Chapter XXXXX

It all ends well

Finally. After twenty four months and thirteen days inside, Happy Lowman was once again a free man. And it wasn't one fucking day too soon. It hadn't been his longest prison sentence by a long shot, but it had been the hardest no doubt. As he promised himself it would also be the last one, the guard handed him his clothes. He quickly stepped into his jeans and tee-shirt noticing the fit was more snug than it had been. With more time on his hands that he'd known what to do with, Happy had hit the weights quite aggressively and his arms and torso were even more muscular and defined that they'd been before. Once dressed, he followed the COs around as they dragged their feet, making him sign a hundred different forms before he was finally escorted out.

As the heavy iron doors separating him from the outside world opened excruciatingly slow, a smile crept up on his face. Shit, it felt good.

He spotted them immediately. His brothers. They'd all come to welcome him home. Because he was indeed going home. In one piece. There had been a time in his sentence where that seemed almost impossible. But he'd made it out.

Chibs let out a loud wolf call as he marched towards them, the rest of them whopping and cheering as Jax opened up his arms bringing him close for a hard hug.

"Shit, I missed your ugly old mug brother." Jax beamed.

"You too Pres."

"Been hitting the weights uh?"

Happy chuckled and Tig came forward, his beloved cut in hand. Happy took it from him, fisting it in his hands and bringing it to his nose, sniffing the hard leather. He really was going home. He shrugged it on and Happy the convict was gone. He was once again Happy the Son.

Tig grinned like a kid and clasped his fingers around his neck, pulling him into hug. "Brother! Fuck, am I glad to see you on the outside."

As Tig released his hold, he felt a hard slap on his shoulder and turned to smile at Quinn. " Come one brother, let's get you home."

Happy's eyes darted towards his beloved bike, a dyna street bob with a grin.

"Ready to ride brother?"

"Hell yeah!"

He threw his leg over his bike and grabbed his helmet, throwing one last look at the massive Stockton Penitentiary. Yeah, he wouldn't be coming back.

~oOo~

Jo zipped up her dress and nervously checked her reflection in the mirror. It was early May and the days had been very warm but it wasn't the reason she'd chosen this summer dress. It was a simple enough dress, white with thin straps out front which dropped out on the back, her ink in full display for anyone to see. She'd paired it with flat ankle boots, keeping make-up to a minimum applying only a quick coat of mascara to her blue eyes. She'd tamed her crazy mane of hair in a messy braided hair do, accessorizing the lot with a pair of dangling earrings and a small gold chain that had belonged to Ginny. She knew she'd probably stand out like a sore thumb with that white dress but then, she was looking to make a statement. She had no idea how it would be perceived but she wouldn't let it scare her. She'd waited a long time for this and she was going through with it.

It had been over two years since she'd last seen him, spoken to him, touched him. There had been days where her need for him had been so strong, she could barely function. But mostly, it had been okay. Well, not okay but she'd managed. She'd gotten used to missing him, carrying him with her every day in everything she did, everywhere she went. And that was okay.

Not that she had had that much time to dwell on it or feel sorry for herself. The ranch had been a twenty four seven project and had taken over her life. Ethan had been right. It was a dump. Nothing had been salvageable and the builders had to bring down every single building on the property and rebuild from scratch. Jo had insisted on changing original footprint which had added a few hurdles. She'd also requested top of the art stables for horses, coops for chickens and a pig ark. It had taken nineteen months, seven more than the twelve originally planned but the Small Miracles Rehabilitation Centre was finally ready for business. It was a corny name, as Ethan had pointed out numerous times, but she didn't care. She loved it. Within the next few weeks, twenty kids from all over the state would be moving into the ranch and she couldn't wait.

All the work she'd put into the project had been worth it. She thanked her lucky stars for Ethan every day. It had taken him a while to understand she hadn't offered him the job out of pity or for some silly sense of duty but because she actually needed him. But once he did, he'd thrown himself into the project a hundred percent with her.

She grabbed her purse, picked up her car keys and exited the airstream. Yes, she'd done it. It made the most sense and despite the endless teasing from her friends, she actually enjoyed it. At night, when the builders would go home for the day and the place was deserted, the stars above the only light for miles, it felt like she owned a little part of the world. Not to mention it had been economical. She had never really been about money which was a good thing because she hardly had a penny in her name those days. Everything she owned had been invested in the ranch.

She made her way towards the ranch, crossing the paddocks with a smile in her face. She still had a hard time believing the builders were done. There had been a time where she hadn't thought it would ever come to end. She reached the main house and let herself in. The ground floor included the office she shared with Ethan, a massive kitchen, a TV room, library, a classroom, and a play area. The second floor of the building had all the rooms twelve of them, each with en-suite - the kids would be sharing, two per room- and there would be a nurse and supervisor on site at all times. There was a lot of open space and rooms seemed to flow into one another. The barn would be the lung of the centre, boasting a state of the art gym, a secured interior swimming pool as well as the treatment rooms and the infirmary but the main house would be its heart. It was exactly what Jo had imagined. She hadn't wanted it to look like a classic rehab centre. She wanted it to be a home.

As she reached the door to her office, Ethan was already at the desk, working on the computer.

"You're here early."

"Yeah, I needed to finish going through those applications and we've got to prepare for this inspection next week. Oh and the upstairs bathroom…" He looked up from his computer screen and gaped at her.

She smiled, suddenly self-conscious. "What? Too much?"

"Nah, I just… I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress."

She chuckled. "Well, haven't had many occasions to wear one."

"You gonna be okay?"

She breathed out a nervous laugh. "Ask me in a few hours?"

"Good luck."

She waved her hand and walked out. As she exited the house, she saw Elliot Oswald pulling in in his SUV.

It had been Gemma who'd put her in contact with him. She'd stopped by a few weeks after Jo's visit to TM, supposedly to give her a check for her share of the Charming house but Jo had known she was checking up on her. The club had leaked the files on her father and all hell had broken loose. He had been arrested and charged with numerous crimes. Journalists had managed to trace her despite her best efforts and the harassment had grown so bad that she'd had to disconnect her number and get a new one in Ethan's name. That hadn't stopped them and they'd started showing up at the house and no amount of no comment from her would deter them. Thankfully, a few weeks later a presidential hopeful had been caught with a hooker barely of age and the vultures had moved on. But Jo had lost an important private investor who hadn't wanted to be caught up in what he'd called the Carter-Bell mess. Gemma hadn't seemed that interested when Jo had mentioned it, venting about the way her father had to mess up her life even when he wasn't in it. However, a few days later, Jo had received a phone call from Elliot's Oswald personal assistant asking for a meeting saying he wanted to hear more about her project.

Jo had been surprised to like him right away. He was a rich man, Mayor of Charming and on paper he reminded her lot of her father. But her worries were put at ease the second they met. He was a humble and kind man with a deep love for his family and for his town. He'd come up to the ranch, listened to Jo explain what she was trying to do and signed up for the project right away. Since then he had been quite discreet, a silent partner, happy to receive updates as and when she provided them to him. So Jo was surprised to see him on her doorstep.

"Hi Elliot."

"Jo, did I catch you at a bad time? You look like you're on your way out."

"I'm heading to Charming actually. " His eyes seemed to catch her meaning but he didn't say anything. "I've got some time though. What brings you here?"

"I was just conducting some business in the area, thought I'd drop by, check on things."

She walked with him to the side of the house, where they had a full view of the property. The ranch was surrounded by woods on all sides with a lovely hill at the back with an incredible view point. There was nothing else but trees for miles and miles.

"Well, what do you think?

He hadn't been here in a few months and the place had changed drastically. "This is looking really good Jo. Are you all set for the opening?"

"Yes, the house is ready, give or take a few minor issues. The animals are all coming in this week. I can't thank you enough for gifting us the horses by the way. It means a lot."

"My pleasure. Place like this is great for them. They settle in okay?"

"I think so. Hustler and Bronco seem to have really taken to the place. Lucky is still wary but he's been enjoying the rides."

"My daughter loves that horse. But with her being away in college, well. I figured he'd be happier here."

"We'll take good care of him. And she's welcome to visit him anytime."

He seemed pensive for a moment and looked back at her with a smile. "I really like what you're doing here Jo."

"Thanks Elliot. I appreciate it. I wouldn't have been possible without your help."

"I have to admit, this is all Gemma's work. She's the one who convinced me to listen to what you had to say. She wouldn't have taken no for an answer. I've known her long enough to know that."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone has ever said no to that woman and lived to tell the tale."

"Well, I won't hold you up. I just wanted to check in."

"You're welcome anytime."

~oOo~

Boy, it felt good to be home. As soon as they'd pulled into the TM parking lot in a loud concert of motorcycle, Happy had been hit with an array of emotions a he watched the usual crowd of crow eaters and hang arounds applauding them as they parked their bikes. Gemma, Tara, Lyla were at the front smiling broadly at him as he dismounted. He spotted a woman, he presumed was Quinn's old lady, Lorelai, standing slightly back from them; she seemed out of place in this crowd. It reminded him of the first time he'd brought Jo to the clubhouse; she'd looked out of place then too.

Thinking about her made her absence here more obvious. He hadn't expected her to be there, but seeing his brothers old ladies waiting for their men made it impossible not to remember that in other circumstances, she would have been right there waiting for him too.

He hadn't seen her since the day he'd left her in Ginny's house in Roseburg. The day he'd told her he was out. He'd meant it then. Yet being away from her for so long had nothing to erase his love for her. If anything, he loved her more now than he'd had before. But two years was a long time and he had no idea where she was at now. He suspected some of his brothers and Gemma might know but he hadn't asked and they hadn't offered.

