With Madison pacing nervously and Izzy biting her nails impatiently, the two women waited in Jesse's living room to finally hear from him or Happy. Even Rico, who was currently sitting on a blanket on the floor and playing, had already noticed that something was wrong and was more restless than usual.

“I'm really sorry, Mads”, Izzy apologized for the hundredth time while guilt was eating her up.

Madison sucked on her teeth before nodding slightly, her eyes glancing at her friend in silence. “I know. Even though your choice of words was really shitty, I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I was just so angry because he verbally attacked Jesse or assumed that he wasn't good enough for Rico and me”, the Latina explained, rubbing her sweaty palms along her jeans.

“Did he say it exactly like that?”, the brunette wanted to know, her brows furrowed in disbelief.

She couldn't imagine that Happy would actually say something like that about Jesse. He was her brother, after all, and Madison wasn't sure how she would feel about Happy thinking Jesse was incompetent. Happy was the love of her life, but Jesse was her brother.

“Well”, Izzy tilted her head as she saw the conflict flash in Madison's eyes. “No, not exactly. He was only concerned about whether Jesse would be able to protect Rico and me.”

“You know Happy is just worried, right?” Madison raised one eyebrow while the other lowered slightly, her arms crossed over her chest. “He knows what Jesse is doing, how dangerous his life is. Being a meth cook and dealer probably involves even more danger than the club life Happy is leading. And as much as I love my brother, I didn’t like the meth thing either.”

And she had only supported Jesse because he had always been there for her. That didn't mean she was happy about him teaming up with her former chemistry teacher to cook and sell meth. However, Jesse had only had the choice of that or prison; and she would probably have probably  made the same decision at the end of the day.

Izzy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and lowered her gaze, embarrassed at herself for not listening to Happy first. Actually, she should have known that he was just worried about her and needed to get over the shock that his little sister was dating a meth cook.

“I'm such an idiot”, she muttered under her breath, patting her thighs lightly before rising from the couch. Then she ran her long fingers through her thick, black hair. “I'm not a fan of what he does, but I don't want to push Jesse away just because of that.”

Desperate yet sincere, she looked at her best friend. “I love him, Madison. For the first time in years I can say that I am seriously interested in someone. And he also gets along well with Rico. I don’t want to give this up.”

“Nobody told you to give it up.” Madison's tone softened, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I want my brother to be happy, that he finally has a reason to stop doing this crap. And I want you to be happy. And that’s exactly what Happy wants too, Izzy.”

Defeated, Izzy sighed. Relieved that Madison didn't seem to be so mad at her anymore. “I know Happy wants that too. I hope he can forgive me for that at some point.”

“Izzy.” The brunette let her arms fall down her sides before she walked towards her friend and placed a hand on Izzy's arm. “You said something stupid and hurtful, that happens. But you act like you killed someone he loves. Talk to him later, okay? But first I want to talk to him when he gets back.”

“You should have seen the look in his eyes. Not only was he angry, which is intimidating enough, he was also disappointed and hurt. And I think that’s much worse”, the Latina mumbled with a slight shrug of her shoulders, but finally nodded. “Okay, then I’ll talk to him afterwards. But we definitely have to talk this shit out.”

“And you will. Happy can’t be mad at you for long anyway”, Madison assured her friend, who in return finally smiled.

“I hope so”, she simply replied.

ᚔ

Madison couldn't be more relieved when Jesse walked into the house with Happy, both relatively calm expressions on their faces. Neither had a black eye or any other injuries, which told her that at least they didn't have a physical fight.

With a quiet gasp, she scurried towards Happy, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck without giving him the chance to do anything at first. Her grip on him only tightened as she felt his arms snake around her body. As he did so, he rubbed a hand up and down her back, pressing a kiss on the top of her head before letting out a sigh.

“Don’t ever do that again”, she mumbled against his neck, where her face was partially hidden. Pulling away from him, she hit his chest with her flat hands, so hard that Happy actually had to take a step back. “I was worried, damn it! And Izzy too.”

“I’m sorry, little girl.” Happy didn't apologize often, but when he did, he meant it. His eyes flickered to his sister, who was nibbling nervously on her lower lip, but neither of them said anything at first.

But then Izzy decided to go first as Jesse stood next to her and supported her, his arm loosely wrapped around her waist. “I should never have said that. You know I didn’t mean it like that, right?”

“I could have reacted differently”, he replied with a shrug. “You are an adult and can make your own decisions. I still have to get used to that.”

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. I think it's nice to know that you're still worried about me, no matter how old I am”, Izzy stated with a warm smile, reaching for her brother's hand to squeeze it. “We’ll talk later, okay? I would like to discuss a few things with Jesse.”

At which Jesse's eyes widened, not sure whether he should be afraid or excited about the conversation. “Did I do something?”, he asked with a clear of his throat before pressing a kiss against Izzy’s temple.

