A FEW WEEKS LATER, Nola strolled into the clubhouse, a cake container tucked under her arm as she pushed her sunglasses onto her head, pushing her blonde waves back before glancing around.

A smile crept onto her lips as her father approached, followed by Tig who immediately grabbed the box. "Ah Doll, you're almost getting better at this than your old man. These for us?"

"Hey, don't say that in front of him", Nola scolded with a hint of a grin as her father pulled her into his arms, giving her one of his famous bear-hugs. "And yep, these are for you, hope you like 'em."

"They'll taste good, I'm sure", a chuckle rumbled through Bobby's chest before he let go of Nola and studied her with a frown. "What brings you here so early?"

"It's kinda boring without Happy home", she sighed with a shrug, running her palm over her baby bump. "Besides, I couldn't sleep anymore and thought I'd bring you something tasty. You got some time for me?"

"We always got time for you", Bobby assured her quickly, patting her back.

"So, you and Hap, is this really something serious?" Tig asked, already half a muffin in his mouth. "Man, doll, you really are special if you made our killer fall in love with you."

Bobby crinkled his eyebrows, snorting. "Of course she's special, you're talking about my kid here."

"I don't think he meant it as an insult, Dad", Nola chuckled, exhaling loudly while leaning against the bar. "Man, I'm so ready for the little princess in here to get out", she murmured, her back slowly killing her. "But to answer your question", she looked at the man with the black curls, smiling. "I'm pretty sure it is serious. I mean, he told me I was hisᅳ that's pretty direct, isn't it?"

"Sure, he told us that too", Tig snickered as he brushed crumbs off the dark button shirt under his Kutte. "Just wanted to make sure, it's just still weird how soft he is for you and that little girl."

A warm laugh vibrated in Bobby's chest as he nodded. "I still can't believe it either, but I like it. My daughter and a bikerᅳ what did your mom say about that, sweetheart?"

"She wasn't super happy", the blonde said, shrugging her shoulders with a grin. "But isn't it part of a child's job to rebel a little?"

"You're what old? Twenty-five? The rebellion phase should be over by now", Tig teased, pouting as Nola playfully smacked his hand as he went to grab another muffin. "Hey, what's up with that?"

"If you keep teasing me, you won't get any of my muffins", she chirped before grabbing one for herself. "Besides, when are you ever too old to rebel?"

"Like you ever couldᅳ you're too kind for that", Bobby stated matter-of-factly before his features became a little more serious again. "But jokes aside, does it cause problems with her?"

Nola shook her head, pushing her elbows back a little so she could rest them on the bar. "No. She wasn't happy, but after hearing what Alden did to me, she just wants me to be happy."

"And you are, we can all see that", Gemma said, suddenly appearing behind the bar directly behind Nola, an amused smile on her lips as the blonde flinched slightly. "Sorry baby. You wanna help me cook? Then you can distract yourself a little before you keep whining about missing our Killer so much."

"Haha, funny", Nola rolled her eyes, stifling a laugh as she pushed herself away from the bar. "But sure, can't hurt. What's for lunch?"

"My famous chilli", the matriarch hummed, smiling as Bobby and Tig were visibly pleased with the meal for today. "But less today, after all we're not complete. You're staying for dinner, right?"

"Sure, I have nothing better to do anyway", the blonde retorted with a shrug before she blew the two men a kiss and following Gemma into the kitchen.

A lot had happened since things with Happy had gotten more serious a few weeks ago. Finding an apartment was no longer necessary, Happy insisted that she would stay with him. If Nola was honest, she had been happy about that, the Munson woman clearly enjoying the 'Tacoma Killers' company. And she would love to spend every minute with him anyway.

After she had moved out of the guest room about two weeks ago and was now sharing Happy's bedroom with him, he had started the nursery project. They had planned everything together, with Happy taking care of the painting together with Bobby and Tig, so that she wouldn't breathe in the paint for too long, while she, Gemma and Ginny had taken care of making sure that there was enough clothes, diapers and everything else.

So she literally had nothing left to do except wait and pass the time until Happy, who was in Nevada with the guys to visit Jury, would come back. Only Bobby and Tig had stayed here to watch over the clubhouse and Nola, after all the planned due date was only two weeks away.

ᅳ

GEMMA GLANCED AT NOLA from the corner of her eye as the two women were chopping vegetables in the kitchen "How are you feeling? Nervous or excited to be a mom?"

"Both I guess?", the blonde answered with some uncertainty in her soft voice, her lips curling into a soft smile. "But the anticipation is hard to beat. I can't wait to finally hold my baby girl in my arms."

"Mhm..I remember that moment", Gemma began with a wistful smile, looking over at the blonde. "When I was pregnant the first time, I was so impatient and could hardly wait to finally see my baby boy for the first time."

Nola put down the knife, the onions already neatly chopped, and studied the matriarch's controlled but soft features. "I bet that's an unbeatable feeling, isn't it?"

"Oh, it isᅳ a feeling I'll never forget. You can't believe how proud I was", she gushed, visibly moved now by the old memories. "Sometimes I wish I could go back in time, to have my little boy back, to see him look at me with admiration one more time instead of..instead of that hard, cold look he's giving me today."

Nola sighed softly, placing a hand on Gemma's arm to offer her some comfort as the woman's smile slowly faded. "He still loves you, Gem. I think he's just conflicted, you know? You and Tara, you fight all the time, but she's his wife after all."

"Yeah, and why are we fighting?" Gemma huffed a snort, throwing the knife in her hand onto the counter before placing her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Tara hates this life, meᅳ she hardly ever wants to bring the kids over anymore. Should I just accept that?"

