All the Money in the World

Chapter 1

It had been two full years since Katie had touched or even smelled Happy. Two years of visits with thick plexiglass between them, short static filled phone calls and unrelenting loneliness. This particular day would put an end to that longing though, the most extreme part of their separation, and Katie could feel her heart racing at just the thought of being close to him again.

Seconds before the steel door opened there was a loud buzz as if announcing his arrival. In reality, it was alerting the guards and others that the door was unlocked for that brief moment. He stepped through the doorway and Katie felt instant bursts of joy and sadness that would battle within her the entire visit. She jumped to her feet and hugged him eagerly, breathing in deeply, for a long moment. Happy wrapped his arms around her, considerably stronger now than when she had last felt them, and held her. When she looked up at him, he kissed her, rough and animalistic, and his hands moved up her body to her face, pressing his palms to her cheeks to keep her close.

The guard tapped his baton on the wall and the kiss ended quickly. "Hey," he said quietly in his usual raspy monotone way.

"I missed you," she whimpered, "Two years."

"Alright, break it up," the guard said. "Sit." Physical contact was not allowed but they usually let some things slide. This embrace cost Happy two hundred dollars and it was worth every cent.

They separated and sat at the tiny table. Katie looked at him and smiled. "I think I like it." She joked, looking at the stubble on his cheek and few inches of hair on his head. "What happened?" Her fingers grazed over the dark purple bruising under his eye.

"Shit happens," he shrugged. "Guy wanted to come at me, didn't get far."

"Hap," she chided. "Don't."

"I know," he said quickly. "This one wasn't on me. It was stupid. I'm still sorry for the fuckin' last one."

Katie immediately knew what he was still apologizing for, not this minor infraction but the one from before. "Just please don't get in any more trouble, baby. I don't want you missing parole because of stupid fights."

"An extra year without contact is bullshit," he spat bitterly. "One fight, over a year ago, that was it."

"Someone died," she reminded him.

"I didn't kill him," he said defensively.

"I know," she sighed. "It's not your fault I just want you to keep that anger under wraps."

He nodded and took her hands across the table. "You okay?"

"I am," she said confidently. "If it weren't for Tara I don't know what I'd do."

"Fucking weird," he chuckled. "The gym and Scoops doing alright?"

"Yeah," she beamed proudly. "Business is really booming even without the uhh, side stuff."

"Good," he nodded. "And the kid?"

"She's...big," Katie laughed. "She's on her way up now with Tara so we can visit Jax, I wanted this to be just us, though."

"Good," he smiled a little. "You know contact visits are once a week right?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "No more 4 week waits for short visits where we can barely talk and not touch."

"You know, for the right amount of money," he winked at her.

"Here?" She looked around. "Really?"

"You don't miss me like I miss you," he slipped his hand under the table and ran his fingers along her thigh.

"Hands on the table," the guard said sharply.