NOLA COULDN'T HELP but arch an eyebrow in surprise as Happy led her through the small house. Everything was clean and tidy, unusual for most single man's householdsᅳ at least when it came to the men she knew.

Well, she only really knew Alden. And the last four years at his side had made her believe that a woman was in charge of the household and only the woman. He hadn't lifted a finger onceᅳ but was she really surprised?

No. Alden was a dick and arrogant, maybe even had some kind of God complex.

"Uh, is your wife okay with me staying here?", she asked, the question on the tip of her tongue for a while. He had to have a wife. "Because I don't want to cause any problems."

"Got no wife", Happy grunted, turning around as he stopped in front of the guest room. "You can have this room. It's not much, but it should be enough for now."

"No? Wow", she murmured, astonished, the gash on her forehead aching as she frowned. The young woman grimaced briefly before stepping into the room to take a look around. "I like it, it has everything you need."

With a soft hum, she let her fingertips dance over the dark wooden surface of the dresser before picking up the picture, lifting the corner of her mouth. In fact, the only picture she'd seen so far. "Is that your mom?"

"Yeah", he answered curtly, dropping the duffel bag next to the bed with a quiet thud. "Why are you so surprised that I don't have a wife?"

He looked at her with genuine interest, crossing his arms as he leaned against the dresser and studied the woman next to him, his stoic features softening slightly when he saw an wistful expression form in her eyes.

"She's beautiful, looks nice", she smiled, carefully putting the picture back in its place before shrugging her shoulders as she looked at him sheepishly. "Your house is so tidy, I just didn't expect it from a man who lives alone. Alden never lifted a damn finger."

"Well, I'm not Alden. Instead of beating the shit out of women, I use my hands for useful shit", he explained calmly, yet anger bubbled up again in the pit of his stomach. "Why did you stay?"

"Maybe he should've done that, too",  the blonde sighed before heaving a dry laugh, leaning against the dresser next to Happy, her gaze fixed on the floor. "Not sure what answer to give you. Stupidity? Naivety and dependence? A mixture of everything, probably."

Her delicate fingers flowed through her blonde strands, a deep sigh leaving her throat as she met Happy's eyes, studying his features. "But at some point I was just afraid to leave, afraid that he would find me and do something worse."

Her blue eyes held so much emotion that Happy found it impossible to look away. They were like a deep ocean, and not just because they were as blue as the sky, that he would never finish exploring.

"Why did you never report him?", he asked, his features falling into a frown. "I bet yesterday wasn't the first time and not the worst thing he did to you."

"Reporting him would've been the logical solutionᅳ but most people in abusive relationships don't think logically and are guided by their fear", she explained calmly, studying his features and how they changed while he listened. "Besides, the cops wouldn't have done shit. I was in the hospital so often..I had enough proof even though I never told any doctor or nurse the truthᅳ but Cops usually only act when you're already dead."

"You were in the hospital more than once because of that bastard?" Happy asked with a bitter snort.

He shouldn't be surprised, after all he had seen how Alden had treated the woman. Still, it irritated him to the core that a man, someone who was physically stronger as a woman in most cases, would do something like that.

"Yeah, a few times. But it's my own fault." Nola shrugged her shoulders, a sad smile crossing her features. "I should've left his abusive ass after the first time he laid his hands on meᅳ but I stayed."

"I'll probably never understand that..but there are certainly reasons why people still stay after that shit", Happy grumbled with a slight shake of his head, rolling the toothpick between his lips from side to side. "My Ma was the sameᅳ only left the bastard when he almost killed her."

Nola's lips parted, her heart sinking as she noticed the mix of anger and trauma in Happy's chocolate brown eyesᅳ those brown eyes that spoke so much more than he did himself. Even though she had only spent a good fifteen hours with him, she had already noticed that he wasn't a man of many words.

"I'm sorry", she said sincerely, folding her arms as she shook her head with a sigh. "I don't even know why we are so naive and put up with this shit for years, some even for decades or even until they take their last breath. I'm glad she made it out. Was it your dad?", Nola asked carefully.

Happy shook his head, locking eyes with her again. "It's not naivety. Like you said, probably fear and dependence. This shit was even worse back in the day when women weren't allowed to decide shit for themselves."

Happy got lost in his thoughts for a moment, thinking about how much he should tell her. He didn't usually open up to others about his past, and he didn't plan to change that now eitherᅳ so his answer was short.

"Yeah, it was my Old Man", he grunted, leaving out the part where he told her that he killed his own father back then, when he was just over seventeen years old, so he couldn't manipulate his mother to take him back. "But he's dead now and my Ma never let a guy like him into her house again."

At some point he had just snapped. Watching your own mother getting beaten and humiliated almost every single dayᅳ it did something to a child. So he took care of it a little over two decades ago and made sure that no one would ever find the fucker. That's how it slowly started and led to his current position as SAA.

"Oh..sorry, I guess?", Nola said softly, not sure how Happy must've felt after finding out his father had died. "I'm glad your mom made better choices after that. I should also do that in the future."

