had been dubious about his reasons. He'd been right.

"Guess it was too late." she sighed pensively.

Yeah about two fucking years too late.

His mother patted his hand lovingly. "I'm tired now. Can you ask Bianca to help get me back inside?"

"I can do that Ma."

"You need to sit and eat something son. You lost too much weight."

Happy laughed. She would never stop fretting about him no matter how hard he tried. "Alright Ma."

~oOo~

"Okay, how about this? Local business looking for a receptionist, full time, no previous experience required. Starting package is crap but I figure it's a start."

Erin swallowed the bite she'd just taken from her burger and knitted her eyebrows. "Does it says anywhere whether they'll consider applications from ex-cons?"

"I'm sorry, I'm being pushy aren't I?"

She just chuckled softly. After dropping her small suitcase on her unmade bed, she'd quickly joined Molly and they headed out. The halfway house was in a particularly crappy part of town and they'd driven around for a while before finding a diner they actually wanted to eat in. Although to be honest, after seventeen months of prison food, Erin could have eaten just about anything. they had barely sat down that her friend had taken out the paper and started browsing through the classified. Erin was very grateful that her friend had made the long trip from Napa for her. She wasn't sure how she'd have handled today without her. Molly and her had stricken a friendship from the day Molly had moved to the house next door when they were six. Erin had immediately fallen for her friend's bubbly personality and Molly had found a balance in Erin's calm one. "No more than usual."

Her friend smiled begrudgingly and folded the paper, setting it on the side. "How are you doing Erin? Really?"

Erin had known the question would be coming at some point. Truth was she had no idea how she was. It all felt surreal. Like this was someone's else life she was living. Six years ago, she'd had a normal life, a job, friends, a family. She had no idea who she was supposed to be now or what she was supposed to do."Honestly I'm not sure. This is all new. I have no idea where I go from here. I just need to take it one day at a time. Figure out the rest of my life i guess. "

"Well I got something for you that I hope will help with that." her friend announced as she rummaged through her bag and took out a wrapped present handing it to Erin.

"Molly..."

"Don't even say it. Open."

Erin smiled and nervously unwrapped the gift. Once again, her friend brought her on the verge of tears as Erin held a camera box in her hand.

"I know it's been a while but I've always admired your talent Erin. You're an artist Erin. It's always been a part of you. I'd hate to see it go to waste."

Erin hadn't touched a camera since her son had died. She grazed the unopened box with her fingers as she remembered how happy she'd always been behind a camera. "Thank you Molly."

Molly winced as if in pain. "Now I have some news and you have to promise not to hate me."

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

Erin grinned. Her friend had always wanted a big family and she was well on her way to have that. "That's fantastic!"

"You mean that?"

She knew why her friend was asking. She'd lost her own son when he was barely three and there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't miss him. But she was absolutely delighted for her friend. She reached out across the table and grabbed her friends hand in hers. "Of course, I do. I'm really happy for you. This is the best news I've heard in a very long time. "

Molly squeezed her hand in hers. "Thank you. The reason I'm telling now is because between the three kids and the house I'm not gonna be able to continue helping Scott at the winery. He wants you to take over from me, at least for a little while until you get back on your feet."

Erin raised an amused eyebrow. She had been the one who'd introduced Scott and Molly back in their college days and she was very tuned with how their relationship worked. "Does he want me to or did you force his hand?"

"I got the idea but he loved it. He loves you. We wouldn't have met if it wasn't for you. That makes you family. Unless there's a reason you don't want to leave Washington. You haven't talked about him yet."

Him. Kozik. She hadn't told her friend about Kozik's death. In all the correspondence, she'd shared with Molly in her time in prison, she'd never mentioned him. They had been over by the time Erin started her sentence or at least Erin had wanted to believe they were. But her friend didn't have any details. She had moved to California shortly after Christopher's death and she hadn't been there to witness the disastrous consequences. Molly still thought Kozik and her might patch things up. Any chance of that had died with Happy's visit to her two months ago. She hadn't found the courage to share the news with her friend. Molly was the closest thing to a family she had yet there were many things Erin would never be able to tell her. But this she had to. "He's dead Molly. Kozik is dead."