Gemma came to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. "Welcome home, Hap."

"Thanks Mum."

"Jesus Christ, we need to beef you up a little."

He let out a chuckle as he watched the mother hen make a visual inventory of him. What he'd lost in weight, he'd made up with muscular built. She slid her arm around his waist as he put his on her shoulder and they walked together towards the clubhouse. As soon as Quinn reached his old lady, he wrapped his giant arms around her, pulling her in for a kiss and she almost disappeared. He was a massive hulk of a man and although she was not short by normal standard, he completely dwarfed her.

"Want to let the woman up for breath Quinn?"

Quinn looked up with a grin and Lorelai had a small embarrassed laugh as she hid in his neck. Happy took a good look at her. She was pretty. She had a nicely shaped figure with dark blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her face was milky white and she had large chocolate brown eyes. There was a large scar on the side of her face but it wasn't off-putting. Quinn straightened up, his hand on the small of her back and they came in Happy's direction. " Hap, I'd like you to meet Lorelai."

"Hi." She offered with a tight smile holding out her hand to him.

Hap nodded his hellos to the woman, taking the hand she offered and turned back to his brother frowning. " So? When's the wedding?"

Quinn erupted into a loud laugh at his brother's question. He was used to it. They'd all been giving a hard time since the day he'd met Lorelai. Quinn had been an impulsive lover in the past, marrying each of his three ex-wives merely weeks after meeting them. His first marriage had last five years, his second marriage to Parker's mom was the shortest and they'd filed for divorce eight months after tying the knot. That hadn't stopped him from getting married a third time and that one had lasted two years before his wife kicked him out. It had been eighteen years since he'd last been married and he'd never been seriously involved with anyone since. So his track record spoke for itself.

Lorelai was a surprise. She seemed unnerved to be here but it wasn't because she was intimated. She'd confidently met his eyes and her hand shake had been strong. At least for a woman. Happy couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was a tension in her shoulder that never seemed to relax . Happy had heard the circumstances of their meeting and from what he understood, she'd been living in the woods alone and didn't get out much. In any case, she was a world away from the large breasted peroxided blonds his brother had seemed to favour in the past. From what his brothers had told him during their visits, he'd gathered she had her own brand of crazy but as he watched his brother look at her, his eyes full of pride and love for his new lady, he had a feeling this one would stick.

"Three weeks."

"Fuck, are you serious?"

"Yep. And I want you standing next to me when I make an honest woman out of her."

Happy grinned and patted his brother's shoulder. "Absolutely brother."

Jax joined them, his hand on Tara's hip. "You give him the good news?"

"Just did."

"Alright, let's get to Church boys. And let's make it a short one. We got a lot to celebrate."

Quinn leaned and murmured a few words to Lorelai before they all headed inside the clubhouse. As he reached the threshold of the Chapel, Happy stopped for a second, realising how much he'd missed the sanctity of the room. He felt a hand on his shoulder and moved forward but Tig held him back and took the seat he was about to take, nodding towards the seat on Jax's right side. The SAA seat.

"Nah brother, this is your seat. "

"Tig..."

Tig shook his head, a massive smile on his face. "It's always been your seat brother. I was just keeping it warm for you. We already voted on it. Unanimous."

Happy let out a small chuckle. Of course they had. "Assholes."

They all took their seats and Jax turned a broad grin on him. "Man, it's good to have you back at my right. Tig did a good job though."

"Aye." Chibs chimed in.

Tig just nodded as he lit a cigarette. "Here to serve Boss."

"Right, we got a couple of votes to go through before we get your old ass shitfaced. First up, Parker's patch. We all know why it's taken this long for us to vote it."

Happy had thought for sure the kid was an idiot when he'd first heard he didn't want the vote for his patch to happen while he was inside. Only a moron would elect to prolong his time as a prospect when he could be voted in. But Parker had insisted. Technically, prospects who didn't take a full patch after two years were cut loose. But there had been little doubt in anyone's mind that Parker would been voted in unanimously so Jax had agreed to extend his prospecting period by six months.

"You know he wanted you to be here when that happened. Bit unconventional but makes me think that kid understands brotherhood a lot better than a lot of men. So all those in favour of Parker getting his top rocker?"

Jax turned to Happy who just shook his head. " Kid is a knucklehead but aye."

By the time everyone had given their vote, Parker was a fully patched member of the Redwood Sons of Anarchy.

"Alright, let's call him in. Bobby get his cut."

Quinn got to his feet and opened the door motioning a nervous Parker inside.

"You want to do the honours?"

As per the tradition, the man kept a grave face as Parker made his way in closing the door behind him. He stood there waiting for them to speak. Happy stood and faced him. "You are one stupid shithead you know that?"

Parker let out a deep breath as the room erupted. Happy held out his cut for Parker who hurriedly removed his prospect cut and shrugged it on.

"Welcome to the table brother."

"Thanks Man."

Jax motioned to the empty seat next to Happy. "Take a seat. You get to take your first vote today."

~oOo~

Jo hadn't been at TM since the day she'd made amends with Gemma and the club. Gemma had been over at the ranch to give her a check, Quinn had visited her couple of times and although she wasn't supposed to know it, she'd spotted Parker more than once, lurking around the ranch. She'd been more than happy to let him believe she wasn't aware of his presence. It sounded silly, but it felt like she still had a connection to Happy that way.

But when Gemma had called out of the blue after more than a year of silence, Jo had known it had to be important. And it had been. Happy was finally being released on parole after two years in prison. She could never express in words the relief she'd felt when she'd heard the news. For two years, she'd put her life on hold, throwing herself into her work and today was the day it could all change. Of course, she was acutely aware that there was a big chance that he wouldn't want her in his life. She'd ran that scenario numerous times in her head. As heartbreaking as that would be, she knew she had to take the chance. At least, today, she would know one way or the other.

She hadn't wanted to be there when he'd arrived. That would have been too much for her. Probably for him too. She'd timed her arrival around the time Gemma had given her so she wasn't surprised to see the coming home party was already in full motion. Letting out a deep breath, she gathered up her courage and took a few hesitant steps towards the clubhouse. None of the club members were outside and she realised nervously that she didn't know any of the faces. She couldn't help but notice the looks she was getting. They weren't unfriendly per se but she wasn't exactly known around here these days and she knew they were probably wondering what the hell she was doing there. Not that she was going to let it deter her. She had yet to face her toughest crowd. Nope, he was inside that building, probably getting drunk by now. She could only hope that's all he was doing. Not because he owed her anything but because that image would probably be burned into mind for the rest of eternity. She shook her thoughts away and crossed the lot heading towards the clubhouse. As she reached the picnic table, a man stood, blocking her way. He wasn't wearing a cut but he was big and quite scary really so she took an instinctive step back.

"Help you there darlin'?"

He'd said that while his eyes roamed her body in a way that made her almost regret picking a dress. As she opened her mouth to speak, she heard the door to the clubhouse open but she couldn't see behind the man. But suddenly a hand was closing in on his shoulder and when the man moved, Jo was faced with Tig. "Let her through, Jerry. She's with Hap."

Jerry as his name was looked from her to Tig a dumbfounded look on his face. " Sorry Miss. Didn't mean no offense."

Jo smiled tightly and he quickly walked back to his table. She reverted her attention back to Tig who was staring daggers at him and she realised how scary he could look. "Tig, listen-"

Before she could say anything else, he broke into a grin. "Scare you yet Doc?"

She let out a relieved laugh, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Kinda."

"It's about damn time you showed your face. He's inside. Not sure he's gonna like the dress though."

It was her turn to grin as she winked. "I know."

He chuckled as she took the last few steps to the door, trying to control the slight tremor in her hand as she grabbed the handle of the door.

~oOo~

Happy could pinpoint the exact moment the mood in the room shifted. He was playing some pool with Quinn, trying to concentrate on his next move. Quinn's old lady was sat on a stool in the corner, observing them and as Quinn brought his beer to his mouth, waiting for Happy's move, he froze the bottle still on his lips as he stared at something by the door. Although the music was still playing, the conversations seemed to have died down at once as all eyes looked in the same direction.

Finally, Quinn let out a little chuckle as he gulped his beer and turned a cocky smile to Happy. "Think you win that one brother."

Happy frowned, turning his head to see what the fuck was going on and he saw her. She was standing by the door, biting her lip nervously, her eyes right on him. Shit, he'd almost forgotten. In all those times, he'd thought about her, conjuring up her image in his mind, he'd still managed to forget how beautiful she was.

Jo fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze but she couldn't move. She knew people were staring at her, hushing to one another, the ones who knew her probably wondering what she was doing there and the ones who didn't…well they were probably wondering the same thing. The only thing she could see though where his smouldering eyes looking right through her. He hadn't seen her at first, but she'd seen him right away. He'd been by the pool table playing with Quinn and she'd just halted to look at him. One by one, people had started to notice her presence and she'd known she needed to make a move but suddenly her body had stopped responding. So here they were on opposite sides of the room, staring at each other with an audience.

Suddenly a loud yell broke through the heavy silence of the room and startled she broke eye contact, turning towards the bar to see Parker on it. "Hey, I thought this was a party!"

And just like the tension seemed the ease and people shifted their attention to the bar. Jo smiled her gratitude at Parker and he winked at her. When she looked back to Happy, his eyes were still on her as he straightened up.

"You sure know how to make an entrance."

