THE WARM SUN cast a golden glow on June's features as she stood in front of the open kitchen window and let a cloud of smoke slip from her lips, making sure it drifted out the window. With her eyes closed, she let out a sigh as she listened to the slam of a doorᅳ probably Alanna's.

It was Happy's weekend with the kids, which meant that Alanna had been in a bad mood since last night. As angry as June was with Happy, the pain in her chest still deep, she hoped that Alanna would one day be able to rebuild the relationship with her father that they had in the past.

The breakup a year ago had hit Alanna just as hard as June herself, just in a different way. June had lost her partner, her better half, her soul mate, while Alanna had lost her security and structure with the breakup.

Sure, the nine-year-old saw her father regularly and June always encouraged her to call Happy every now and then, simply because she wanted a father for her children, but it wasn't the same. Happy and Alanna's relationship had always been close, the father/daughter team had been inseparableᅳ until Happy had to ruin everything.

A bitter snort fell from June's lips as she, as she often did, thought back to the night she saw Happy with one of the Croweaters. The blonde on his lap, giggling as she stole one kiss after another until Happy also finally shoved his tongue down her throat.

The worst thing was that June knew that Happy knew that she was watching, that she would come that evening. She knew that the whole thing was a planned thing. For weeks he had tried to push her away as things in the club got extremely dangerous, acting like an ass just because he couldn't say the words 'we're over' himself, his love for June too great to actually leave her.

And yet he had done something that he knew June would never forgive him for; cheating on her.

[please just read on, there are reasons. Most of you know I would never seriously let Happy cheat on a woman he loves!]

Flashback / 2011, one year ago

June's heart shattered as the scene played out before her eyes after she slipped out of her car with Tara. Tears pooled in her blue eyes, her lips parted as a strangled sob left them.

Her husband's tongue buried deep in another woman's mouth, his hands traveled down her sides until they rested on her ass, pulling her body close against his own.

Why would he do something like that when he knew she was coming? Jax, her brother, was the same fuckin' idiot. A woman sat on his lap, her brunette hair covering their faces as they giggled and laughed while they shared their saliva.

Both men had been acting like assholes for the past few weeks. So extreme that even Gemma had sided with the two women, which didn't happen often since the matriarch usually defended any behavior when it came to the guys, especially her son.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked over the loud music, placing a hand on June's arm as she let out a sigh. "We knew this was going to happen."

No, June didn't know. Her brother may be a cheater, but Happy wasn't. Happy would neverᅳ that's what she had always thought, what he had always promised her.

"Why the hell are you so calm?!" June snarled as the first hot tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. "Our husbandsᅳ", she shook her head with a strangled sob sitting in her throat, unable to even say it out loud.

"Because I'm used to it", the brunette explained callously. Instead of being sad, the doctor seemed angry, disappointed, almost indifferent. "You know your brotherᅳ he always uses this route when he wants to push me out, but I'm not going to give him what he wants so quickly."

June snorted bitterly, shaking her head frantically. "Seriously Tara, that's just stupid."

And with that, June left her brother's wife standing there before she charged at Happy and dragged the blonde from his lap, pulling her to the ground by her hair before straddling the bitch. June was probably the last person here to willingly choose violence, but right now she was seeing red.

One punch after another hit the face of the blonde, whom June had only seen a few times here before, drawing painful, overdramatic whimpers and cries from her as blood slowly covered Blondie's nose and June's knuckles.

The former Teller woman had the attention of the people around her immediately, some of the boys cheering, others trying to break up the fight knowing that this wouldn't end well for the blonde.

June was someone who had a lot of self-control and hated violence, but she was born a Teller, it was in her blood. And once that side came out, it was hard to stop the young woman.

"June!" Her name was called in unison from all sides, but it wasn't until Happy's arm slipped around her waist and she was pulled away from the blonde that June came back to reality.

Her chest heaving rapidly, she looked down at her hands and the mess she had caused. The woman swallowed dryly as Bobby had to help the woman, whose name she didn't even know, to her feet, her whole face covered in June's and her own blood.

"You should go, June." When Happy's raspy voice reached her ear, the blood rushed faster through her veins.