"What? How?" Molly blurted out in shock.

"I don't even know."Truth was she had been too much in shock to push Happy on it when he'd visited and part of her hadn't wanted to know. He was dead. The how didn't matter. "Happy came to see me and well, you've met him. He doesn't say much."

Reconciling her life and Kozik's had never been easy. But Molly had been around and had met Happy several times during the years.

"Jesus Erin, I'm so sorry."

Erin looked away, blinking away the tears she felt coming."Yeah me too."

"That's one more reason for you to move to Cali with us. You need to leave all that behind, Erin. Start a new life...away from all of it."

"It's not that simple. I'm a parolee. I can't just up and leave the state. "

" Call me pushy if you want but I looked it up. You can ask for a transfer. You'd still be on parole, same rules but you'd be in California. With us. "Promise me you'll think about it."

To Erin that sounded like exactly what she needed right now. A new start. But could it be that easy? Could she just leave and start over someplace new? She felt she'd just be latching on to her friend's life instead of trying to fix her own. But maybe that was still better than trying to do it here, alone.

"I promise."

~oOo~

Happy woke up early the next day, feeling like shit. He'd spent the night tossing and turning in his childhood bed, his brain refusing to shut down. In Charming, he'd usually have drown his worries in whiskey and pussy. But here, in his mother's house, there'd been nothing but the darkness and the silence to accompany him. His mum was dying. He'd known that for three years but it had never hit him as hard as it had yesterday while he looked at a woman who bore little resemblance to the strong woman who'd raised him. She'd had to be to deal with all the bullshit he'd put her through over the years. Even now, dying, she only worried about him.

Their conversation the day before had been playing on his mind on repeat all night. Happy wasn't a man to dwell on the past. He preferred to live in the moment. No point in having regrets on things you couldn't change. But he did have regrets. When it came to Erin, he had a lot of them. It had been a screwed up situation and he'd done what he had to do but he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd made everything worse for her. Truth was he hadn't needed his mum to be reminded of Erin. He had been thinking about her since he'd seen her in that visitation room. The woman he'd known barely recognizable. Like his mother today, she'd been the shadow of the woman she used to be. She'd looked broken and not just physically. Life had taken too many hits at her and it had killed the fire in her. He had his share of responsibility in that and the man who bore the rest of it was dead and he'd left him holding the bucket.

He jumped to his feet, heading straight for the bathroom for a quick shower. He'd be leaving later and he wanted to get a start on the backyard. Pull out some weeds, chuck out some of the junk. When he was done, he threw on his clothes and made his way downstairs. He'd fully expected to see Bianca when he walked into the kitchen. She's always been an early riser. He'd been right. She was standing by the counter kneading dough, her cheek dirty with flour. As soon as she saw him, she turned to the sink to wash her hands before she poured him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks. Ma still asleep?"

"She always sleeps late these days. She needs the rest."

She set the coffee on the counter and turned her attention back to her dough.

"She told me about Kozik."

Happy brought the steaming cup to his lips, taking a sip, letting the dark liquid burn his throat. "Shouldn't have told her. Now she's just gonna worry more."

Bianca's lips curled into a smile as she darted her eyes on him. "And what were you gonna tell her when she asked about him? You know you can't lie to her. She's always seen right through it. Why do you think she never asks you any questions about your life?"

Happy knew she was right. He'd lied to her plenty of times. When he was a teenager, he'd lied through his fucking teeth but his mother had always seen right through his bullshit.

"Besides, worrying about you gives her something else to do that look at herself and see what's gone."

She turned her back on him suddenly and he saw her wipe her face. He put a hand on her shoulder over the counter and she just waved her hand dismissively. He knew she didn't want him to see her cry. He picked up his coffee and went outside, sitting on the front porch as he lit a cigarette.

Bianca had been eight when he was born, his mother barely nineteen. His grandfather had kicked out his mother when he'd found out she'd gotten herself knocked up and his uncles had written her off. So he hadn't seen much of Bianca growing up. But as soon as she turned eighteen, she left home and moved in with him and his mum. So his relationship with her had always been closer to that of siblings than aunt and nephew. She'd moved out a few years later when she'd gotten married and soon divorced. When his mother had been diagnosed however, she'd quit her job as a nurse and moved back in with his mother so she could take care of her. So he knew that despite the tension in their relationship, he owed Bianca a whole lot. She'd taken a burden that should have been his without ever complaining. She'd sacrificed her job, dedicating herself to his mother and he never even said thank you.