Recognizing Gemma's voice at her side, Jo smiled but this time she kept her eyes on Hap. " I was trying to get his attention."

Gemma sniggered. "Well, I think you have it sweetheart."

Jo finally felt movement back in her body and slowly made her way through the crowd towards him. She saw Quinn take a woman she didn't know by the hand and move out of the way, nodding at her with an encouraging smile. Within seconds the area around them emptied and it was just the two of them. He hadn't moved at all, his eyes hadn't departed from hers but she could see the tension in his jaws. She stopped at the side of the pool table, not close enough to touch him but close enough. She broke into a smile, fighting with all her might to control the hundreds of emotions coursing through her right at that moment. "Hey jailbird."

"The fuck you doin' here Jo?"

He didn't sound angry. He sounded weary which was probably worse. She had a moment of doubt wondering if this had been a good idea after all but she shook it off. She'd come this far, she had to see it through. "I was invited." She answered pointedly.

"Ain't much for games Doc."

The sound of that word, Doc, in his lips sent a shiver down her spine. That was something at least.

"Good, because I'm not playing."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah? That why you show up in my clubhouse? In that fucking dress with my ink? Because you ain't playing games?"

She bit a smile. "I figured you wouldn't like the dress."

He let out a loud sigh but didn't respond. But she could see his nostrils flaring and she could tell he was pissed now. Yeah, he didn't like the dress at all.

"You know, I had this big speech prepared but now that I'm standing here I can't seem to remember any of it. But then I figure you never really liked my speeches anyway.".

"Not sure, there's much left to say Doc."

She didn't agree with that. There was so many things she wanted to tell him she could talk for a week. But that's not why she had come. There was only one thing she wanted to tell him right now.

"Maybe. Except this. Do you remember what you told me your last day at Norwood?

He didn't respond immediately but she saw the tension around his neck relax slightly. He looked around the room, they had completely forgotten them or at least they pretended to and no one was paying any attention to them.

"You know I do."

"So do I." she nodded with emotion as she remembered that day. Their first kiss. So much had happened since that day, but Jo had never forgotten the feel of his lips on her that first time. "You told me I saved your life. Do you still believe that?"

He gritted his teeth, looking away for a second before he met her eyes again. "Yeah."

"Well what I didn't know then was that you saved me too Happy. Up until then, I thought I was living the life I wanted, you know. A simple life without complications doing something I loved. But the truth is I was just going through the motions. I was hiding and I didn't even realise it. And then you came along and you changed everything. You saved me as much as I saved you Hap." She had to stop talking then. She was having a hard time controlling the emotion in her voice. She closed her eyes knowing she had to get it the rest of it out. Meeting his eyes again, she spoke. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said, about us being a pretty big wreckage? And you're right, we can't go back to where we were. And we shouldn't. I'm not the girl you met in Norwood anymore Hap. And you're not the guy who kicked me out of his room. But I love you Hap. I've always loved you. And if you still feel that way about me, I'm thinking that we can do this you and I. Do it ."

He didn't say anything. He just stared at her intently, his expression unreadable. She was starting to wonder whether he'd even been listening when he spoke. "You done?"

As disheartening and cold as his answer was, she didn't let it show. Sure, it wasn't the reaction she had been hoping for but she'd been prepared for it anyway. So she just smiled through the pain of it. "Almost. I don't know if you still have a place for me by your side, Hap. But you are always going to have a place by my side. You be good Hap."

She willed her body to move and slowly turned to make her way out of the clubhouse, biting the inside of her mouth until she tasted blood. No one met her eyes on her way out. It was humiliating but that was the least of her worries right now. Two years, she'd been waiting for this very moment. Two years, she'd been thinking that maybe something would have changed his mind. Two years she'd been hoping for a second chance. Now the moment had passed and her hopes had been crushed.

As the door closed behind her, Happy let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. Stubborn little bitch. What was she thinking showing up here? He didn't even have time to ponder that before Gemma marched to him with a frown he knew all too well. "You sure about letting her go killer? After all this?"

"Didn't peg you as sentimental Gem."

She kinked an eyebrow putting a hand on her hips in that Gemma stance she used so much. "You do know the guts it took to show up here and face you like that in front of everyone, right?"

He couldn't quite suppress a laugh. He threw the pool queue he was still holding on the table and closed the distance with her, kissing her cheek as he went past, rasping in her ear. "Don't worry mum. It all ends well."

~oOo~

Something happens to you when you're stuck in a 4x4 prison cell, knowing there's nothing good coming your way for years. First timers try to hold on to the person they were on the outside. Most of them get out broken, if they get out at all.

Happy wasn't a first timer. He'd spent more than seven years of his life in prison. He knew the drill. He understood who he needed to be on the inside. The person you were before don't mean shit in prison. You're either the strongest person in the room or the weakest. They say there is nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose. Outside, he could be a brother, a cousin, a nephew, an old man, a father. Inside, he'd needed to shed that weight and become a savage.

The club had secured him protection. But he'd earned the respect. Fighting to keep it everyday. Within those walls, respect was the most powerful currency; people fought to get it and they fought to keep it. They killed to keep it. He had killed for it.

He'd thought letting Jo go, telling her he was out would ease the anger he'd been carrying around, this bottomless pit of rage inside of him. It hadn't. Instead, he'd felt it grow even stronger, feed on itself day after day. The more he fought to forget who he was and be who he needed to be, the more angry he became.

Then one morning he'd gotten shived in the back in the showers. As he fell to the floor, his head slamming against the tiles, the weapon still lodged in his back, there was only one thing in his mind. Her face. He'd fought for months to erase her image from his brain, to forget her but as he waited for death to take him, he'd let it in, welcoming her in his thoughts.

He'd woken up a couple of days later in the infirmary. The nurse tending to him had told him he'd been lucky. Happy knew luck had shit all to do with it. He'd finally come to understand Mari's words to him. His love for Jo, his need for her, he'd thought they'd made him weak. He had blamed her for making him lose his focus. He'd been wrong.

The fury inside him, the thing he'd come to think of as a beast had been there long before Jo had left him. It had been there brewing silently ever since he'd woken in a hospital bed, unable to move his legs. When Jo had come into his life, she'd silenced it. She had been his balance, his centre, his humanity, the one thing that stopped the beast from growing and turning him into a savage. And she'd saved him again. Her face while he was waiting for darkness to overcome him had been his salvation. She wasn't his weakness. His inability to accept Jo as his strength was.

When he'd been sent back to Gen Pop, his focus had changed at once. It wasn't about being the strongest motherfucker in the room anymore. It was about being the smartest. It was about being smart enough to stay alive. Taking that rage inside him and putting all energy towards getting out. Survival became his only objective. The one thing taking him from one day to the other. Every day he stayed whole was one day he was closer to getting out, closer to finding his way back home.

He'd made it out. He was home. Happy puffed on his cigarette as he looked at the sun setting over, he pondered what that meant.

He hadn't expected her to show up at the clubhouse. He should have but he hadn't. When he'd seen her there in that fucking dress, his ink out for all to see, it had taken all he had not to grab her, drag her to the dorms and fuck her silly. Stubborn little bitch. She'd wanted a reaction and fuck he'd reacted. Just one look at her and he'd felt his cock swell instantly. When she'd teased him with that smile of hers calling him jailbird, he'd just about come into his pants. Over two years since he'd touched her or anyone else for that matter. Two years without being inside her, two years jerking off to her image. For a man like him, that was a fucking long time. He'd wanted her and what she was offering to him. But he had let her go. He was a man on a mission and he couldn't let anything derail him from it, not even her. He needed to see it through without a hitch. Only then could he go to her.

"You alright brother?"

He'd had heard Quinn come up a few minutes before, but his brother hadn't spoken until now. Happy nodded in response. He would be soon.

"You know that any one of us can do this, Hap. It doesn't have to be you."

He knew what Quinn meant. Despite what she'd said today, there was a chance that once she found out what he'd done, she wouldn't forgive him. It was a small one but he couldn't ignore it. She would know it was him. Of that he had was pretty sure. Whether she would still want what she'd offered him today after that, he didn't know. Allowing the club to release the files had been one thing, knowing the man sharing her bed had killed her father would be another. He wasn't sure what happened after that. But this was his kill. His retribution. Nothing could stop him from getting what was owed.

"Yes it does. This is mine."

Quinn sat next to him, his eyes on the horizon. "You know, her showing up here like that. It was all kinds of ballsy, brother."

Hap couldn't help a small chuckle. It had been.

"She...She's got a ranch. A couple of hours south. She's opening up some sort of rehab centre for kids. Been working real hard on it too. She's a good girl, your woman, Hap. Big heart to her."

In all the times he'd visited him while he was inside, Quinn had never mentioned Jo. None of them had. But he had suspected that they might have been in touch with her so he wasn't surprised. Neither was he surprised to hear what she'd been up to those last couple of years. Jo's work wasn't just a job to her. It was her life. Same way, the club was to him. It gave her purpose. But when she'd made the move to Charming, she'd lost that purpose and he guessed that was when one of the things that had gone wrong between them.

During the long lonely nights in his cell, he'd spent a long time going through every moment of their relationship in his head, tracing back what had gone wrong. They'd taken a few wrong turns maybe, made some mistakes but their biggest one had been letting people get between them.

Mark Pierce, Ross Miller had paid for their sins. Ginny had died riddled with regret about her mistakes. But there was one person who'd gotten out scot-free from all of it. Grayson Carter-Bell. At least until now.