Turning to face him, breaking free of his grip around her waist, she slapped him across the face with before shoving him hard in the chest, making him stumble back for a momentᅳ which only showed how much anger she was actually harboring right now if she could even manage to shove someone like Happy.

"Don't you dare talk to me", she snarled, rubbing the tip of her nose with her clean hand as she glared at the man in front of her. "You got what you wanted; we're over. I really hope you'll realize what you just did to me and our kids."

"June!" Gemma rushed towards her daughter, clearly upset, wrapping an arm around her daughter's trembling body as she shot Happy a quick, angry look. Cradling June close, Gemma ran a hand over the younger woman's reddish hair. "You shouldn't be making decisions right now, baby. Come on, I'll take you home."

"Are you fuckin' serious, mom?!" June choked out as she pushed herself away from Gemma. "Just because you always wanted me to be the perfect Old Lady like you doesn't mean I have to swallow every little shitty thing and forgive shit like that!"

That was all Gemma wanted, for June to crawl back to Happy and beg him to stay faithful in the futureᅳ and only just so she could continue to play Old Lady like Gemma wanted it.

Meanwhile, Jax and Tara were also involved in a loud argument, leaving everyone embarrassed until Chibs finally moved the little party inside, glaring at their SAA and his Pres. Only Amber, Juice' girlfriend, stayed outside and rushed to June's side.

The blonde hated to see her best friend suffer, and her anger at Happy was big, as she would've never thought he would do that to his Old Lady, to someone as sweet and loving as June. He had always treated June with respect and surprised his brothers with how attentive and loving he could be towards a woman.

But Juice had already mentioned a few weeks ago how nervous the two men got. Jax, knowing that his wife always felt the need to leave Charming at the slightest danger, and Happy, knowing that he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to his wife and two daughters.

The war between the Sons and the rival club The Argent Devils threatened to come to a showdown that could end dangerously for everyone. Two months ago, the first attack on the Sons' clubhouse had taken place, the many bullet holes still visible everywhere.

Two members were hit, Bobby and Tig, but both recovered quickly. For Amber herself, the whole thing had taken a more dramatic turn. A bullet had hit her in the abdominal area and caused her to suffer a miscarriage at eleven weeks pregnant.

The pain was still almost unbearable for Amber and Juice to this day. The Sons had taken revenge, but the war continued nonetheless. And then Happy and Jax had come up with the brilliant idea of pushing their wives away before anything could happen to them. Which hadn't been easy. Their love too strong, neither June nor Tara had given up on their marriagesᅳ and now here they were, heartbroken and definitely ready to give up their relationships.

"Don't talk to me like that", Gemma warned with a stern look, pointing a scolding finger in June's pale face. "We're not giving up on our marriages just like that, June!"

"Yeah, I think that's enough." Amber gently pushed June back a little as she could see a spark of madness in her friend's tear-filled eyes. "Come on, I'll take you home and stay with you for the night."

June nodded weakly, realizing that this was probably the best solution at the moment. How could her own mom not have her back? Her eyes searched for Happy again. He stood there silently, the pain and regret he felt skillfully hidden behind his stoic facade.

"Don't you have anything to say?" June asked dryly as she slumped her shoulders with a sniff. "Really nothing?"

Knowing she wanted to hear something, anything, he just ran a hand over his head, then down his tired face. "Just go, June. I'll get my shit tomorrow."

Amber, the shyest of them all, just shook her head with a scoff. "Really great, Happy, that's how you treat the love of your life. You're an asshole."

"It's okay." June sent a faint smile in Amber's direction. If the situation wasn't so fucked up, she would show how proud she was that Amber had the courage to speak to Happy like that. "I just wanna go home, please."

"Of course." Amber sympathetically put a hand on June's back and glared at the SAA again, who was numbly watching his wife being led to her best friend's car.

It hurt, more than probably any other pain he had ever felt. Letting his wife go meant that he would have to go to sleep without her in the future, that her pretty face would no longer be the first thing he would see in the morning.

It also meant that he would no longer see his kids every day. But that had been his planᅳ keeping June and his daughters out of this life. Their safety was all he cared about, no matter how painful it was for him.

