Katie arrived at Imperial Hospital alone, Charlotte stayed with Angel until her mother was sure how bad the injuries were and if the child could handle the situation. Unlike in Charming, Katie wasn't known to any staff and couldn't prove she was family so she was left to wait for information.
After a little less than an hour, Opie arrived with a clearly distraught Tara. Katie, surprised by Tara's presence, stood and waved at them despite being incredibly anxious as to how Tara would react.
"Kate," Tara said, her voice cracking, as she hugged her. "You're alive!"
Relieved, Katie hugged Tara back and began to cry. "I am. Barely," she laughed. "How did you get here so fast?"
"I left before I even got the call," she said. "When I heard you and Charlie were here I came right down. How are they?"
"I don't know, they won't tell me shit," Katie huffed. "My ID doesn't say Lowman so I have nothing to prove I'm family."
"Are ya?" Opie scoffed. "I'll tell em' you're here, Tara," he added before bumbling away.
Katie gave Opie a dirty look when he walked away but quickly turned her attention to Tara again. "Angel said there was a fight," she remarked. "Long time coming I guess."
"Yeah," Tara paused. "Wait, who the hell is Angel?"
"Oh," Katie laughed nervously. "That's a story," she rolled her eyes. "We should focus on Jax and Happy."
"We should talk," Tara said sternly. "As soon as we get some word on our guys."
"Yeah," Katie agreed but the designation Tara assigned Happy made her stomach churn.
Thanks to Opie, the doctor came out and explained the conditions of both Happy and Jax. The former had a broken hand, concussion as well as a few wounds that needed stitches but the latter was not as lucky. Jax had a broken orbital socket, severe concussion and a skull fracture.
"Oh my god," Katie whimpered. "I'm sorry, Tara."
"This isn't your fault," she said, blotting some tears from her eyes. "And you're done apologizing for Happy's actions."
Katie nodded somberly. "I'm going to go see him."
"Wait," Tara grabbed Katie's hand. "Maybe we should talk first."
"Don't you want to see Jax?"
Tara's jaw tensed. "He can wait."
Finding a small lounge that was luckily empty, the women sat and Tara proceeded to question Katie on her lost year. She was honest, more honest with Tara than she had been with anyone else.
"I don't know if I can go back, Tara. After everything. I want to get my boys and come back here. I know it's not as nice as Charming but I'm content here, it's peaceful."
"And Angel's here," Tara reminded her.
"Yeah," Katie smiled at the sound of his name. She showed Tara a picture on her phone and Tara smiled at the joyful smile Katie has as she posed with Angel. "I don't smile like that back home."
"Happy doesn't smile at all," Tara sighed.
"Do you think you could tell me what his year was like?" Katie knew she'd regret the details but she also knew she'd never get the truth from Happy.
"Yeah, of course..."
*A few months after the kidnapping*
"How is he?" Tara asked Gemma quietly as she joined her at the kitchen table. She was there at the house to provide a bit of relief for Gemma. Even with daycare, taking care of both boys was difficult, especially once Ana left out of fear, and as old ladies they came together to help the club.
Gemma looked at Tara and shook her head. "I don't know. Jax?"
"He's cycling between rage and sorrow," Tara explained. "He's also trying to make the Irish believe that she didn't rat, that it was Ryan.
"But it's easier to believe it was one of us than one of their own," Gemma grumbled. "Have they spoken?"
"Not really," Tara sighed. "I'm afraid for Jax if they do. Happy was never a pleasant guy exactly but the way he looks at me and at Jax, it's scary."
"He blames Jax," Gemma confided in her. "He told me. He came in, drunk as usual, sobbing about Jax taking Katie away again."
"Do you think this is his fault?" Tara asked with a trembling voice.
Gemma got up quickly and put on a pot of coffee. "I think Jax tried to do what he thought was best for the club. I don't think he meant to put any ideas in that asshole's head and I know he didn't think of the blowback or anyone's feelings."
"But the ideas got there somehow," Tara sighed.
"Yes, they did," Gemma agreed. They met eyes when Happy pulled into the driveway and stomped into the house. "We're in the kitchen," she called out to him.
He nodded at both of them, his standard greeting, and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "Boys good?"
"They're fine," Gemma assured him. "Nat's been asking for you."
"Asking for me? He barely talks."
"He's been saying Daddy. Constantly. I think maybe you should spend some time with them."
He shook his head and walked out of the kitchen again expecting Gemma to follow, which she did.
"This is on me," Happy said to her.
"No it's not," Gemma chided.
"What if she left? We ain't heard shit in months, people don't disappear like that Gem, not without trying real fucking hard."
"I saw the kitchen," Gemma reminded him. "She wanted to stay, she fought him. Besides, she wouldn't leave those babies and you know that."
When he turned to face her, Gemma could see he'd begun to cry. "Maybe she hates em' cause they're mine."
Gemma shook her head and gathered him in her arms for a hug. "You know that's not true, baby."
"You think she's dead?" He asked her, crying harder into her shoulder.
"I think you'd know if she was," Gemma told him, beginning to cry herself. "You'd feel it."
"I treated her like fucking shit," he grumbled, pulling away and wiping his face. "I deserve this."
Gemma was used to this by now, she expected it, they had variations of the same conversation a few times a week. What she didn't expect was it to be their last.
When she arrived the next morning to take the boys to daycare she heard Happy's voice over the monitor.
"Nat," he said. "Come here. You know who that is?" Gemma wasn't sure what he was talking about, she couldn't see who or what he was showing Nat but she kept listening intently for clues. "That's mommy. You remember mommy, kid I know you do."
He didn't speak as softly as most people did with children but there was a tenderness in her voice she never heard before.