Shaking her head, she looked up at him and smiled. “No you haven't.”

Madison, leaning back against Happy, whose hands were resting on her baby bump, watched the new couple contentedly and mouthed a 'thank you' when Jesse glanced at her. Without his help and effort, Happy might still not be back now.

ᚔ

They had been back in Charming for two days and Madison wanted to finally go shopping for the rest of the baby stuff before Annie was born. The nervousness slowly increased. Every day the due date got closer and the mixture of joy and fear of the birth drove Madison crazy.

On the one hand, she couldn't wait to finally hold her baby in her arms, but on the other hand, she had heard one or two horror stories about giving birth, but Gemma had also assured her that this was rare if the pregnancy had otherwise gone well. Plus, Annie was already in the right position, which also calmed Madison, and also Happy, down a bit.

Still, she wanted to distract herself and go shopping with Happy, and to her surprise, he didn't even try to talk himself out of it. Probably because it was about his child and not about unnecessary clothes shopping.

“You still haven’t told me much about the conversation you and Izzy had.” Madison brought up the subject cautiously after getting into the car with Happy, him behind the wheel this time. And since Izzy was still in Albuquerque with Jesse to pack his stuff for the move to Charming, which Madison was still super excited about, the brunette couldn't ask her best friend about how it went. “I hope you guys talked it out.”

“We did.” Happy rasped, rubbing the outside of Madison's thigh before resting his hand on her leg. “Even though she did most of the talking..we both expressed our concerns.”

“May I know what your concerns were?” Her green eyes landed on him, her hand resting now on top of his.

“You know my concern, Madison”, the SAA grunted, who glanced at his Old Lady as they stood at a red light. “The Steven thing really fucked with my head. Before this happened, I was never a quick-to-worry person, I never had doubts about my ability to protect people.”

“And now you have doubts? Still?” She ran her thumb over the back of his hand in circular motions, her forehead furrowed. “I'm sorry that I'm the reason for this. I never wanted you to feel so bad because of me. That you are plagued by fears and worries every dayᅳ that's on me.”

And that was something she couldn't quite deal with. She was so sad about the fact that Happy actually doubted his abilities because of that one event that she had somehow caused.

Happy's eyes landed on her again, his gaze stern, almost scolding. “What the hell, woman? Stop apologizing for that fucked up shit he did. You didn’t choose to get kidnapped by a fuckin' psychopath.”

“No, I didn’t”, she agreed with him, his hard gaze on her almost feeling heavy. “But I could have been more careful back then. Shit, I knew the rumors about him and still got involved with him and let him knock me up.”

“Maybe it wasn't the best idea to get involved with him, but it's not your fault what happened afterwards. None of it”, he emphasized seriously, then he drove on when the traffic light gave the green light.

He couldn't just accept that she blamed herself for his constant doubts. “I don't doubt my abilities as much anymore. I know that Steven is dead, you did that and saved your own ass. I think the worrying just became worse again because now I not only have to protect you, but also our daughter.”

“And you’ll do a good job at it, babe”, the brunette said with conviction. “There is no one we would be safer with.”

Happy grunted quietly, parked the car right in front of the baby store and got out. Once he walked around the car and helped his girlfriend get out, who was having a hard time moving around flexibly with her baby bump.

“Thank you”, she said, smiling before running her hand over her bump, whereupon she smiled even more as she felt the baby move around a little. “She's awake.”

“She can’t let you get bored.” Grinning, he pulled her in for a kiss and gently rubbed her bump with his hand before grabbing one of the storage carts in front of the store. Stepping through the large door with Madison close next to him after she linked arms with him, he took a look around.

“Because I don’t do anything else all day, or what?” Acting offended, Madison placed a hand on her chest.

“Yeah, that’s exactly why”, he said jokingly, laughing as she punched his arm.

“Idiot”, she muttered, laughing as she let her gaze wander through the first few shelves. “So...we still need a bed, a changing table, a small closet and bottles. Gemma called earlier and said we didn't have to buy clothes. Your mom and mine seem to have teamed up and made sure Annie gets enough clothes.”

“Wait, seriously?” Happy raised an amused eyebrow. “The two of them teamed up?”

“Yep”, Madison chuckled, reaching for a set of various pacifiers and placing them in the small basket she had grabbed by the door earlier. “Gemma has reached out to your mom a few weeks ago. Apparently they have a surprise planned too.”

“Probably a huge party that takes place as soon as you step foot out of the hospital”, grumbled the killer with a smirk forming on his face.

The brunette whined theatrically. “Oh shit, you think? I just want some peace and quiet with Annie and you when we get home.”

“Your mom is Gemma Teller, you won't get any peace unless you go to that party”, he stated matter of factly. But secretly he also hoped that Gemma would wait at least a few days before throwing a party.

The first time with Annie was hers and his, no one else's. Of course he couldn't wait for everyone to meet his daughter, after all he was brimming with pride. Nevertheless, he wanted to spend a few days with his Old Lady and their daughter before they introduced their girl to everyone.

