Katie wasn't surprised that Happy slept so late the morning after the party. He was there later than she was, for appearances mostly, and she knew he was probably very drunk by the time he got home. He did finally make it down stairs a bit before noon.
"I had to make sure you were still breathing," Katie joked as she greeted him with a kiss. "Dear God, you fucking stink."
"I'm sweating it all out," he grumbled.
"I can tell," her nose turned up. "Coffee?"
"Nah," he huffed, taking his usual seat at the table. "I want to talk to you."
Her chest tightened as she turned away from the counter to look at him. "What?"
"Jax told me about you guys," he said angrily. "Said he wanted to clear the air, make sure we were good, no more lies."
"What a fucking scumbag," she hissed. "I told him you already knew, guess he thought I was bluffing."
"Probably," Happy was, a pensive expression on his face. "He's tried to fuck with us, manipulate us for his own bullshit reasons, he plays us, he plays everyone," Happy huffed. "I'm loyal, I love my club and my brothers but this is more than that, Katie."
She sat across from him and looked at him intently. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that there's no way he's not doing this to everyone else, or hasn't tried, and not saying shit isn't being loyal to the reaper."
"Oh," she nodded. "Where does loyalty to your president end and loyalty to the club as a whole begin?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I want him gone but I can't do what he did."
"So you do the right thing for the club," she interrupted. "SAMCRO is more than one member, it's more than Jax."
"I'm an idiot," he laughed. "I'm good at what I do and that's it, I need your help to figure out what shit he's pulling, Katie."
She hesitated. "I don't think I can do that, Hap."
"He's not gonna hurt you. I won't let that happen again"
"Baby," she shook her head. "I don't think I can help you with this. After everything I just want to be your wife, I don't want to be an old lady, I won't want to be involved with the club, at all, for anything. I...I can't."
His face fell but he understood, a part of him even expected it, and he wouldn't force her. "Okay."
"I'm sorry," she whimpered.
"I gotta go meet Bobby at Nero's," he sighed. "We gotta check on some shit."
"Have a good day, be careful, I love you," she said just like she did every other time he left the house.
Standing, Happy kissed her goodbye and replied to everything she had said with one word that meant everything to her.
"Always."
—
"What the fuck do you live here now?" Happy asked with a raspy laugh as he strolled into Diosa Norte to see Bobby half reclined on the sofa.
He laughed and sat up. "Why not?"
"Fat old man," Happy joked as he sat in an armchair across from Bobby.
"How you doing?" Bobby asked him, suddenly turning serious.
Happy shrugged. "I'm good."
"And Katie?"
"She's good."
"Kids good?"
Happy nodded. "They're good."
"Something tells me it's not all good," Bobby said sagely.
"I'm not," Happy admitted quickly. "Kids are great," he smiled briefly. "Me and Kate are good but," he shook his head. "I'm struggling."
"Cause he's home?"
Happy nodded. "I can't get right with it. I tried."
"I saw how hard you tried," Bobby said mournfully. "You do anymore trying and someone is gonna die."
"Not just someone," he said with a knowing look.
"What are you going to do about it?"
"What I shoulda done the first time," he said sadly seconds before Tara stormed into the house.
Happy closed his eyes, ashamed of himself despite knowing how necessary it was, as the battle began up stairs. Almost everyone knew Jax had been sleeping with Colette, it was how he dealt with Tara pulling away and emotional turmoil of his missing daughter, but now the one person who didn't know had found out.
"Jesus Christ," Bobby grumbled hearing the shouting. "You gonna stop that or does the fat old man have to?"
Happy shook his head but got up and took the steps two at a time. Jax was naked, trying to pull Tara off Colette, when he and Bobby got to the room.
"Son of a bitch!" Tara shouted at Jax as she pushes him away from her. "I gave you everything," she hissed. "Everything!"
"Tara," Jax said in a calm tone hoping to defuse his furious wife. "I'm sorry."
"You're a liar and cheat," she spat, "And a goddamn whore."
Bobby and Happy jumped back as she ran from the room, the former staying with Jax while the latter followed the scorned woman out to the street.
"Did you know?" Tara asked Happy accusingly.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I didn't know he'd banging her now though," he lied. "Katie doesn't know though, so don't get pissed at her."
"You shoulda just killed him!" Tara was angry and the words were only said out of that anger but Happy saw his in and he took it.
"He's been doing shady shit for years," Happy said to her. "To you, to me and Katie, probably to the club."
She looked at him. "What do you mean by that?"
"What's he mixed up in now, Tara?"
"I don't know," she lied.
"Katie said Angel told her he coulda came back a week earlier. Why was he down there so long?"
She looked around the street and shook her head. "I'll meet you back at your place, make sure Katie's there, just...give me some time, please?"
Happy nodded and gave her an awkward hug. "I'm sorry. I know this is shitty timing."
"Something tells me it's not though," she looked at him. "I'll be by in a few hours," she said, starting to cry. "Then we'll talk."
