Force To Be Reckoned With [Happy Lowman x OC] | #Wattys2019

Bonus Chapter

Year of 1996, Oakland

"Mom, come on. I don't wanna go to work with you. Can't I just ride around?" he asks.

"No, Happy, your bike is on the brink of falling apart, and this job is helping me make money to try and buy you a new one, so quit whining and come on." Maria says. 

She drags Happy down the street with her to wait for the bus. Happy dribbles a basketball next to him.

Times were tough for Maria and her 10 year old son, Happy. Maria worked as a housekeeper for the most famous criminal in Oakland, a job she got because she was close with him and his family.

The bus arrived and both Maria and Happy paid their fare and sat down. After a boring, hour long ride, Maria and Happy got off at the nearest bus stop and started the 10 minute walk to the home of Elijah Reid.

"Happy, I want you to listen carefully. I work for one of the most dangerous men in this city, however, he has been very kind to us, giving me this job, paying me more than a regular housekeeper gets paid. If I catch you dribbling your damn basketball in his house, you will regret it. This cannot be ruined." she warns him. 

"Whatever." Happy mumbles. Maria rolls her eyes as she turns the corner and walks a little further before reaching a gate.

"Mornin', Maria." the guard in the little box says. "Good morning, Tony. I have my son with me today." she says.

Tony nods, "Cool, maybe he can hang out with Nina." he says. Maria nods, "Hope so." Tony opens the gate and Maria walks in with Happy in tow. 

Happy looks up and sees this big almost mansion-like structure, "Holy shit. Ma, you actually work here?" he asks in awe. She nods, "Yes, I do."

"Who's Nina?" Happy asks. Maria looks at him, "My boss' daughter. You don't have to hang out with her, she's only six years old. She has been really ill this past week, so I'm not sure if you can, if you wanted to." she says. 

Happy nods, "Right." They approach the front door and Maria knocks. The door soon opens and she is greeted by Elijah Reid.

"Good morning, sir." she says. "Now, Maria, you know you don't have to knock, just walk right in." he says. 

Maria chuckles and steps in, "Now who's this?" Elijah asks. "Oh, this is my son, Happy. I hope you don't mind him accompanying me to work today." she says.

Elijah shakes his head, "Unique name, I like it. But, it's fine. Maybe he can entertain Nina, she has been bored out of her mind." he says as he walks to the kitchen.

"Is she feeling better?" she asks. "See for yourself." he replies as they all walk into the kitchen and see a woman at the counter and a wavy haired little girl sitting by the counter on a tall stool, watching her mother eagerly as she prepares her breakfast.

"Nina, sit down at the table like a lady, please." Elijah says sternly. Nina looks over and huffs, "Daddy, come on." she says as she jumps down and sits at the table.

"Your mother and I do our best to make sure you learn how to be a lady, especially with a guest in the house." he says as he kisses the top of her head.

Nina looks over at Happy, wearing his baseball cap backwards, staring in confusion at him, "Who's he, some hood rat to do your bidding, Daddy?" 

Her mother, Cecilia, gasps, "Nina! Watch your mouth, young lady or he will be your only friend." 

Nina rolls her eyes, Maria laughs at her sassiness at such a young age. "Go play at the basketball hoop outside, honey." she tells Happy. 

He nods and goes outside as Cecilia gives Nina her breakfast of two pieces of toast and some fruit.

After she finishes, Nina slips outside and sees Happy dribbling the ball and talking like a sports announcer as he goes for a shot.

When he misses, Nina laughs loudly at him and he stops, he drops the ball and walks over to her, "What are you laughing at, little girl?" 

"Your sucky attempt at a slam dunk, little man." she says as she sticks her tongue out at him. "Yeah well, girls can't slam dunk, can't do much of anything." he says as he turns around to go back to his ball.

Nina steps and pushes him with all her might, so hard he almost falls over. He turns around and sees her with her hands on her hips, "I may be six, and a girl, but that doesn't mean for one second that I can't beat you up like a boy could. Get that through your thick skull, hood rat!" she says sassily before walking back into her house.

••

Present Day, one year after Vivienne's death.

Happy strolls up to Vivica's house, the well known supplier of, well, anything to the citizens of Oakland. 

"Happy! What a pleasant surprise!" she says as she hugs him. Happy smiles, "Hey, Vivica." 

They sit down on her porch and they talk for a while, catching up. Vivica was a part of Happy's life growing up so she is family to him.

"You remember Vivienne?" he asks. Vivica laughs, "She's unforgettable. I have known her since she was a little girl." she replies.

"Really? What was she like?" Happy asks. Vivica smiles to herself, "Very sassy. She always let people know if she disagreed with them. Her father was a big deal here. Such a shame that she lost him at only 7 years old." she says.

"Yeah, she still did that. I can remember very vividly how she would tell off my brothers in SAMCRO." he laughs, thinking about her sass.

"I remember when she told me all about you. God, she had so much to say." Vivica says. 

"She talked to you about me? When?" Happy asks. "Long long ago, when she was 6. She had come over here and went off about this boy, Happy, who sucked at slam dunks and called her little." she says, laughing.

"Six years old? I don't remember meeting her, or anyone named Vivienne before I actually met her last year." Happy says.

"Must have been all that pot you smoked between then and now. She wasn't called Vivienne then. She was called Nina." she replies.

"Nina?" Happy asks in confusion, trying to remember if he met a Nina. Vivica nods, "Yes, but when she turned 18 she changed her name to Vivienne, basically switching the names around, Vivienne used to be her middle name." she says.

"She never told me that we had met before." Happy says. Vivica shakes her head, "Part of the Nina era. That era consisted of her parents dying and her grief controlling her. She wanted to forget it, and she did, most of it at least." she says.

Happy stared off into space, before coming back to Earth and standing up. "Wow, well, thanks for the talk, Viv. Very insightful." he says.

Vivica nods, "Of course." she says as she stands up. Happy hugs her tight and says bye before getting on his bike and riding to the cemetery.

Happy pulls up to the cemetery and walks to find Vivienne's headstone. He stops in front of it, looking to the side and seeing her mother and father beside her. He looks at the headstones and reads their inscriptions: 

Elijah Daniel Reid
1950 - 1997
Loving father to his daughter, Nina.

Cecilia Grace Maven-Reid
1954 - 1997
Loving mother to her daughter, Nina.

He looks over at Vivienne's headstone. He sighs as he kneels down and looks at the little picture in it. He looks at her name, Vivienne Nina Reid. He traces 'Nina' and smiles, as he finally remembers that sassy little girl who eventually turned into one of the strongest women he has ever known.