Happy believed in paying for your sins. He had paid dearly for his. He'd made a promise a long time ago. The day he'd met Grayson Carter-Bell. The man had been a dead man walking since the day Ginny had told him what Grayson had done at the hospital. Not because of what he'd done. But why he'd done it. Truth be told, Happy wasn't sure what he would have done if he'd had to choose between Jo's life and her ability to have kids. But Grayson had made that decision based on his own selfish reasons and after that he'd manipulated a devastated Jo, just to further his own ambitions. Happy had already been heading to prison when he'd found out and Jo had still been fragile so he had decided to wait. After all, Happy was nothing if not a man of patience.

The method came to him later. As he laid in the infirmary, night after night, thinking of all the pain he'd like to inflict on the man. Torture had always been his favourite method. Breaking a man bone by bone until he was begging to be killed. But he knew that he couldn't use his usual brand of punishment here; When Grayson's body was found, he would eventually become a suspect and men like him couldn't just disappear. Too many questions would be asked and it'll likely still land on him. He'd racked his brains for weeks, weighting in all his options when it finally came to him. It was almost poetic.

Once his visitations had resumed after the attack, he'd asked to see Jax and explained his plan. Jax had agreed to bring it back to the club. The next day, his plan was approved by a unanimous vote.

There were several different ways they could have used the information on the files they had taken from Mark Pierce to their advantage. But they'd all agreed to his plan to release the files and let the sky fall on Grayson.

When Jax had told him Jo had been by TM and they'd told her about the files, Happy had been well pissed. He hadn't wanted her to have any implications in their plan. But then he'd understood why Jax had done it. Jo had turned her back on her father but the club needed to know she was done with him once and for all. That she was all in and they could trust her with this. If Happy had been on the outside, that trust would have been on him. But the way they had left things meant Jax was in his good right. She hadn't backed down though and had earned a respect Happy wasn't sure she had had before. The respect of an old lady.

They'd released the files unleashing a shit storm of epic proportions on Grayson. He was done politically and financially. Merely a few hours after the files hit the media, he had been asked to resign from congress, a raid was ordered at his Sacramento office and at the ranch and he was arrested and charged. FBI, IRS, Washington. They'd all wanted a piece. If he was found guilty at trial he would spend the rest of his life in jail. As it were, Grayson had paid a million dollar bond twenty four hours after being arrested and had been laying low at the ranch ever since while his lawyers buried the state in so much paperwork, no trial date had been set yet. It didn't matter though, because the man would never set foot in a cell again. Releasing the files had been the club's retribution for messing with a club member. Tonight would his retribution for what he'd done to Jo.

Happy flicked his smoke from the roof and stood. "Its getting dark, we should head out."

"You keep safe out there."

Happy patted his old friend back. "Always."

He made his way through the clubhouse, where the party would continue to the wee hours of the morning and headed to the parking lot. " We all set?"

Tig closed the van's rear door. "Yeah, man."

"Let's go."

Jax took a step forward and hugged him. "We'll see you later brother. Watch your back."

Happy hopped into the van's passenger seat and spotted Parker already in place at the back. Tig would drive them and drop them off a few miles away from the property so they wouldn't be seen. Him and Parker would then continue on foot, come at the ranch from the south side. The fence there was low enough they could climb it and get in without being detected. They were well prepared. His brothers has spent the last few weeks making sure everything was ready for his release.

Waiting until he got out of prison had been a calculated risk. There was always the chance that Grayson would make a deal to spare his family the fallouts of a scandal but then Happy had figured he didn't have it in him. He had been right.

It was a simple plan and Happy intended it to be perfect. There could never be any doubt in anyone's mind about how Grayson Carter-Bell had died. It was the whole reason why he'd let her go earlier. He wanted what she'd offered him. He'd never wanted anything more in his life. She was right, they could do this differently. But in case his plan didn't work the way it was supposed to, he couldn't be tied to her and she couldn't be tied to him.

~oOo~

He glanced over his shoulder and scanned Parker's as he looked into the distance." You ready for this kid?"

"Ready when you are brother."

Happy nodded. Parker had volunteered for this. They all had but this was a two man job and when they'd shared the plan with him before the vote, he'd been the first one to raise his hand. Happy saw something in the kid. Something he'd seen the very first time Parker had tried Happy's cut and taken a beating for it. The young boy hadn't blinked. No once. He had the heart of a warrior. An enforcer.

The drive to the ranch had taken them a little over two hours. They'd walked for another hour after that before reaching the property. They were now slouched in the grass and had been observing the ranch for over an hour to detect any unexpected activity. There hadn't been any.

Happy pushed himself to his feet. "Let's do this then."

"Hey Hap?"

He'd thought he heard self doubt in the kid's voice. He turned to him, meeting his eyes "You choking on me?"

"Nah, just wondering if you'll ever stop calling me kid."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Happy let out a laugh. "You prefer if I call you asshole?"

Parker seemed to think about it for a second before he grinned. "Let's just stick to kid."

They knew the man would be alone. Unbeknownst to him, the club had been watching him for weeks. His wife was now spending her days in some retreat or other. The embarrassment of the scandal and the perspective of finding herself penniless in the near future had taken its toll on their marriage and they rarely saw each other now. Emma had gone away to college. He knew the girl would have to bear the brunt of this but he couldn't let it stop him.

Grayson rarely left the ranch anymore other than to meet with his lawyers. Most of the employees had either been fired or had moved on. The only two remaining employee was the ranch aid and the maid, neither of whom lived on the property. He spent most of his days alone in his study, drinking himself into a stupor.

So Happy wasn't remotely surprised when they found him in his study, snoring in his imposing leather chair, a half empty bottle of scotch on the desk. Happy opened the zip to his hoodie and with a gloved hand he took out a syringe and handed it to Parker. The young man walked around the desk, positioning himself right behind Grayson, waiting for Happy's signal.

Happy stood facing Grayson. He wanted his face to be the first thing the man saw when he woke up. Then he closed his fingers around the bottle of scotch and threw it to the wall.

Grayson woke with a start, his eyes wide open as he took stock of Happy's menacing presence. He barely had time to react before Parker jammed the needle right behind his ear, in the exact spot Happy had showed him. With what they had planned for him, the entry point of the needle would be masked and it would be almost invisible unless you knew to look for it. If their plan worked, no one would.

The man fell backwards into his chair immediately as the chemical coursed through his veins. Happy knew exactly what was happening to his body right now. It was shutting down. He was still fully conscious but he couldn't move a muscle, he couldn't talk, but he could see and hear everything around him. A live mind trapped in a dead body.

Happy kneeled to the floor and searched through the bag they'd brought with them, taking out a rope. They'd make sure to leave another rope matching this one exactly in the barn, so it looked like it came from there. He climbed on the desk, the plastic of the disposable overshoes he'd pulled over his boots crinkling, as he grabbed the noose he'd prepared earlier and threw the other end of the rope around the wooden beams above their heads, tying it tightly. It had to hold.

When he was done, he jumped back to the floor and Parker helped him lift Grayson over the armchair, putting his head through the noose, making sure the rope covered the little spot left by the needle and tightening it around his neck. Grayson was hanging above the armchair, his feet flat enough on the armchair that he could still breathe, but his eyes, the only part of him that could still move went from him to Parker, sheer terror readable.

Happy narrowed his eyes on him. He was exactly where he wanted him to be. "Do you know how long it takes a man to die by hanging? Usually two to three minutes tops. But they usually fight it. Even the ones who put their heads in there voluntarily they fight like hell when that rope digs into their neck and stopped them from breathing. Fucking stupid ain't it?"

Happy took a step closer, his eyes burning into Grayson's. "I told you I always keep my promises."

Grayson turned away from Happy and his eyes fell on Parker who was staring at him, begging for help.

"This is for her." Happy said before he gave the chair a push. It rolled away from Grayson and he dangled from the high beam unable to breathe. They watched as life slowly left him, a dead weight, unable to fight, unable to scream. He'd been right. It took less than a minute for Grayson Carter-Bell to die. By the time he was found, they'd be long gone. The drug Happy had injected him with was untraceable after a few hours and once again you'd have to be looking for it. But with Grayson's situation, they were sure that almost sure that no one would question the apparent suicide of a man who'd lost everything and decided to take the easy way out.

~oOo~

"I'm fine, Les, really."

"You said that already."

Jo put the phone between her head and her shoulder as she went through the paperwork on her desk and sighed. "Because I am."

"Jo, he was your father. Look, I know you too were on bad terms but he was still your dad. It'd be okay for you to feel bad that he died."

It had been a week since her father had been found by his maid, hanging in his study. He hadn't left a note. Since then, all her friends had been calling enquiring about her state of mind. "I know it would but I don't. I know it's sounds horrible but my father's been dead to me a long time now. I'm not happy that he died but I'm not going to sad about it either.

"Okay. But if you need to talk or anything..."

"I know and I do appreciate you looking out for me Leslie."

"Always. Now why don't we swiftly change subject and talk about the other man in your life?"

Jo choose to play dumb. She hadn't heard from Happy since she'd showed up at the clubhouse. "Ethan?"

"Happy, you dummy! He should be getting out soon no?"

There was no way to avoid the conversation. Her friends would keep asking until she told them so she decided to pull off the Band-Aid and get it over with. "He already has."

"So you talked to him?"

"I did."

"Judging by the tone of your voice that didn't go too well, did it? Jo, I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"I'm working on it. To be honest, I try not to think about it too much."

"I wish you were around us instead of all the way there to California."