"She's gonna come home, so you gotta remember her," he told his oldest son. "Mommy," he said again.
The little boy repeated after his father. "Mommy"
"Yeah," Happy said cheerfully. "Good job, man. o think she's pretty here," he flicked the photo. "Wait till you see heri again, she's better in person."
Gemma felt herself about to cry so she turned off the monitor and composed herself before hollering up the steps. "Want me to make you something to eat?"
"No," he said, monotone. "I'll be right down."
Gemma greeted him warmly as he placed the boys in their high chairs but he didn't make eye contact.
"What's going on?"
Happy shook his head. "I gotta go, club shit."
He was completely shut down, like a switch had been flipped, and the sudden change sent a chill down Gemma's spine.
"Hey," she stopped him from leaving. "Did something happen? Is there news?"
"No," he said sadly. "Nothing."
Gemma watched as he left, a pit in her stomach, and went immediately to call Jax. Even if there was no news something wasn't right and Happy needed someone to keep an eye on him.
Jax assured his mother he'd have Chibs watch Happy, since there was no way he'd be able to tag along with him all day. What Chibs reported back at the end of the day was worse than anyone expected.
"Jackie, it ain't good," Chibs sighed. "Almost laid his bike down twice and pulled his gun on some shite who cut us off."
"He's trying to get himself fucking killed," Jax dubbed his face vigorously. "If I didn't have Tara you'd have a hard time keeping me fucking level. I'd be doing the same shit."
"Aye," Chibs agreed. "I'm gonna stay on him, keep him breathing for when we bring the girls home."
Jax smiled at that. "Sometimes I think I'm the only one who thinks they're coming back."
Chibs shook his head. "Not everyone is as sure but we know they're coming home."
"Thank you," Jax said, eyes wet with tears, as he hugged Chibs. "None of you have to shoulder this but you all are."
"We're family," was all Chibs said as he hugged Jax back.
*Present*
Tara recounted the stories she knew for Katie, who was crying with her face buried in her hands. "Shit," she whimpered. "Did he ever get hurt?"
"A few times," Tara sighed. "I patched a few cuts, wrapped some broken fingers, taped his nose once after a nasty fight."
"Here I figured he just drank excessively and banged crow eaters as a way to cope."
"He drank," Tara huffed. "I never saw him with any women, there were some rumors he uhh, couldn't perform. Whisky dick, I'm guessing?"
"I don't believe that," Katie said, wiping her tears. "I have to see him."
"Don't tell him what I told you," Tara said quickly. "Jax told me he didn't want you to know how bad it was, he's embarrassed or something."
"Now that I do believe," Katie sniffled. "Thank you and I'm sorry."
Tara nodded. "I'm just glad both of you are okay."
They both left to finally see their husbands, Jax was sedated to help his concussion and fracture while Happy sat awake, alone, and not expecting any visitors other than the club.
"Hey you," Katie said quietly as she poked her head in his room.
"Hey," he was eager, she could see it. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking on you, stupid." She slowly made her way to the chair and sat, sighing heavily. "I think I could sleep for a goddamn year."
"Me too," he showed her his cast. "I didn't kill him."
"No but you nearly did," she chided. "You broke his fucking eye socket and fractured his skull."
Happy shrugged. "How you feeling?"
"I don't even know," she admitted. "Did you act recklessly while I was missing?"
"Yeah," he admitted freely. "Fuck, I'm not gonna kill myself but that don't mean I didn't wanna fucking die."
"Happy," she slapped his arm hard. "And leave our boys with no parents?"
"I'm not a parent," he said shamefully. "I ignored those kids for months, Katie. You'd fucking hate me if you saw how I fucking abandoned them."
"I doubt it," she replied, feeling her own misguided shame. "Did you fuck anyone?"
"What?" He looked at her angrily. "Did you fuck Angel?"
"Yeah, I did," she admitted. "I fucked Ryan too, once or twice," she admitted for the first time. "To distract him, stop him from hitting me."
"Still pissed I didn't get to kill that asshole," he growled. "I got my dick sucked. A lot."
"How did you not have sex?" Katie asked, almost angry he hadn't slept around.
"Figured I owed it to you, plus, I just, I just wanted you."
Katie looked at him. "I don't believe you."
"What?"
"I know you," she said forcefully.
"There was a couple," he finally said. "Wasn't great."
Katie still didn't believe him, she wasn't sure where the truth was between the versions he told her but she dropped it. "Okay." It wasn't really important and she'd had more than enough sex for jealousy or anger to be unwarranted, even if she knew she'd feel some of both of them.
"Look what you fucking did to me," he huffed. "You should just fucking stay down here."
"I know you don't think that."
"I do," he shook his head. "Don't come back."
"Happy," she huffed. "You're mad at me. I know you are. I would be too. Fuck, I'm mad at me but don't try to ignore that shit. That's part of what fucked us up to begin with."
"The boys know who you are," he said quietly.
"What?" Katie was confused. "There's no way they remember me, Hap."
"They do," he smiled a little. "After Gem left at night or in the morning before she got there I'd sit with them. I had uhh pictures and some videos on my phone. I'd show em' everyday. I told em' who you are, I told em' about Charlie too. They know you."
Katie covered her face as she began to cry again. "Christ, Hap," she sobbed. "That is," she couldn't find the words. "Thank you."
"After a while they were the only ones I talked to about you," he sounded embarrassed and angry. "I told em' things would be different when I found you."
"They will be," she said eagerly. "We have a chance to start over. Wash all that shit away."
"Please come home with me," he said, trying with all his might not to cry.
"I am," she nodded. "We're all going home, baby."
—
Thank you all so much for all the comments and votes and for taking the time to read! You guys are seriously so great! I'm hoping to have another chapter up by Halloween! Have a good Monday!