"You should", Happy grunted in agreement, his gaze flickering down as she placed her hand on her stomach, rubbing it. "Someone in my club has a wife who's a doctor. You should let her check on youᅳ she'll be able to tell you if you should go to the hospital or not."

"I can't", Nola pressed with a sigh, panic flashing in her eyes as her head shot up, staring at Happy. "As soon as my name is in their system, Alden will find out about where I am through our insurance."

That was the next thing she had to take care ofᅳ applying for her own insurance, as well as a new phone card, which Happy had destroyed yesterday so Alden couldn't track her down, and her own bank account. And until then, she couldn't go to a hospital or pay with her card.

"Okay, fine." Happy grunted, pushing himself away from the dresser. Once he stood in front of her, Happy looked down at her intently. "Let me at least call him, send his wife over."

"Can she keep her mouth shut?", Nola asked with a sigh as she lifted her gaze, her fingers closing around the fabric of her dress, causing it to wrinkle. "I don't want him to find out about the baby while we're still marriedᅳ that would automatically give him the right to see him or her whenever he wants."

"She'll keep her mouth shut", Happy assured her, his gaze as serious as ever. "I told you that you're safe here, and your kid too. So can I call her?"

Nola pressed her lips together, hesitating for a moment, before she nodded. "Okay, you can call her. Maybe it can't hurt to get a quick check up."

What Nola didn't admit was in how much pain she actually was. Her ribs felt bruised, her headache got worse by the minute and she felt nauseous. If she wouldn't be pregnant she'd just take the risk and sit it out but her baby's health was definitely a reason to get checked.

"I'll be right back", Happy nodded, his cell already pulled out of his pocket and in his hand as he left the room to call Jax, giving Nola the chance to take a deep breath.

"What a mess", the blonde muttered under her breath, flopping down on the queen sized bed, her hand still resting on her stomach. She looked down guiltily, swallowing softly. "I'm sorry I got you involved in this, baby."

Now that she was alone for a moment, with the weight of the last few hours pressing down on her, she burst into tears, not really knowing how to keep going or what to do next.

ᅳ

WHILE TARA WAS in the guest room with Nola where the women had some privacy and Tara could do her work, Happy and Jax sat in the kitchen nursing a beer.

"And the guy just let her go?", Jax asked skeptically, not quite sure if he liked the idea of having a woman they knew nothing about here. "We have no idea if we can trust her, bro."

"Knocked him out, he couldn't do shit about her leaving with me. But he's probably already looking for her by now." While he understood Jax' skepticism, Happy was much more confident about the woman. "She doesn't know anything that could get us in trouble. So why worry?"

"You're right", Jax admitted, his head tilted slightly to the side as he looked at his brother, his cigarette burning down between his fingers. "Why didn't you just take her to the cops?"

"And then?" Happy shook his head, snorting. "They would've sent her back home. Maybe they would've made sure the fucker stayed away for a few hours, but that would've been it."

"Probably also right about that", the blonde sighed as he took a long drag of his cigarette, slowly blowing out the smoke. "Fuck man, I'll never understand how a guy can go that far."

He hadn't even seen the full extent of Nola's injuries. Maybe he had drifted pretty far off the rails by now and had blood on his own hands, but beating a woman so badly that she could barely walk? And his own at that? That was something Jax just couldn't understand.

"Should've just killed him", the SAA shrugged nonchalantly. "But I didn't wanna traumatize her even more."

"And it could've got you in serious trouble", Jax pressed, glad that Happy hadn't killed that guy. "She has to go to the cops and make sure the guy goes to jail."

"How many men end up in jail for domestic violence?" Happy asked scornfully, remembering how many times his mother had tried to get help from themᅳ to no avail. "Hardly anyᅳ because these guys know exactly what to say to get out of it."

"They do know how to manipulate people, that's true", Jax seethed, still remembering Tara's ex all to well. So many people had believed the guy at first. "She should still try. Want me to ask Juice if he can find out any information about her?"

"Maybe I'll talk to her again." Happy's brows furrowed, shaking his head. "No, she's safe, bro. Just needs some time to get back on her feet. She won't find out shit about club business."

Jax sighed, but finally nodded. He trusted Happy's instincts. "Fine, man. But really, keep club business away from her. You need any other help?"

"That was my plan." Finishing his beer, Happy placed the empty bottle on the table. "No. Is it okay if I stay here with her tonight and tomorrow?"

"Sure, nothing planned right now anyway." Jax stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, letting the last cloud of smoke slide past his lips. "Maybe it'll do her good to have some companyᅳ  normal company."

"Not sure if I'm normal company", Happy grinned, earning one from Jax in return before they fell into conversation, talking in lowered voices about some club related stuff while they waited for the women.

Happy wasn't planning on playing babysitter, he couldn't care less about what Nola planned for her futureᅳ but somehow he just wanted to make sure she was okay before she moved on.

ᅳ

WHILE TARA PUT ALL her things back into her bag, Nola slipped back into her clothes, this time a white top and pale pink sweatpants, simply because it would be more comfortable to sleep in these clothes later.