"I like it here. There's an actual summer. But I can visit. It's going to get really busy here for a while but I am planning on coming up the minute you tell me you're having that baby."

There was a long silence at the end of the line and for a second Jo wondered if her friend had hung up. She was four months pregnant and despite the fact that they spoke regularly, her friend had chickened out from telling her every time. In the end, it was Michael who had broken the news for Leslie.

"Michael told you."

"He did. And you should have been the one telling me. " Despite the fact it had been nearly two years, her friends still treated her with kids gloves sometimes. She knew why Leslie hadn't wanted to tell her. "Les, It's okay. Just because of what happened doesn't mean I can't be happy for you. Because for the record, I really am."

"I know, I just… I know how hard it's all been for you."

"It has. It still is. It'll probably always be hard. But I love you and you're having a baby. That's fantastic Les and I couldn't be happier for you."

"Good, because I was hoping you'd agree to be this kid's godmother."

Jo beamed."Of course I will."

~oOo~

After her conversation with Leslie, Jo had needed to go for a ride. She usually went in the morning but Ethan was away for the day and she'd been scooped up in her office alone all day and she'd decided she needed a break.

She knew Leslie and the rest of her friends were worried that her lack of feelings towards her father's death was another case of her shutting out. It wasn't. She'd said goodbye to her father that day in Sacramento and she'd done enough mourning for a lifetime. Jo felt a pang of regret that she couldn't be there for Emma who still looked at her father with a little girl's eyes and was probably devastated by his death. But for her father, Jo couldn't feel anything.

When Lauren had contacted her with the news, she'd been almost surprised that the woman would let call her at all. But all Lauren had wanted was to make sure Jo didn't come to the funeral, letting her know she wasn't welcome. Jo didn't feel the need to tell her she had never even considered it. She'd wanted to speak to Emma but Lauren had told her in no uncertain terms that Emma wanted nothing to do with her. From their point of view, Jo had broken Grayson's heart and she was, at least, partially responsible for what had happened to him.

Lauren couldn't have known it but she wasn't completely wrong on that. Jo wasn't in any responsible for her father's death but she was the reason for it. Grayson Carter-Bell had been a lot of things in his life but suicidal was never one of them. Even in the dire circumstance that were his at the time of his death, he would have never taken his own life. He had too much pride for that. Jo had known exactly what had happened to him. Happy.

Maybe she was supposed to be horrified but she couldn't find it in her. Instead she found it liberating like it had closed down the darkest chapter of her life.

She had no idea where she went from there. Her father was dead. Ginny too. Her sister had written her off. Most of her friends lived a state away. She had no other family and with Happy gone, she'd lost the Charming family too.

She felt okay though. The pain of the past no longer crippled her, her mistakes didn't define her. The last two years had taught her that she could love him whether he was with her or not and although she'd probably never stop waiting for him, she could be look forward to the future and be content.

She made her way back to the stables, securing the horse and took her time grooming him. It was one of her favourite thing about riding. The horses took care of her while she was riding and she loved taking care of them afterwards. When she was done picking his hooves, she grabbed a brush and softly brushed in short straight flicking motions whisking the dirt out.

"Good boy." She whispered petting him. "We're all done now."

She removed the lead rope and led him back to his box. During the day, she let them roam freely in the nearby paddock, but the sun would be setting soon so she gave him a treat from her pocket and picked up her tools exiting his box, securing the lock behind her.

She headed back to the ranch, going by the office to quickly check her emails, making a mental list of the ones she needed to respond to but decided it could wait until the next day. She had barely had anything to eat since the morning and she was properly starved. She turned off the computer and locked up, setting the alarm as she headed out back.

Had she gone her usual route, she would have seen a familiar motorcycle parked out front. But she was too hungry and had decided to take a shortcut. Yet, when she reached the small clearing where she'd parked the airstream months ago and saw a dark figure sitting at the small table she left outside, the glow of his cigarette end the only light in the darkness, she recognised him immediately.

Her heart was suddenly racing, blood pumping in her ears, her mind trying to make sense of his presence here, trying to anticipate what he would say, not daring to hope.

He spotted her nervously making her way towards him and took her in as he continued to suck on his cigarette. She was wearing cut-offs and a ratted tee-shirt with riding boots. Her crazy mane of hair had been let loose and her face was dirty. She looked a mess compared to the day she'd showed up at the clubhouse but to him she looked fuckin' beautiful.

She came to a halt, letting some distance between them but she was close enough to see her eyes were glistening with tears. She didn't seem upset, just surprised by his presence here, confusion all over her face.

He took one last drag of his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, crushing it with his feet as he ran his hand over his chin, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "You are one fucking stubborn bitch, you know that?"

His unconventional greeting drew a laugh from her and the sound made his cock twitch.

She bit her lip and had a little smile. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Silence fell between them. But she didn't break it. She'd said what she had to say at the clubhouse. She could wait him out.

"What's with the trailer?"

"It's an airstream."

"What's wrong with living at the ranch?"

She had no idea where he was going with this but she indulged him anyway. That had always been his way. "Well, there wasn't much of a ranch to live in until recently. I wanted to be close during the building work and I guess I didn't really want to make any plans beyond that."

He heard what she didn't say. She hadn't wanted to make plans because she'd been waiting for him to come out. Truth was he hadn't planned to be here. He was going to let her go. When he went inside, his plan had always been to let her go. He loved her. He would always love her but too much had happened and there was no going back.

But then, he'd nearly died and she'd been the one thing in his mind. He'd realised that he'd been kidding himself. He wasn't done. He would never be done. Yet when he got out, he couldn't allow his focus to be on her. He had needed to keep his head clear to give out the punishment he'd spent so long planning.

And in all honestly, he'd had no idea that she'd been waiting for him, not after the way they'd left things, not after he told her he was out. And just like he had underestimated her a lifetime ago at Norwood, he'd underestimated the hell out of her again.

When she had showed up at the clubhouse, letting him know she'd waited, talking about how he'd saved her, owning her place, it had taken everything he had to let her walk away the way he had. He'd had his reasons and they were good ones but he was sick of letting her walk away from his life. So when Juice had informed him today that the coroner's office had officially ruled Grayson's death a suicide and that they were in the clear, there had been only one things in his mind. Going to her.

She fidgeted and he realised he'd been staring at her for too long. "You're gonna have to say something here Hap, because I'm a little confused."

"I was gonna let you go Doc." He tittered. "I was gonna do the right thing and let you go."

He saw a flash of something in her eyes - hurt, maybe anger- and she looked away, running her hand in her hair. When she met his eyes again, it was still there. She was pissed. "How is that the right thing Hap?"

It wasn't and they both knew it. He'd spent to much time wanting her, yearning for her not to. But he didn't respond. Faced with his silence, she let out a sigh. "What changed your mind? Did you change you mind?"

The memory of Jo at the clubhouse came to him and his lips curled into her smile as he fiddled with his pack of smoke on the table. "I really hate that fucking dress."

"You can always burn it." she retorted, kinking an eyebrow as she tried to bite a smile. She looked down at her hands, rubbing them nervously against each other. "You didn't answer my question. Did you change your mind?"

He had. He'd changed his mind the minute she'd walked into the clubhouse letting him know she was still there, letting him know nothing had changed for her just like nothing had changed for him. he couldn't even remember how he'd convinced himself it was for the best. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and carry her to her bed, feel her again but he knew they needed to get one thing out of the way. If they were going to start something new, something different, they needed to do it with nothing but the complete truth.

"Doc, there's something you need to know."

He looked away, knowing that the new start she'd offered, the new chance they had hang on her response to what he was going to say but he could find his voice she spoke again. "I already know Hap."

He shifted his gaze to her then and her blue eyes were staring straight at him and it was like he could read her mind. She knew. He'd known it was a strong possibility but it still took him aback. She'd raked herself with guilt over Mark Pierce and Ross Miller's death, blaming herself for what had happened to them but he didn't see any of that guilt on her face now.

"My father was a lot of things Hap. But suicidal was never one of them. It doesn't matter. He's not getting between us again. I meant every word I said at the clubhouse and I still do. So I really don't want to be let go."

With just those few words, she had given them a clean slate. There was nothing else to be said. And he knew with absolute certainty that no matter what, they would do this different. Better.

"You still didn't answer the question Hap."

He slowly got to his feel, holding out a hand to her. "Come here Doc."

She surprised him again then. She shook her head, her flying in her hair with the movement. She was smiling but she looked determined. "No. It's your turn to come to me."

He chuckled softly. She'd never backed down for as long as he'd known her. Not once. But she was right. It was his turn. But he barely had time to take a few steps in her direction that she closed the distance, catching his cut between her fingers and bringing his head towards her, smashing her lips against his. Just the simple touch of her lips against his and he nearly came undone. He took control right there and then, circling her waist with his arms to lift her up. His tongue immediately sought hers as her hands locked behind his neck pulling him closer, deepening their kiss. She'd never felt so good in his arms, never tasted so good in his mouth and he knew he had to have her now. He had to come up for air and reluctantly broke the kiss, gently putting her down to the floor, resting his forehead on hers.

"Thought you wanted me to come to you."

"You were taking too damn long." she whispered a smile playing on her lips and he had to have that smile.

He grabbed her face and brought his mouth on her again, his entire body alive with his need for her and this time, she pulled back. She took a hand in hers and pulled him towards the trailer.