He had gone through most of his adult life not having any responsibilities aside from the ones that came with being in the club and he'd always like it that way. His club came first and he didn't have room for anything else. He hadn't wanted to burden himself with anything else than his life as an outlaw. It had been hard on both his mother and his aunt, he knew that. Maybe it had been selfish, probably. But he hadn't ever given a shit about that. Not until one of his brothers came to him and gave him that responsibility. Happy hadn't wanted it but when a brother asked for help, you didn't turn your back. So he'd taken it on and he'd failed Erin miserably. Yet when Happy had asked him to look after his family, Kozik hadn't hesitated. Happy now realised that even though his friend was dead, the promise he'd once made to him wasn't.

~oOo~

Erin let herself into the building and headed straight for the reception desk. She was still reeling from her goodbyes with Molly who was currently heading back to the airport to go back to her family. She had insisted on loaning Erin a thousand dollars to get her started and although Erin had tried to refuse- to no avail- she knew she couldn't afford any pride right now. And as she nervously made her way to the receptionist, she knew her pride was about to take yet another hit. Eighteen months in a state penitentiary had been her prison sentence but she was still on the hook for another two years as a parolee. A far cry from the promising life she'd once thought she had.

The receptionist didn't even bother looking up from her computer when she sensed Erin's presence at her desk. "Yeah?"

Erin took another step and leaned over the desk, trying to control the tremor in her voice. "Hi, I'm Erin Kozik. I...I have a meeting with my parole officer?"

Something she said or in the way she said it caught the woman's attention because she looked up and gave Erin a once over before snorting. "Oh, he is gonna love you."

"Excuse me?"

The woman didn't bother with a response and just jerked her head towards a waiting area. "Take a seat."

Unsure what to make of the exchange, Erin went in the direction the woman had indicated and as she scanned the bored faces sitting on the benches, she understood the woman's reaction. The people around her reminded her of all the people she'd seen in and around the prison. Rough, hardened by life. Even a far cry from what she'd once been, she knew she didn't look like that. From the outside, they couldn't have been more different, yet as Erin took a seat, she reminded herself that they weren't that different. She was an ex-con, just like them.

She had barely sat that a large, burly man walked over to her scratching his head with a pen, a clip folder in his hand "Erin Kozik?"

She immediately stood, nodding. "Hi."

He didn't bother to return the greeting. He just took her in with a snigger very similar to the one the receptionist had had and turned on his heels. "Follow me."

She obeyed letting him lead the way through a large open space bustling with activity. He stopped at a small cubicle and took a seat behind the desk, grabbing the remains of a very greasy lunch and threw it in the bin. If this was a daily occurrence, Erin could understand the strain his stomach seemed to put on his shirt.

"You waiting for an invitation? Sit."

She did as told and anxiously waited for him to speak as he fired up his computer. It was a good few minutes before it came to life and once he'd painstakingly typed a few words, he finally turned to her.

"Alright. I'm Brad Winters. That' Mr Winters for you. Now I'm not gonna give you the usual bullshit about second chances and shit. Truth is you might be out but you're still an ex con. It means your ass is mine for the next two years. You get a job, you stay out of trouble, you respect the terms of your parole and you and I we won't have a problem. Got it?" He didn't even wait for an answer before he moved on. "You come here to check in once a week. You're late or miss an appointment and I'm hauling your ass back to jail faster than you can call a lawyer. Ain't no second chances with me, sweetheart."

As soon as he finished his speech, he turned his attention back to his computer and Erin decided to take the risk of talking without being invited to."Actually, about the job. I… I was offered a job by an old friend."

"How nice for you."

Ignoring his flippant tone, she went on. "It's in Napa."