A soft yawn fell from her lips as she placed a hand over her mouth and rolled her head from side to side, her neck still sore from Alden's rough grip.

"You thought about getting an abortion?", Tara asked softly, finally breaking the silence between them, her question coming completely unexpectedly. "I mean, with the baby, you're always tied to him."

"What?" Nola slowly shook her head, staring at the doctor like she had three heads. "Why would I kill my baby because of that bastard? He's taken enough from meᅳ I love this child already, so why get rid of it?"

Nola pulled her hand out from under Tara's after the doctor tried to offer her some comfort. Was she scared to become a single mother? Sure. Or that Alden would find them? Also yes. But this was her baby and Nola had always wanted a bunch of kids.

"Look, I just know what a shitty situation you're in", Tara began calmly, but with a certain authority in her tone. "I was in the exact same situation, pregnant and tied to a guy who had way too much control over meᅳ and we weren't even married. If I had kept the child, I might not be here today."

"That's your opinion, and that's okay",  Nola replied, a little harsher than she intended, meeting Tara's brown eyes with her piercing blue ones. "I don't judge anyone who chooses that path, but I want to keep my baby."

Tara sighed, shaking her head at the young woman's stubbornness. "You're not only putting yourself in a shitty situation, but the child tooᅳ maybe think about that."

"Are you trying to guilt trip me?" Nola asked, briefly taken back by the doctor's intrusive tone. "What's wrong with raising my baby alone? So many other mothers or fathers have done it."

"Right, and I'm not saying it's wrong", Tara trailed, a tight-lipped smile on her lips as she got back on her feet. "I'm just saying it would be a better solution for everyone. You can start over without being tied down to anyone, and your child won't grow up with an abusive father."

Tears prickled in Nola's eyes, simply because she felt helpless again and was already doubting herself. Alden had done just that to her over and over again, trying to convince her to do things she didn't want to do, manipulating herᅳ only unlike Tara, he got aggressive when she tried to voice her own opinion.

"Iᅳ I can do it alone, the baby will..the baby will be just fine with me", she stuttered, falling back into her usual submissive behavior by trying to justify herself.

"Yeah, maybe." Tara sighed again, clutching her bag as she placed her free hand on Nola's shoulder, squeezing it with a certain firmness. "Think about it, Nola. And if you change your mind, let me know and I'll get you an appointment in a clinic where they offer anonymous abortions."

"Thanks for the offer, but no." Nola pulled her shoulder away, avoiding Tara's gaze. "Thanks for checking on me. Anything I need to be careful with?"

"Fine, that's your decision", Tara said curtly, not really understanding Nola's decision. In her eyes it was simply selfish to have a child while being stuck in such a messy situation. "Luckily your ribs aren't broken. Everything else seems fine, but there's a chance you have a concussion. So just stay in bed as much as possible for the next two or three days. If you throw up, you'll have to go to the hospital."

"Not possible..I can't." Nola carefully shifted on the bed to adjust her pillow a little before reaching for the water bottle on the nightstand that Happy had brought her earlier. "What about the pills? Are they safe to take during pregnancy?"

As a former nurse, Nola knew a lot about medication, she had to, but she had never seen or heard from the pills on the nightstandᅳ which is why she definitely needed a doctor's advice. Above all, she was too tired and exhausted from all the events, her mind just clouded with tiredness.

Tara narrowed her eyes a little, her gaze landing on the box of painkillers she had given Nola before the woman had told her that she was pregnant. Oxy was definitely not a weak drug, but perfect for short-term treatment of strong, acute pain; which Nola had.

Although it wasn't pure Oxy, the ingredient was still present in the pills Tara had brought with her.

What she did next felt wrong, but in her own twisted mind, Tara found that she was only helping Nola and so her guilty conscience slowly subsided again.

"Yes, yes, they are safeᅳ but don't take more than two pills a day", Tara finally explained, smiling weakly. "Look, I'm sorry, I have no right to tell you what to do. If you ever want to talk, I wrote down my number for you", she pointed to a small piece of paper next to the pills.

Still a little skeptical, Nola looked at the brunette, her skill of reading people no longer what they used to be. Secretly, she longed too much for a friend, someone she could talk to, have coffee dates and laugh withᅳ everything she couldn't have while she was with Alden.

"It's okay, I just want people to finally accept my decisions", Nola smiled slightly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before she squeezed the first pill out of the pack and swallowed it with a big gulp of water. "I..don't have any money or anything to pay youᅳ"

Tara waved her hand before Nola could finish her sentence. "We don't take money from each other. It's fine, really. Get some rest, okay?"

Nola nodded softly, already feeling a little better as the tension between the two women eased a little. "Just tell me how I can return the favor."

"First get back on your feet." Tara glanced at her watch. "Okay, my next shift starts soon. Like I said, call me or tell Happy to call me if you feel worse."

"Thanks again." Nola flashed the brunette one last smile, her eyelids so heavy that they almost closed on their own.

As soon as Tara left the room to quickly update Happy and Jax about Nola's condition, the former Munson woman slipped under the warm blanket and drifted into the probably best sleep she'd had in months, her body finally able to recharge.

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