She let go of his hand long enough to open the door and stepped inside inviting him to follow her. It was more spacious than Happy would have thought. They'd walked into the living area with a couch directly facing them, a small table to the left by the small kitchen. To his right, there was two closed doors one of which he assumed was the bedroom. It wasn't much but she'd arranged it neatly and it have looked more like a small studio than a trailer if it weren't for the fact that he could reach the roof just by lifting his hand above his head.

Jo gazed at the man she loved standing awkwardly in the middle of the airstream, wondering if this was all real, or if her mind was playing tricks on her. This man she'd thought she'd lost forever. It was the only thing she needed. She moved and led him to the small bedroom at the back of the airstream. Turning to face him, she grabbed the hem of her tee-shirt but his hands closed on her wrists.

"That's still my job Doc."

She smiled broadly and held out her arms as he lifted her tee-shirt slowly pulling it above her head and discarding it to the floor, his mouth plunging to her neck, sucking, licking nipping at her collarbone as his hands caressed her breasts through the fabric of her bra before trailing his hands to her back and unhooking it.

"Shit, Doc, it's been too fucking long." He whispered against her skin as he crouched by her feet to remove her boots and socks. His fingers closed on her shorts and popped them open and slid them slowly down her hips along with her panties. His eyes trailed up and down her naked body and exhaled loudly. " Jesus, look at you. You're fucking perfect."

He buried his face in her belly, inhaling deeply before kissing her soft skin as Jo closed her eyes, cradling his head, getting lost in the myriad of sensations coursing through her body. His lips reached her pubic bone, his breathing so close to her core and she gasped.

"You smell so fucking good Doc."

"I smell of horses."

"You smell of Jo." he rasped as he stood, laying her gently down on the bed, his hand travelling down her body at a maddening slow pace. He stood between her legs then, shaking off his cut and placing it on a small dresser at the end of the bed. He dragged his tee-shirt over his head and pulled his belt through the loops of his jeans, his eyes never leaving her naked shape, waiting languidly for him on the bed. His cock was achingly hard and pressing against his jeans and he hissed when Jo suddenly sat up and ran her fingers across it. He covered her hand with his, tightening her grip on him as he threw his head back.

Incensed with his reaction, Jo opened the buttons of his jeans and lowered them as he clasped her shoulder and groaned in protest. "Doc..."

"It's okay, Hap. We have all night"

She pulled him out of his boxes and he flinched, his breath catching. "Doc, I can't...fuck."

Ignoring his pleas, she took him in her hand. He was so hard and throbbing that she understood at once why he was trying to stop her. He was so close to the edge, he wouldn't last long at all. It didn't matter. She sucked him into her mouth and he shouted her name as he grabbed her hair. She took him deeper into her mouth in a sliding motion, back and forth and he came, just like that, filling her mouth as he growled her name again and again. When she'd taken him all, she looked up at him and his eyes narrowed on her before he took her by arms and pushed her back on the bed, kneeling between her legs and lifting her hips before he pushing his face to her core, attacking her with his tongue.

She thrust herself forward, arching her back as her entire body responded to him. This wasn't about teasing or taking it slowly. It was about finally want and need. It felt incredible. It was too much and not enough at the same time. She flexed her hip, her hands gripping his head hard against her as he took her clit into his mouth, in turn licking, sucking, nipping. She tried to say his name, to tell him she needed him inside of her but when she opened her mouth, the only sound that came out was a loud cry as she exploded in his mouth, pleasure ripping its way through her entire body.

He stood immediately and before she had time to come down from her orgasm, he crawled onto the bed, hooked his arms around her thighs and lifted her before plunging deep into her, gritting his teeth. "Jesus Doc, I missed you."

She fixed a loving gaze on him as she caressed his cheek with her knuckle. "I'm right here Hap."

He'd almost forgotten how good she felt around him, how tightly that hot, wet pussy of hers gripped him, driving him insane with need and want. But he didn't fight it anymore. He let it engulf him as he slammed into her with absolute abandon, her fingers digging deep into his back as she moaned her pleasure. He'd always loved the way she sounded when he was buried deep inside of her but the sounds she was making now were sending him quickly over the edge. He knew he wouldn't last very long this time around either. His mouth found her shoulder and he clamped down on her. She cried out and for a second he was worried he'd hurt her but she picked up the pace flexing her hips, moving against him as she chased her own peak. She came with a loud shout as a shiver rolled through her and as he plunged deep into her one last time, he gave over to his own raking orgasm and exploded inside her growling her name as he did.

He dropped his weight on her, and they lay there, drenched in sweat, silent and perfectly still, her body anchored to his, her head buried in his neck. He felt something wet against his skin and he lifted up on his elbows to look at her to see that what he'd felt were tears.

"Doc?"

She smiled, shaking her head derisively. "it's nothing I'm sorry. I just..."She couldn't explain that he'd felt so different than the last time they'd been together and that whatever had been lost between them then was now back, that she'd felt it when he was inside of her. so instead she just smiled through her tears. "I love you Hap."

"I love you Doc. Ain't stopped loving you." He swept kisses across her jaw, over her neck and as he moved off her, pulling her close to him. She absently trailed a nail along his chest listening to the rhythm of his breathing."This doesn't feel real."

"Felt pretty real two seconds ago, Doc."

She laughed in his arms and swiftly climbed on top of him, grazing the side of his hip. What was once naked skin once now adorned their children's names, Caroline and Samuel in a pretty cursive lettering with a simple sentence underneath. Always with me.

He knew she'd never seen it and waited until she met his eyes before he spoke." You okay?"

"I like this." she said pensively.

The day she'd been at the clubhouse, Happy had been too busy trying to keep himself in check to really notice but there was something different about her. He couldn't quite figure out what though. Then he thought about her words to him. She'd said she wasn't the same person he'd met at Norwood. He saw it earlier and again he could see it now but he still couldn't figure out what it was.

"Don't do that Hap."

He raised a questioning eyebrow as his hands closed on her hips. "Do what?"

"Looking at me, trying to figure out what's different with me."

Once again, she'd read right through him. Maybe that was what was different. "You got to get out of my head woman." he chuckled.

She leaned in, her elbows resting on either side of his face as she caressed his cheek. "I thought you liked me in your head."

"I like you on my cock."

She bit his lip with a laugh and he grunted in pain as she straightened up on him. "Can we really do this Hap? Pick up where we left off?"

Looping an arm on her back he sat up, pushing her closer to him. "Thought we were starting something new."

She kissed his collarbone before looking up at him. "So what? You want to date me?"

"Nah. We leave the past in the past Doc. No more ghosts. Just you and I."

"I really like the sound of that."

"But for now..." he started as he rolled her off on her back again. " I ain't done with you."

"You know it wouldn't kill you to leave me on top every once in a while."

He brushed away strands of hair with the palm of his hand, his need for her coming over him again, pressing his hardness onto her belly. "Never gonna happen Doc."

~oOo~

"Admiring the view?"

He glanced above his shoulder as she circle him with her arms, burying her head in his neck. She was wearing his shirt and felt a very familiar tingling in his pants. "You better tell me you're wearing underwear under there."

God, she'd forgotten how good it felt. His ownership of her. The whole night had been a walk down memory lane as they reacquainted themselves to each to other. Her entire body was deliciously sore and she was sure she would be sporting bruises soon but she found herself begging for more. They hadn't talked much. There would be time for that. Right now was about being together. After everything they'd been through, after the pain of separation, they deserved a little time. She moved around him and sat on his lap. He'd been right. She wasn't wearing anything else. "There's no one for miles here Hap. Just you and I."

She went for his neck again, her teeth closing on his earlobe, nipping it gently and he smiled. "Haven't had enough yet?"

"You're saying you have?" She trailed her maddening tongue along his jaw, moving her hands across his body. "I could never have enough of you Hap."

He closed his eyes, the feel of her mouth sending a very familiar tingle down his pants. "Wasn't it you that said the world is still out there or some shit like that?"

This time she bit him playfully. " I say the stupidest things sometimes."

He fisted his hand in her hair and tugged on it as she reluctantly pulled back. "What time do you have to be at work?"

"That's the beauty of being self employed. I have to check in with Ethan later but until we open, I an pretty much do everything I need from my smart phone."

"The cripple is here?"

"You can't keep calling him that Hap." she admonished him

"It's a term of endearment. I want to take you somewhere."

"You're going to tell me where?"

He shook his head.

"Didn't think so." She sighed and went to stand. " Okay."

He grabbed her wrist pulling her back to his lap and she turned a questioning look on him. "What?"

"You start something woman, you better finish it."

She smiled and grabbed the hem of his shirt swiftly removing it before she discarded it on the table. Her nipples suddenly exposed to the cool air of the morning stiffened immediately.

"So fuckin' beautiful." he groaned before taking one into his mouth sucking on it hard. Pulses of pleasure fired in her very core as his hand grabbed the other breast, kneading it hard. She arched back, her hair falling onto her ass, giving him full access to nip, bite and licked her tender skin, the rough of his tongue abrading her skin.

"Hap, I need you now."

Answering her plea, Happy lifted her off his lap to unzip his jeans, his cock hard and straining. He pulled her astride him again and taking a hard grip on her ass, he thrust her down on him hard, feeling the first fierce plunge of his shaft inside her body. He pulled her up and down on him again, grinding her hips against his, angling his body as deep up into her as he could. Her mouth, her glorious mouth, was parted, making the most incredible sounds as her hair hung back tickling his thighs. Her breast were full and begging for his touch and he buried his face between them resting his head there as his grip on her hips hardened. She clutched his shoulders as he kept his manic rhythm sliding her up and down his length, going deeper each time. Her pussy clamped down hard on him as her climax built and he got to his feet pulling her down onto the grass, fucking her with abandon holding her with both arms wrapped around her, one hand gripping her shoulder as he held her in place, thrusting into her with all his might.