"You better fix this mess", he heard Gemma snort before she angrily disappeared in the office and slammed the door behind her, no longer interested in the party that was going on inside.

Happy and June's eyes met again before she got into Amber's car, his breath hitched as he could see the pain and disappointment in those beautiful blue eyes even from this distance. His look said how sorry he was, how much he already regretted his actions.

Hell, he wanted to stop her, beg her to forgive him, explain to her that this had all been planned with Jenna, the Croweater, and it had all been just a show, that he would never really cheat on her. He would've never gone any further or taken Jenna to his roomᅳ never. All of this had been staged.

But it had to be this wayᅳ it was better for June, better for his children.

Letting his head hang, he rubbed the back of his neck and sniffled aggressively on the way inside. Also no longer in the mood to rejoin the party, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar before he pushed his way through the crowd and to his room to have some peace to be alone with the pain of having just lost his family.

Flashback over

AS IT KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, June stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and grabbed the green backpack packed with snacks before joining her younger daughter in the hallway.

"Daddy's here", the girl exclaimed with joy, her red curls bouncing as she couldn't hold still. "Can I open the door?"

"Sure baby", June chuckled, shaking her head as she saw how excited Callie was. And every time she saw Happy with their children it became harder for her to hide the pain she was still in.

But unlike Tara, she hadn't forgiven her Old Man for his bullshit and Happy, even though he had apologized for hurting her, hadn't asked for her forgivenessᅳ because he wanted her out of this life, otherwise he wouldn't have pulled that shit in the first place.

She watched as Callie got on her tiptoes to reach the door handle, which she opened and immediately threw herself into her father's arms.

His deep, raspy laugh sent a number of sensations through June's body, the man still capable of making her swoon with just a laugh. And she hated herself for it. And knowing how much he regretted his actions didn't make things any easier.

"Hi Daddy." Callie beamed at her father as she traced the tattoos on his head. "Can we go to the lake? Mommy said to ask you."

"Hey little lady", the SAA murmured, running a hand over Callie's curls as he nodded curtly, causing the three-year-old's smile to widen. "We can, but let's ask Alanna first if she wants to go, too, okay?"

"I know she does", Callie chirped sweetly before impatiently calling out for her sister to hurry up. "Ally!!"

Happy turned towards June, the woman awkwardly standing by the door, her hands buried deep in the back pockets of her light blue jeans. God, he fuckin' missed her.

"How are you?", he asked to break the ice and because he sincerely wanted to know.

June raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress the humorless laugh until she realized how bitter she seemed. Sighing, she leaned against the door when she noticed Happy's rueful look.

"I'm fine, really", she lied with a tight-lipped smile, only earning a sigh from Happy in return. He wasn't stupid. "How are you? How are things with the club going?"

"Tense, but we're close to a solution", he explained with a shrug, giving her a serious look. "They all wanna see you againᅳ they miss you, June."

"You wanted me to stay away and that's exactly what I'm doing, Happy", June shot back coldly, clearly hurt by his stupid suggestion.

If she wanted to see anyone from the club, they either had to visit her or she'd meet them somewhere else. The last time she actually was at the clubhouse was the night she caught her husband with another woman.

"I never wanted to keep you away from your family, woman!" Happy's stubbornness came through as he took a step closer, huffing to himself when June immediately took a step back. "I just wanted you to be safe."

"You know what, Happy, I don't give a shit anymore", June replied wearily, throwing her hands up in the air. "You made your decision when you shoved your tongue down that bitch's throat."

"Don't fight", Callie mumbled on Happy's arm, her smile slowly fading. "Please..."

The parents shared a fleeting glance, both sighing as they noticed how upset Callie seemed. For their children, they at least wanted to function together.

"We didn't fight, baby", Happy grumbled lovingly, gently pinching Callie's nose, whereupon the three-year-old smiled a little again. "We just have different opinions sometimes."

"Alanna, Dad's here", June called quickly to finally escape the situation, hoping that Alanna's bag was packed and that she wouldn't have to see Happy for another few minutes.

