Arriving at the meeting spot before Angel, Katie took Charlotte into the rest stop while Happy smoked a cigarette in the parking lot. He caught Angel turning off the highway, his mood instantly darkening, and watched closely as he parked a few spots away.
Angel took his time, balancing his helmet and sliding off his gloves, knowing that Happy was there waiting and watching. Finally he made his way over.
"Hey," he said nonchalantly.
"Hey, the girls are inside," Happy remarked.
"She brought Charlotte?" Angel asked, showing a bit of emotion. "Kid is funny as fuck."
"She wanted to go for the ride," Happy said.
"Jax is already down there," Angel told Happy.
"He didn't say shit," Happy told Angel. "We wouldn't have let him go down there on his own."
"Nah, I didn't think you would," Angel suddenly smiled. "There they are," he said as he waved in their direction.
Charlotte bolted across the parking lot toward Angel, a few angry drivers blaring their horns at the precariously speedy child.
"Angel!" She said joyfully as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Princesa," he said, lifting her up and giving her a squeeze.
"I missed you!"
He smiled sadly and nodded. "Missed you too."
"Angel," Katie said with a crooked smirk after watching the heartwarming reunion. "How are you?"
"Mi dulce," he practically sang. "How are you?"
"I'm good," she made the first move for a hug knowing he was trying not to step over the line. "It's so good to see you," she whispered as they held each other.
"Come on, kiddo," Happy said loudly. "We gotta get back."
"I want to go with Mom and Angel," Charlotte announced.
Happy huffed. "I'm not doing this, Charlie. Shit's gonna be dangerous. It's better if you just come home."
"Sweetheart," Katie said softly. "Happy's right. You should go home."
"I want to stay with you," she whimpered, "And Angel."
"Char-" before Katie could even say the child's name she took off. "Shit, Charlotte," Katie hollered as she broke out into a run after her daughter.
Angel and Happy looked at each other and sighed, sharing one brief moment of camaraderie, before joining the chase.
If they thought taking Charlotte to Santo Padre was dangerous, chasing after her in a busy rest stop parking lot on the highway was worse.
"Charlotte," Happy bellowed, his voice booming, causing the girl to stop.
She gave up the chase, seeing the rage on all their faces, just as a car swung around the turn and clipped her. The driver saw, and felt, the impact but squealed out of the lot rather than stop to check on the injured child.
Katie sprinted toward her, already crying, as Happy took off after the driver and Angel called 911.
"I'm here," Katie tried to remain calm for Charlotte's sake. "It's okay, don't move," she told her. "What hurts?"
"My side," Charlie grimaced.
It didn't matter that it could have been worse, that she could have been hit head on or killed instantly. In that moment Katie had never been more scared as a mother, at least not that she could remember through it all.
"Stay still," Angel said, hanging up with the emergency operator and kneeling beside Charlotte. He took her left hand, Katie was already told her right, and smiled sweetly at her. He was trying to joke, to keep any of them from panicking, but they were all coming apart. "You're just like your damn mother, stubborn as hell."
Charlotte tried to smile but could only manage a slight grimace. "I'm sorry."
"Hey," Katie was serious but gentle. "You don't have to apologize. This is not your fault."
The ambulance took longer than normal as they were out so far but finally the sirens could be heard in the distance.
"Will you come with us?" Katie asked Angel as paramedics loaded Charlie onto the stretcher.
"Of course," he said, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles. "I would do anything for you two...Obviously."
Katie smiled sadly and nodded before quickly texting Happy with an update. She knew he'd most likely kill the driver and she was fine with it. There was no use crying over spilled blood anymore, not most of it at least. It had become her way of life but she'd never been more comfortable with it until just then.