The morning mist of the grass sent a shiver down Jo's spine counterbalancing the fire inside her body. Happy's hand on her shoulder gripped her so hard as he slammed into her, she knew she'd sport bruises later. She didn't care, the feeling of him inside her was so incredible that she was sure nothing else could ever feel so good. She was proven wrong as a shudder spread all over her body, her toe curling orgasm hitting her in parts of her body didn't know existed. Her climax unlocked his and it took only two more rough thrust before he came with a harsh indrawn breath and a growl, holding her so tightly against him she could barely breathe.

~oOo~

It had been a long ride to Bakersfield but he hadn't stopped. He didn't want her to have the time of reflexion or ask questions about where they were going. So they'd set off after breakfast and had made it a little over four hours. It was a shitty move but she needed this. They both did. He pulled off in front of the cemetery and helped her dismount before she turned to him, a questioning look on her face as she removed her helmet.

"Why didn't you tell me we were going to see your mum?"

He followed suit, snapping off his helmet and sliding it onto his handlebar. "We ain't here to see my mum."

As the meaning of his words dawned on her, her body went rigid stopping her in her tracks.

"It's time Doc."

She tore her eyes away from him, blinking and Happy knew she was trying to stay in control of her emotions. " I know. I just...I need a minute."

He took her hand and waited with her. After a long while, she exhaled loudly and met his eyes. "Okay, I'm ready."

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently and they started walking hand in hand towards the grave. She held onto his hand so tightly that her knuckles were white but she didn't stop.

They finally reached the grave and came to a halt. She hadn't said another word and her eyes were glued to their hands liked together. He didn't pressure her. He knew she would do this, in her own time.

She delicately pulled her hand away from his and turned to the headstone. With her back to him, it took him a few seconds to realise she was crying. It was only when she let out a loud wail that he immediately went to her, his arms circling her as she sobbed with all her might.

He didn't say anything. He didn't try and comfort her. He just held her until she quieted down, her body slowly relaxing in his grip. She moved and he opened his arms so she could walk to the grave. She gently caressed their names, Caroline first and the Samuel's.

She finally turned, her face still wet with tears and her eyes found him as she shook her head in disbelief. "Every time I think I can't love you any more than I do, you go and do something to prove me wrong.

A strangled laugh escaped his lips. "I'm a loveable guy doc."

She nodded through her tears. "Yeah you are."

He closed the distance between them and pulled her into an embrace as she circled his waist with her arms, gripping his shirt. He wasn't sure how it happened, but they'd finally made it to the other side. They hadn't come out of it unscathed but they were stronger for it. Because they were together. He knew that now and he would never doubt it again.

"Marry me Hap."

Happy took her by the arms and pulled her back, unsure he'd heard right "What?"

She smiled, undeterred. "Marry me."

He had heard right. "You can't ask me that Doc."

His reaction drew a laugh. "Why not?"

"Because I'm supposed to ask you!"

"Ask me then. Ask me."

He stared into her eyes, trying not to smile, but his face betrayed him. "Marry me."

"Yes, yes, yes." she repeated catching his cut in her fingers and pulling him in for a kiss.

~oOo~

Once again, Jo found herself staring at herself in a mirror as she stepped into a dress. But she wasn't nervous this time. She was just happy. She ran a hand over the blush pink number with a satisfied smile. It had a lace bodice, a gold rim around her waist and a long pleated skirt that reached her calves which she knew her husband wouldn't disapprove of. Her husband. Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face.

She hadn't wanted to wait. They'd waited long enough. They'd gone to Vegas that very night and gotten married in a small all night chapel. She was now Mrs Jo Lowman. She'd been Jo Carter-Bell in the distant past, Jo Manning after that and her future would now be as Jo Lowman and so far she'd loved every second of it.

It had been two weeks and despite Happy's constant complaints about the trailer, it really had been the perfect honeymoon hideaway. They'd barely set foot outside the first week, unable to keep their hands off each other.

"What's with the grin?" He asked as he circled her waist, burying his face in her neck.

She closed her eyes, loving the feel of his tongue on her. "Just thinking about how much I love being your wife."

His hands trailed down her hips and he growled. " How much fabric is on this thing?"

She chuckled softly and turned in his arms with a challenging smile. "Thought you'd approve."

He kneeled down and grabbed the hem of her dress pulling it up and she let out a giggle, slapping his hand. "Hap, what are you doing?"

"I'm checking my work" he answered as he grabbed the skirt again. And this time, she didn't try to stop him.

She had asked him to cover her hip tattoo, the Chinese symbol for serendipity she'd had there feeling foreign on her skin,like it belonged to someone else. She'd let him draw something for her, knowing she'd love the result and after a few days, he'd shown her the sketch and she'd loved everything about it. It was a brightly coloured phoenix with wings extending either side of her hip, below each of the wings, were their children's names. It was larger than anything shed ever thought she'd be sporting on her skin but it was perfect in every way.

His hand roamed over her body, sweeping the cure of her hip, between the cheeks of her butt, the crease of her thigh his lips consuming her whole as she closed her eyes, moaning softly. She tried to protest but it sounded hollow even to her. "Hap! We're gonna be late."

"Maybe." He hooked his fingers around her white lace panties lowering them slowly over her hips and down her legs, pausing here and there to kiss the skin he'd uncovered. Jo flinched as she felt the warm heat of his breath on her most sensitive parts.

He lifted her leg above his shoulder and his mouth was on her before she had time to react. She gasped loudly, her back arching trying to resist the sensations he was creating inside of her. "Hap!"

"What? Want me to stop?"

She tried to reason with herself that they were expected, that if they were late everyone would know exactly why and it would be embarrassing but she couldn't find herself caring. "No, I really, really don't."

He placed a hand on her stomach to hold he steady and buried his face in her again tasting her, swirling his tongue between her folds. He kissed the tender skin, in turn flicking his tongue over her clit and blowing on it. She bucked again but this time she wasn't trying to get away, she was asking for more. He added a finger, then two slowly sliding it in and out of her, taunting her relentlessly until she couldn't stand it anymore and screamed, her orgasm washing through her like a tidal wave.

~oOo~

They were late. Of course they were. After giving her that earth-shattering orgasm, Happy had pushed his wife against the wall and fucked her taking his sweet time. His wife. She'd completely blindsided him when she'd ask him to marry her right in the middle of the cemetery. He'd been slightly pissed because it was his job to ask her but he hadn't hesitated when she'd finally let him ask her. Not even for a second. When she'd told him she didn't want to wait one more day to be his wife, he'd tried to reason with her that she might regret it if she didn't have their friends and family around, that he wanted to give her the wedding she wanted. But she hadn't wanted to hear any of it, she'd just told him that she didn't care about the wedding, she cared about everything that came after. Stubborn little bitch.

He'd relented and taken her to Vegas that very night. By the morning, he was a married man and while he watched her sleep in the corny nuptial suite of the hotel they'd booked for the night, he knew without the shadow of a doubt that he would never ever let her go again. He'd come too close to losing her and he would never let it happen again.

They got to the wedding after everyone had been seated, earning themselves whistles and catcalls as they made their way down the altar. He just smiled while Jo's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Enjoying the look of his flushing wife, he laid a passionate kiss on her before she took a seat next to Parker and Happy made his way to the altar to stand next to the groom.

"Shit brother, couldn't help yourself, could you?." Quinn said with a grin that told Happy he wasn't at all pissed.

The club had been overjoyed with the news of their marriage even though Gemma had been very vocal about what she thought of them eloping. But truth was Happy was glad they didn't wait. And as he watched his gorgeous wife, sitting in the assembly, looking at him with that dashing smile on her face, he knew that was the best damn decision he'd ever made.

The music started and a few seconds later, Lorelai made her entrance, slowly walking down, eyes locked with Quinn. Happy darted his eyes to his brother of twenty years, who was intently watching his bride making her way to him with a look he'd never seen on him but a look he recognised. Yeah, this one will stick.

~oOo~

"I have to give it to you Gemma, this was a beautiful wedding."

Gemma glared at her as she tried to suppress a smile. It had indeed been a beautiful ceremony, despite the rowdy vows about riding your wife as you would ride your Harley which had sent the assembly into hystericals. Gemma had chosen a clearing a few miles from the club's cabin and she'd done a great job decorating the place. It was a small wedding, club and family only. Lorelai seemed to have taken it in stride though and joined in in the laughter. Jo hadn't known her for long, but she was a nice, quiet woman and as they watched her dance with her husband, completely lost in each other, Jo knew she made Quinn very happy.

Quinn's other children were all in attendance. Melanie and her husband had made their way from Vegas with their two kids, his oldest Christopher and his girlfriend had come from LA and the youngest Ivy, a college freshman had come all the way from Boston for the occasion.

"This is what I do when people actually tell me they're getting hitched."

Jo winced. Gemma had given them an earful when they'd showed up at the clubhouse the day after getting hitched and made their announcement. "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I."

Gemma drunk the rest of her champagne and smacked her lips. "I wouldn't count on it."

Jo laughed. Gemma's directness was not to everyone's taste but Jo genuinely loved the woman. For all her faults, she'd been a constant in her relationship with Happy and even though she'd never pulled any punches, Jo was grateful to have her in her life. "Are we okay Gemma? You and I?"

"Do you care?"