“Great.” Sighing, she shook her head, still smirking. “I guess I have to live with that. Still better than having a mother like Diane.”

“Forget that bitch. At least your dad came to his senses”, Happy grunted as he picked up various baby bottles and looked at Madison in confusion. “Why are there so many of them? Does it matter which one we buy?”

Madison pursed her lips, laughing. “Yes, it does matter. Look”, she pointed her finger at the sucker. “They have different sizes to control how much milk the baby can get out of it.”

“And how do I know which ones we need?” Happy, who was visibly confused, only now realized how little he actually knew about baby things and tried to suppress the emerging panic, but without success.

“Hey.” Madison took the bottle from his hand and put it back on the shelf, then looked up at him encouragingly. “I don't know everything either. This is my first child, too. I only know a few things because Izzy and Tara showed me.”

“Why does there have to be so many different things?”, he groaned, shaking his head before reaching for a new bottle. “And which ones are the right ones?”

“Don’t ask me, ask those who invented it”, she grinned slightly, taking some of his panic away. “Wait, let’s see..”

She ran her finger over a few signs under the bottles and finally reached for one. “I think these are the right ones to start with. Let’s just pack a few and ask a staff member later.”

Overwhelmed, he rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled deeply, but nodded. “If we have to, at least we can be sure.”

If there was one thing Happy hated, it was having to admit that he had no ideaᅳ and in this case he simply had no idea and regretted not doing more research. But he had never realized how many different things there were for babies and how much you could do wrong. But what reassured him was that Madison at least knew a little more than him and seemed more confident when it came to this.

“Hey, what do you think of that set over there?” Happy lifted his chin a little and nodded his head at a baby room set that he thought looked great.

“Yeah, that looks nice”, nodded Madison eagerly, dragging him along with the storage cart towards the furniture section.

Here, however, Happy was the one who looked at everything carefully and made sure that the quality was right. For his daughter it was worth spending more money if the things were good. And the set would match the rest of the room, which he still hadn't shown Madison.

“It fits in perfectly with the rest. And the quality seems good.” His eyes flickered to his Old Lady, smiling to himself as he saw the huge smile on her face. “What do you think? Wanna take this or do you wanna look at other sets first?”

Excitement formed in Madison's eyes. “No, this is perfect.” She placed a kiss on his lips and smiled up at him. “We'll take that. And then I finally want to see the room. I’m dying of curiosity!”

A raspy laugh rattled through his chest as he saw how impatient his girlfriend was becoming and he didn't want to torture her any longer. “Okay fine, once I finish it, which I can do later, I’ll show you the room.”

“God, finally! I thought I wouldn’t be allowed to see it before giving birth.” She kissed him again before, grinning, she beckoned an employee over and asked him to get them the set from the warehouse because they would like to buy it.

“That was my plan. But I don't want to torture you any further”, he winked at the brunette, putting a hand against her lower back to push her a little further where there were high chairs, baby bathtubs and stuff like that.

ᚔ

A full three hours later they were back home with a trunk and a back seat full of boxes and bags. Of course, the furniture took up most of the space, but they had also taken care of everything else that was needed. Pacifiers, bottles, diapers, milk powder and some clothes Madison just couldn't walk past.

Jax, who was already waiting at Happy's house, walked up to the car and opened the trunk while the others were still getting out of the car. “Jesus Christ, did you buy half the store?”

“Hey, a baby needs what it needs”, Madison defended herself, arms raised and a grin on her lips. “Thank you for coming over. But if Happy doesn’t put the furniture together today and finally shows me the room, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“And we don’t want that.” Jax flashed her a grin before engulfing her in a hug, holding his sister for a while. “Tara is already in the garden with the boys, I hope that’s okay.”

“Sure, then at least she has some distraction and doesn’t ask when we’re ready every five minutes”, Happy said with a grin as he walked past his girlfriend to help Jax unload. While he did so, she punched his arm again. “Bit violent today, huh?”

“You’re literally asking for it, idiot”, she murmured, but couldn’t help but smirk. “Okay, then I’ll join Tara and the boys and leave you guys alone.”

Before she could walk away, Happy grabbed her wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. “Sit down and relax a little, okay?”

“I will”, she hummed close to his lips, stole another kiss and disappeared into the garden, which could be entered from the outside, with a satisfied smile and two bags from the back seat that she wanted to show Tara.

ᚔ

authors note; so, I think there will be two more chapters. I wanted to end it with the next chapter but that would feel a little rushed or the chapter would be so long and kind of confusing that I decided to split it into two. Feel free to check out my other Happy stories, also my new one SHE KEEPS ME UP. And for the people who don't follow me and get new story updates; I started to write a horror short story and it would mean a lot if you could check it out [if you're into horror, of course]. It's called THE LOST SISTER. 🖤🥀