"No, of course not", the blonde answered simply, humming softly. "But what are you going to do? We know what Tara is like. The more you corner her, the more stubborn she becomes and Jax..I have no idea what he sees in the woman."

"She was his first love, that's what he sees in her. She's not just a pussy, sweetheart." Desperation etched into her features, Gemma brushed a strand of her bangs from her forehead, smiling at Nola. "But that's not an issue for today, I didn't wanna spoil your joy, sorry."

"No, it's okay. Everyone needs to let off steam sometimes", Nola assured before she hugged Gemma, giving the woman a squeeze. "Maybe things will change again, you don't know."

"I really hope so", Gemma sighed against the younger woman's shoulder, grateful for the brief moment of comfort. "You're a good one, baby, Happy is one lucky bastard."

The women slowly separated, Gemma a little less frustrated again knowing that she at least had Nola, the young woman like the daughter she never had. Sometimes she wished that she was her daughter-in-law instead of Tara, or at least a woman similar to Nola, who could accept club life.

"Well, I'm pretty lucky too", Nola smiled as she turned her attention back to the chopped vegetables that she added to the minced meat in the pot. "After Alden, I really had no hope. As a pregnant woman and then a mother, I was really afraid of not finding a decent man who would accept my daughter and meᅳ but Happy doesn't seem to have a problem with that."

"Because he loves you, Nola, otherwise he wouldn't have let you stay so close in the first place", Gemma declared, her tone sincere and serious just like the look in her eyes. "That man has never had a croweater in his bed for longer than an hour, no cuddling or talking afterwards. But youᅳ he even let you live right with him."

"Because he wanted to help me", Nola argued with a shrug, yet her heart was fluttering. "He really had no intention of falling in love with me, he wanted to help me. But somehow.."

"Somehow it happened and faster than you expected", Gemma winked, smiling as Nola's cheeks turned a soft shade of red. "You deserve a man who doesn't abuse you just because he can't control himself and has a god complex."

Nola knew Gemma was right, even though she had believed for years that she deserved Alden's anger. But that was over, her confidence growing with each passing day here in Charming. Wistfully, she circled her hand around her large bump, biting her lip.

"What if he does realize he can't raise another man's child?", she asked, her eyes full of concern and dread. "I mean, he said he could, but what if he sees her and...just sees Alden in her? Hell, even I'm scared to see Alden in her."

"Baby, listen to me." Gemma placed two firm hands on Nola's shoulders, looking at her intently. "You're going to love that baby whether she looks like Alden. Stop catastrophizing, it's only making you nervous. Let me tell you something", Gemma paused to gently push Nola toward the two bar stools in the kitchen.

After pushing the blonde onto one of the bar stools, Gemma sat down on the other and patted Nola's leg. "Happy is a man you either see once in your life or you can't get rid of. Once he cares about you, he'll stick around. And he does care about youᅳ and your baby."

"So you don't think he'll leave me at some point because the little one isn't his?" Nola asked sheepishly. Sometimes her insecurities still coming through, the submissive thinking that she had to please everyone around her. "I justᅳ I just want a my own little, happy family",  she added with a shaky breath.

"No, he won't, I'm sure of that. He told you that he would be there for her, that he would raise her together with you. And you know why?" A smile flashed across Gemma's face as she brushed a blonde strand of hair out of Nola's face as the Munson woman shook her head slightly. "Because he's been there from the beginningᅳ he's watched the little girl grow inside you, been there for countless appointments. He already sees her as his daughter, even if he doesn't say or admit it; or maybe he really just doesn't realize it himself yet. But I can assure you that he already loves that kid almost as much as you do."

Squeezing Nola's shoulder, Gemma slowly stood up again, her sincere gaze resting on the blonde for a while longer. "You worry way too much, but I understand. We women just can't stop overthinking, can we?"

"No, apparently not", Nola agreed, a small laugh falling from her now trembling lips. She quickly wiped two tears from the corners of her eyes, still stunned by Gemma's words. "Hey, would it be okay if I leave you alone for a moment so I can call him? I just wanna hear his voice."

Gemma shook her head, a mischievous smile gracing her lips. "Go talk to your Old Man. Tell him to get his ass back here as fast as he can and back to his family before you push that baby out."

Nola let out a chuckle, nodding her head eagerly. "I'll tell him."

As she scurried past Gemma, she pressed a quick kiss to the matriarch's cheek and left the kitchen, pulling out her phone on the way to Happy's room, his number already dialed as she plopped down on his bed, smiling from ear to ear.

ᅳ

AS IF GEMMA HAD PREDICTED it with her last words, Nola winced violently as a sharp pain shot through her abdomen all the way to her tailbone and up her spine, making her cry out and sit bolt upright in bed within seconds. The phone now clamped between her ear and shoulder as she pushed one hand into the mattress to hold herself up and the other holding her bump. 

"Hey, what's going on, little girl?" Happy asked, immediately alarmed when he heard his Old Lady's painful groans on the other end of the line. "Nola?!", he added in a bark, actual fear rushing through him when she didn't answer right away.

"I thinkᅳ I think the baby's..coming", the blonde gasped her answer, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to breathe away the pain. "Shit! I'm not even wearing pants, I don't wanna call for help", she whined, trying to reach for her leggings as she heard Happy zipping up his pants.

Who knew she would go into labor right then and there while the two of them were having phone sex for the first time?

"Okay, listen; try to get dressed, if you can't call for Gemma. I'll be there in a few hours." Happy immediately hung up to find Jax as he stormed out of the room he had spent the last few days in, his pulse racing as he began to panic.

They had planned for him to be there when Nola gives birth, she had asked him to simply because she wanted him to be there. And now he was stuck here in Nevada instead of being in Charming with his Old Lady while she was in pain and probably scared and just needed someone by her side.

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