He looked down on his desk and open her file before looking at her with a blasé expression. "Yeah I thought so. You been to college right? Then surely you've seen a map before and you know Napa ain't in this state."

she wasn't even sure she wanted to go to Napa. But the man was going out of his way to make her feel stupid for even asking but she decided to push through. "Hum... yeah I know. I just...I heard about transfers?"

He shrugged. "You can put in a request. Not saying it'll be approved but you can waste your time if you want. Odette out front will give you the form. Now here's some starting money courtesy of Uncle Sam. Joan at the halfway house called me said you checked in yesterday. That's good. Hope you listened carefully to her rules because if you think I'm a hard ass, wait to see her in action. You got the spot there for two weeks. After that, you're on your own. So I'd suggest you get a job and not hold your breath about Napa."

"Is that all?"

He opened the drawer of his desk and took out a small plastic cup, setting it on the desk. "Here."

"What's that?"

"What do you think? You take piss test weekly sweetheart. Terms of your release. "

Yes, her pride was definitely taking a beating today. Aside from smoking on a joint from time to time with friends, Erin had never taken drugs in her life. "I've never even… I'm not on drugs."

The man made a show of letting out a tired sigh. "And yet it says right here in my file that you were convicted of possession and intent to distribute. I got no idea how you got away with only seventeen months that but hey I don't make the rules. Just like this one. You were convicted of drug offense, you get to pee in a cup for me. Bathroom is by the reception on the right."

Erin felt a warmth on her cheeks and she knew she was flushing bright red. Her eyes fell on the cup, wondering if her humiliation would ever be complete.

"What? You need me to go with you and hold the door?"

She finally stood taking the cup in her hand.

"Leave it with Lorna on your way out."

Erin didn't even bother answering as she headed to the bathroom as she was told.

~oOo~

it was late at night when Happy hit Charming, riding straight to the clubhouse. He never spent much time in his house, preferring the busy atmosphere of the clubhouse. After the last couple of days, he needed it. As he pulled into TM, he spotted his VP making his way to the parking lot. He dismounted and they hugged quickly."Hey man. How is your mom?"

"Same." He didn't feel like discussing his mother's deteriorating health right now."Had to tell her about Kozik. She liked that shithead. Everything okay here?"

"Still trying to lock some of that shit down with Romeo. We have a meet set up for tomorrow."

"Clay inside?"

"Yeah, he's with Tig and Bobby."

"Will see you tomorrow brother."

Jax patted him on the back and Happy hurried inside. He wanted to talk to Clay and enjoy the rest of his night. As soon as he came in, Chibs looked up from the silicone chest of a croweater "Happy!

Clay, Bobby and Tig turned from their conversation at the bar and stood to greet him.

"Hey brother."

"How is your mum?"

"She's hanging in there. Talk to you for a minute boss."

"Sure. Here or you want the Chapel?"

"Chapel."

Clay quickly glanced at Tig and Bobby before following Happy to the Chapel. Clay closed the doors behind them and turned to face Happy. Everything alright brother?"

"I need to head up to Tacoma once this shit with Romeo settles. You good with that?"

Clay rubbed his chin. "Something I should know?"

Happy shrugged. "Just tying up some loose ends."

"Alright. I'm gonna need you here to pin down this thing but after that we could probably use you up North. I'll let Le know."

"Thanks boss."

"Let's get a drink. You coming?"

"In a minute."

Happy waited until his President close the doors and fished his phone out of his pocket, dialling a number he knew by heart.

"Yeah?"

"Virgil? It's Happy. Cora around?"

"Nah, she's with a client. You calling about the girl?"

"Yeah."

"She's out"

"When?"

"Yesterday. Anything else you need us to do?"

Over the years Happy had done Cora many favours. So had Kozik. and the rest of the club. Protection for Erin on the inside had been away to repay the debt. What he was about to ask though wouldn't come for free. "Tell Cora to keep an eye out for her. Let me know the price."

"Are we telling her we're watching?"

Happy thought about it for a second. She was alone. She didn't have anybody around. He didn't mind helping her. In fact, he was running out of excuses not to. But he wasn't sure she would let him. "Nah. Not yet."

"Alright man."

Thank you for reading! Please review!

PS: You'll have noticed I have changed the title and the story summary but rest remains the same.