Forgetting the Pain

Chapter 1: Officer Talbot

It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness.

We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.

- Chuck Palahniuk -

-o-o-o-o-

A police cruiser turned into Teller-Morrow Motorcycle and Auto Repair, passing through the open gate and parking close to the garage. The men looked up from their work - mechanics and bikers both - as a woman stepped from the car. She slammed her door shut and gazed over the hood as a few of the men walked towards her.

"Officer Talbot," one of them cooed as he sauntered over to the cruiser. "You know I love a woman in uniform."

"I see you're doin' good, Tig," she said with a smiled. The officer slid the dark glasses from her eyes and placed them on her head. The air around her was hot and thick, the California sun blazing down on her as she looked at the bikers in black leather. "How about the rest of you? Juice?"

"I'm always good," the man replied with his own smile. He turned his head when he heard quick footsteps approaching. Half-Sack stopped in front of the officer and Juice roughly clasped a hand on his shoulder, pulling him close.

"Hey, Kip," the woman said, nodding her head in acknowledgement. She leaned back against her cruiser and crossed her arms over her chest. "How these guys treatin' you?"

The prospect glanced over at Juice, then back at the officer and shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty good, Josie - I mean, Officer Talbot."

Josephine turned to the man at the very end of the group. He had been silent until then, one hand in the pocket in his jeans and the other retrieving a cigarette from his lips. "How about you, Happy?" she asked. "You keepin' your hands clean?"

"You know me," was his simple reply as he blew out a cloud of white smoke.

"Yeah, you always wear gloves, right?"

The man smirked and nodded his head. "Somethin' like that."

"Hey, Jax," Josephine called as the Vice President of SAMCRO walked up to the group. She motioned towards the room adjacent to the garage. "Can I have a word with you?"

The other men dispersed and Jax led the cop to the empty office. He opened the door for the woman and closed it behind them. When out of sight of the others, Josephine pulled the man in for a hug. "I heard about Wendy and the baby. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks, Josie."

They pulled apart and the woman held the VP's arms in her grasp. "I'm sure he's a tough little guy. And with Tara lookin' out for him and all - you don't have anything to worry about."

"Yeah," he croaked, then cleared his throat. The woman dropped her hands and Jax leaned against the edge of his mother's desk. "What did you want to talk about?"

Josephine put her hands on her hips. "Hale found two burnt up bodies at the streams. Know anything about that?"

Jax shook his head. "Heard about the explosion. Don't know any information, though."

"Come on, Jackson. We used to be friends. What happened?"

The biker laughed and tapped at the badge pinned to the woman's chest. "You became a pig."

"Yeah, and you became an asshole," Josephine said with a smile. "Life goes on. But you need to level with me. If trouble is brewin' in Charming, I need to know about it." She sighed and smoothed back the hair that was already pulled back tight into a bun. "Hale's so far up my ass, I can taste his shampoo. He's lookin' to put me in a different zone. Now, y'all don't want another cop workin' this beat."

A silence filled the room, but Josephine kept her gaze on Jax. He rapped his fingertips on the wood underneath him. "It was the Mayans," he finally said. "Stole our guns, blew up the safe house. The women were workers."

"Jesus Christ." The cop paced the short length of the room. "Ya'll lookin' to retaliate?"

Jax stood from the desk and looked through the blinds at the men outside the garage. "Course not. We're just gonna sweep this one under the rug."

"Guess I can't ask too much of you in one day," the woman said as she walked up beside the biker. She, too, took in the men. Her gaze swept over them, lingering on Happy, until it landed on Kip. "Year's almost up, huh? How's the prospect doing?"

Jax turned back to the officer and smiled. "No need to worry about your cousin, Josie. He's in good hands."

"I know it," she said and returned the smile. She turned and placed a hand on the door knob. "Oh, and just a heads up, there's a forensic team on their way out there sometime."

"Gotcha, Officer."

-o-o-o-o-

He was there when she got home, sitting comfortably on her couch, legs spread and arms wide across the back of the cushions. She smelt him first - cigarette smoke and motor oil - and wondered how she didn't notice his bike outside her apartment building.

"How'd you get in here?" Josephine asked from the other side of her living room.

Happy shrugged his shoulders. "I still gotta key. Locks are the same."

She nodded her head and he stood from the couch, walking slowly towards the woman. "Your boys are in some serious shit," Josephine said as she watched him approach her. "This thing with the safe house -"

Happy shook his head and she stopped. "I ain't here to talk business."

"Then what do you want?"

The woman tensed as he brought his hands up and held her shoulders. He rolled them in his palms and, despite herself, she leaned in closer to the biker. His breath was soft and warm against her cheek as he spoke, his voice hoarse and husky from years of smoking. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

"Yeah, you left," she reminded the man as she pulled away. Josephine walked past him, her arm brushing against his own. "Tacoma, right?"

Happy turned and sat on the back of the couch. "I'm here now."

"For how long this time?" she asked as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. "A day? A week?"

The biker settled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around the woman's waist. He pressed his cheek against her khaki covered chest. Josephine's hands found the back of the man's head and she held him there."I'm leavin' tomorrow," he murmured.

She tried to pull away, but he kept a tight grip on her. She pushed on his shoulders so she could look him in the eye."You should go now," she hissed. Happy shook his head and kept one hand firmly on her hip, the other fingering the collar of her shirt. He slid one up and one down until he reached the top button of her uniform. She grabbed his hands to stop him. "Happy -"

He fisted her shirt and pulled her down, his lips finding hers. She gasped at the swiftness of it all, at the feel of his familiar lips and the hands that were still clutching her shirt. Jesus Christ, this man would be the death of her. He was the only one who could take her to Heaven, then Hell, then back again. And then he would leave -

She pushed him again, and she stumbled back when there was nothing there to hold her, but he grabbed her arms to steady her. "Josie, you really want me to leave?" he asked, now standing and hovering over her. She stared up into his eyes, so black and deep that she lost herself for a moment. It took her that long to answer, but when she finally did, it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Yes."

"Fine," the biker growled and let her go. He straightened out his cut and walked towards the door.

"Happy," the woman called before he could go. "Leave your key."

Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me if I should continue!