"I do actually." Jo said meeting the woman's eyes dead on. "Don't know if anyone told you but I'm short two mums. I can always use a back up."

Jo's words seemed to touch Gemma as she faltered for a second. But she quickly recovered and touched Jo's cheek gently. "Sweetheart, as long as you keep that man of yours happy, you and I will be fine. Judging by the stupid look on his face right now, you're doing just that."

Jo turned and met Happy eyes with a smile. He was sitting at a table with Tig, Bobby and Parker, his smouldering eyes devouring her. She faced Gemma again. " I love you Gemma."

"I love you too sweetheart."

Jo squeezed Gemma's hand and made her way to Happy. She leaned over, her mouth to his ear so she could speak without being heard. " Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm naked."

He chuckled and grabbed her hand and made her walk around so he could pull her on his lap, leaning into her ear. "Doc, in my mind you always are."

She squeezed his leg playfully, giving him a quick peck on the lips before she stood. With a pointed look to Happy, she held out her hand to Parker. "Dance with me?"

Parker's eyes flew to Happy as he gulped but his brother's eyes were glued to his wife's as he raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Keep your hands to yourself, shithead."

Jo winked at him and led Parker to the dance floor. Parker put his hand around her waist, holding her other hand in his keeping enough distance between them so Happy wouldn't kill him and they started to sway. Jo was pleasantly surprised to notice that Parker didn't seem too uncomfortable dancing, well if you ignored the worried looks he kept giving Happy. "You're good at this, Parker."

That seemed to get his attention and Parker turned to her with a grin. "You look surprised."

"I am!"

He looked away for a second before meeting her eyes again. "My mum forced me to go ballroom dancing with her for two years. Please don't tell any of those assholes or I'll never hear the end of it."

Jo barked a laugh. "My lips are sealed."

"Glad I can entertain you Doc."

They danced in a comfortable silence for a moment. Parker seemed to have forgotten Happy and his hold on her visibly relaxed. "Say Doc, you ever hear from Emma?"

Somehow Jo wasn't surprised he'd asked. Despite the fact that he hadn't really known Emma that much, Jo hadn't missed the connection the two seemed to have. "Not since I left Sacramento. I think she was really hurt and she doesn't know any details so I guess for her I'm the bad guy in the story. I tried to reach out when...anyway she doesn't want to talk to me right now. Maybe someday."

"Sorry I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"It's fine. I love Emma. She's my sister and I really do hope she'll let me back in at some point."

He nodded pensively, jerking his head towards the table were his siblings were laughing and drinking together. "Yeah, I hope so. I mean this lot over there, we fight all the damn time but I'm glad to have them."

"They all seem very nice."

"We all have our moments."

"You know I don't think I ever thanked you."

He darted a confused look on her. "For what?"

"You got me here, Parker. That day you came to visit at the ranch? I can't really explain it but in a lot of ways, it's what got me here."

She meant every word. It was his visit that day that had reminded her what family really is about. He flashed her a smile and nodded. " Anytime Doc."

"Hands off my wife, asshole."

Happy was suddenly next to them, a murderous look on his face, although Jo knew it was all for show. He'd never minded her relationship with Parker.

"Hap, we're just dancing." she admonished him.

"No, you were dancing."

Parker smiled and took his leave. "Sorry Doc."

She turned to Happy ready to tell him off but he held out a hand to her and she smiled broadly. "I thought you didn't dance?"

"I dance with my wife." he replied matter-of-factly and he took her hand and brought her closer to him. She circled his waist with her arms and laid her head down on his chest closing her eyes for a moment before she let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

Not letting go of her hold on him, she pulled her head back. "I told you I'd make you dance someday."

"Yeah, you're a really stubborn bitch."

She smiled and buried her face in his chest again, enjoying every minute of their embrace.

"Hap?"

"Yeah."

"There never was anyone else. When you were gone? There's never been anyone else."

She wouldn't have known he'd heard her if it wasn't for the small pause he took before moving again. He kissed her hair, holding her tighter to him. "I know."

As soon as the song handed, he grabbed her hand and led her off the dance floor. "Come on."

"What?"

"The song is over."

She let him lead her down the pathway until they reached her car. He hadn't been happy to come to the wedding in a cage until she pointed out that she was wearing a very flowy dress. He opened her door and she scowled at him. " Hap, it's your best friend's wedding!"

"You see him anywhere? He's gone Doc, snuck out with his bride into the woods ten minutes ago. The rest of them don't care. Come on."

She let out a long sigh knowing better than to argue and to be honest she didn't really want to. She loved them all but any time she could have him to herself was good in her book. She took the helmet from his hand as he mounted his bike. "Where are you taking me?"

"Home."

~oOo~

He wasn't taking her home. At least not literally. Instead as soon as he parked her cage, he went around the car and held out his hand to her as she gazed at him, questions in her eyes.

"Come on Doc."

She took his hand and he led her down a dirt road he'd come across as he explored the ranch a few days prior. She pulled on his hand to make his stop. "Hap, the trailer's that way."

"See that hill up?" He pointed to a spot Jo knew very well. From there, the vantage point was extraordinary. The view of the ranch was perfect and extended for miles and miles on the valley with nothing but trees and the sky on the horizon. "That's where we're going."

She had no idea what he was doing but she was happy to let him take the lead. " Not in those heels. I'm not." She took her hand back and grabbed his arm for support as she stepped off her heels and took them in her free hand.

"You coming?" she said as she started her ascension, her naked feet now wet from the grass.

He snorted and ran after her, sweeping her off her feet in his arms.

"Hap!"

He silenced her with a look and carried his wife all the way up the hill. When they reached the top, he finally let her down and she darted questioning eyes on him."What are we doing here Hap?"

He turned her around so she was facing the view and circled her waist with his hands. "Right here. This is where our house is going to be."

She leaned in, craning her neck to look at him "What are you talking about?"

"I know you love this place and I know you don't want to be too far from the ranch. This is it. This is where I'm gonna built our house."

She freed herself from his hold and faced him again, blinking back tears. Aside from Happy's very vocal complaints about the airstream, they hadn't really talked about where they would live. "I thought you'd want to be in Charming."

He cupped her face in his hands, running his thumb on her lip. "Charming is a couple hours ride from here Doc. I can ride back and forth. I told you, I'm a simple guy. Got all I want right here. I'm gonna give you what you want babe. I'm gonna build you a home and that fucking white picket fence you wanted. I ain't getting you a golden retriever though."

Jo felt tears flowing down her cheek as she laughed through them, anchoring herself to the man she loved. "You are my home Hap. Always will be."

The End

Thanks for reading!

This is it folks! This story is officially complete and the last chapter of Jo and Happy's story is now closed. It took a little longer than promised but I wanted it to be perfect so I hope you enjoyed the read and liked the ending , I loved writing it!

Although I think I lost a few readers in the last arc but I wrote the story I set out to write and I hope you are satisfied with the ending.Please please, please do let me know what your thoughts are, which moments you enjoyed, what worked and what didn't work for you. It all helps me tremendously!

Now a few things: some of you might be wondering where Lorelai came from. I have always wanted to write a story about Quinn. I have the idea and most of the chapters planned out. I know he's never been a central character in the show but that's what I like about him. So if people are interested I would love to write his story with Lorelai which of course takes place in this AU. It takes place during Happy's time in prison and has most of the Charming characters in it. So you let me know!

Now aside from that what's next?

I have lots and lots of stories in mind. This one with Quinn, a few others with Happy ( yes others plural- I do have myself something of an obsession with the man) and a couple with Tig. I also do have a sequel in mind for this story but I spent a lot of time with Jo and Happy and the last arc has been pretty dark so I would like to change it up a bit before returning to their story.

As for the other stories on my profile, Pieces of my life is still a go. I will however be changing the format of the chapters so for those reading it, watch this space.

No other love has gotten me inspired lately so once I have a few chapters written I will update it.

I loved writing Life forbids, love forgives. It was my first fanfic and the first work I published here. My style has changed since then and although I loved the story it never got as much interest as the others. I do want to finish it at some point but I have no idea when. I have however left it in a good enough place that I don't fret about it too much.

In bed with the enemy, well this one is a pickle. I loved the story when I first started writing it and I also loved Jax. Season 5,6 and 7 shattered my love for Jax and I'm finding it really hard to get back into it. Maybe someday right?

I will be leaving them here for now though until I decide what to do with them.

I will be updating the stories in plan in my profile. Please do let me know if one specifically calls onto you!

Finally, here's one thing I've learned writing this story. Like I said I put a lot of thought and work into planning the story, writing each chapter, making sure the read is enjoyable. English is not my first language. So it takes a lot of time. A lot of time I don't always have. I'm not only writing fan fiction anymore but I'm trying to finish my first MC novel and I want to make time for both, keeping in mind I also have a full time job and a family! I'm not complaining but this is why my updates aren't always as forthcoming as they could be.

So I decided to adopt a new strategy for the next story I post. One chapters will be shorter. I have written some very long chapters for this story (this chapter had nearly 19,000 words )and keeping up that rhythm was very challenging. I also think I won't be posting until I actually have several chapters written and edited simply so I get some breathing space in between. Hope you guys understand!

Finally I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have read, followed, favorited and reviewed this story. It really means the world when people enjoy your work and I can honestly tell you it has been more than instrumental in me finishing this story!

SO THANK YOU ALL!

And because I have a new love of quotes, I will leave you with a quote from Kurt Sutter that a reviewer shared with me a few weeks ago.

"Will it be a happy ending? No, but I do think that there will be something hopeful about the way it tends."