"I don't want to go!" The nine-year-old's annoyed voice echoed through the small house. It was the same drama every weekend and June grew tired of it. But she also understood. "I want to stay here with you! Callie can go alone!"

"Alanna Lowman, get your ass here! Now!" After yelling through the whole house, June turned back to face Happy and for a moment she even felt sorry for the man.

Sadness reflected in his dark eyes as he once again had to hear, like every Friday, that his daughter didn't want to spend time with him. But he had ruined that too by leaving his family.

"I don't wanna force her to come with me", he told June with a sigh and even though he only wanted to show understanding for the situation, June wasn't having it and shook her head quickly.

"You can get rid of me, but don't even think about neglecting your responsibilities", she said as his eyes were focused only on her, letting her words sink hin.

"I won't", he grunted stubbornly, looking past her as his older daughter came out of her room with a grim expression, her backpack slung over one shoulder. "Hey Bug."

Happy reached out to ruffle her almost black hair but the girl pulled away just in time, her shoulder bumping into his arm as she squeezed past him.

"Not your bug", she muttered under her breath, but she still turned around and waved at June, even though she looked anything but motivated. "Bye mom."

"Love you, baby", June replied with a small smile before pressing a kiss against Callie's hair, running her hand up and down her daughter's back. "And you'll be good to Daddy, promise?"

"Always mommy", the three-year-old promised eagerly, her legs dangling from Happy's waist.

"I'll bring them back on Sunday", Happy told his ex, his features hardening again to hide his emotions. As he turned on his heel, a tingle ran up his arm as June's fingers dug into his upper arm, gentle but still firm.

"What?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"She'll come around, Hap", she told him in a lowered voice, nodding her head towards Alanna, who was taking pictures of various things with her Polaroid camera Happy had given her on her birthday three years ago. "There's not a day that goes by that she doesn't stare at the camera for minutes, always keeping it close. She's just still hurt."

"It's been a damn year", Happy snarled almost desperately, keeping his voice down as well after he put Callie down. "She knows I hurt you, and she has every right to be angry. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Pulling him a little further away from the kids, swallowing softly as her delicate fingers clenched around the leather of his kutte and the smell of his aftershave filled her nose, she let go of him and crossed her arms over her chest with a soft clearing of her throat.

"Yes, she was angry about it. But are you really that blind? Do you really think this is about you hurting me? She doesn't want to stay with you because she thinks you don't want us, her, anymore", June explained with a sigh, a shiver crawling up her spine as she felt his intense gaze on her. "You were her hero, and suddenly you weren't anymore. Her mom just left her behind and then, years later, you left too. That kind of shit does something to a child, Happy."

"I know I fucked up, big time, alright?!", Happy snorted bitterly, angry at himself for doing that to his children. His brown eyes landed on the two girls, both of them admiring the photos Alanna had taken. "I just want my baby back, that's all. I want her to know how important she is to me, that I'll never leave her."

June closed her eyes, his words hanging over them like a heavy cloud in the sky. She missed that side of him, having him hereᅳ with them, showing his soft side.

"Then talk to her and tell her exactly that. Don't let her slip away", she told him softly.

Watching her talk like that, to encourage him even though she had every right to hate him, made him fall in love with her all over again. Not that he ever stopped loving her though. How could he have been so stupid? He could've kept her safe, right? But the fear of losing June to a revenge attack, or one of his daughters, had won back then.

And before he could think about his words, they fell from his lips, and he even went a step further and rubbed the pad of his thumb across her cheek. "I miss you, June. You and the girls."

"Don't. Don't do this." June let out a shaky breath, trying to compose herself as she stumbled back. He wasn't supposed to still have this effect on her. "It's better if you go now."

Happy nodded curtly, pulling his hand back. "Okay."

Of course it hurt him, but he had put himself in this situation. So he had to live with the consequences. Following her wishes, he actually turned on his heel this time, gathered his daughters and left the driveway a few moments later. But not without locking eyes with June's again.

word count; about 3.6k

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authors note; hey guys! Please keep reading even though you hate a cheating Happy (he didn't actually cheat on June but it'll be explained in the later chapters!) By now most of you already know that none of the guys I have for my female OC's in my stories cheat. I hope you enjoy this story. 🤎