The last two weeks had been full of movement. After Rico was arrested for Gemma's crime and, as planned, would now spend a few years, or rather decades, in prison, Happy was also exonerated and was allowed to move freely again.

Some of the cops were still suspicious, but they couldn't provide any evidence regarding the caseᅳ Rico's statement was too precise and detailed. It just had to be him. Stella didn't care what the cops thought as long as Happy was a free man and could be with Gabby and herᅳ and Gemma was free, too.

The matriarch suffered a heartbreak once again when Kate left town a few days ago without saying goodbye to her or anyone else. The youngest Teller had only left her mother a message saying that she would move to Europe and won't be back.

Gemma hated herself for the fact that Kate still had such power over her emotional state. Normally the disappearance of her youngest daughter should only bring relief, but instead it tugged at Gemma's heart strings once again. Probably part of her had hoped that Kate would become her old self again.

But even then there would've been no return for the blondeᅳ Kate had betrayed her family too much and abused their trust in a way that was unforgivable.

When the situation had finally calmed down and some normality had returned, Happy finally took the time to explain everything to his mother and let her know what was going on with Stella. The older woman was completely shocked by the news and insisted on moving in with Happy and Stella for the time being in order to support the couple with Gabby.

Secretly, the Latina was simply afraid that Stella's condition would get worse and her daughter-in-law could dieᅳ which is why she wanted to spend as much time as possible with the young woman. Of course she never said it like that and always prayed that Stella would beat the cancer.

As agreed, Happy and Stella attended the doctor's appointment where it was explained to them exactly what would happen during the surgery and what else could be done if the surgery didn't have the desired effect. It was a lot that the couple had to deal with, but they supported each other.

Happy never once took his eyes off his Old Lady when he was home. Even subconsciously he had always watched her from the corner of his eye, the fear that she could hurt herself again was too great. She had promised him to suppress the urge and if it got too strong, to come to himᅳ and she had done that a few times.

As far as he knew and hoped, Stella had no new cuts or other self-inflicted injuries. Which didn't mean she wasn't still suffering. She did and Happy knew itᅳ after all, she had to deal with the fact that she had cancer. You can't just swallow news like that.

In order to distract Stella and to make the most of every minute with her, the women also spent a lot of time with her, making sure the kids were around, too. Whenever Happy was busy, Charlotte, Maria, Luann, Donna and of course Gemma would take the time and take Stella with Gabby to a cafe, or to the park, or to the lakeᅳ in fact, they would do anything with Stella which the former Knowles loved to do to distract her.

And today the big day was finally here. With her heart beating violently in her chest, Stella lay in the bed in which she was about to be pushed into the surgery room, Happy always at her side, whose hand was tightly closed around hers.

Her breathing was rapid, a mixture of fear and excitement bubbling inside her. Every surgery was a risk, and that scared her. But she could also be cancer-free afterwards, which she was excited about.

"Will you promise to wait here?", she asked, her voice raspy because of her dry throat. She hasn't been allowed to drink any fluids since yesterday evening so that her stomach was empty for the surgery. "I know the surgery will take hours, butᅳ"

"Hey, take it easy", Happy grunted affectionately, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand, a slight smile on his lips. "You should know that I won't leave. I'll wait here and as soon as you wake up I'll be with you."

It was definitely the most insecure, worried smile she had ever seen on Happy's face. A little weak and with a growling stomach, she raised Happy's hand to her face, pressing her lips gently against the back of his hand, gratitude flashing in her eyes.

"I love you, Happy, you know that, right?" Her voice was no louder than a whisper as the small amount of liquid she had to drink a few minutes ago slowly took effect and Stella's eyes became heavy. “Tell Gabby I love her too, promise me, yeah?"

Before Happy could answer, her eyelids had already fluttered shut and Stella's breathing was relaxed and shallow as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Now it was Happy's heart that was pounding against his chest, unrest rising within him.

"I promise, little girl. We love you too", he croaked, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. A big lump now sat in his throat as he saw his wife sleeping peacefully, ready for the anesthesia and surgery.

"Mr. Lowman", the doctor's familiar voice spoke from behind Happy, getting his attention. An encouraging smile lay on his wrinkled face. "It's time", he informed Happy as a nurse grasped the edge of the bed and was ready to push it into the operating room.

"Wait", Happy's hand still clasped Stella's, unable to let go. He wasn't a catastrophic thinker, but at the moment he was. What if that was the last time he talked to his wife?

"She'll be fine, Mr. Lowman", the doctor said reassuringly, as if he could read Happy's mind. But the biker wasn't the first worried husband he met during his career. "In three hours you can be with your wife again and you will see that she is doing better than you expect."

"That better be true", Happy said sternly, visibly nervous as he slowly released Stella's hand from his, not before pressing a kiss against her knuckles again.

Holding his breath, he watched as the nurse pushed the bed into the next room until he finally just stared into the depressing hallway, no longer seeing his wife. He now had to put his trust in the doctors, something Happy wasn't good atᅳ trusting others.

"Hey man." Happy was still staring into the hallway when Jax placed a comforting hand on his shoulder after walking up to him. "Wait with usᅳ we're all here."

Jax, like the rest of the guys, knew that they didn't want to leave Happy alone on a day like this. The Killer had claimed that he was fine, but everyone knew better. His mood had become increasingly worse over the last few days while his concern for Stella had increasedᅳ and everyone understood.

Slowly, Happy finally looked away from the empty hallway to look at Jax. "She'll be fine, right?"

Jax squeezed his brother's shoulder again, his voice lost for a moment as he saw nothing but pure vulnerability in the otherwise reserved Killer's eyes. This was definitely a new sight that overwhelmed Jax for a moment. But then he once again saw what love could do to a person.

"This is Stella we're talking aboutᅳ of course she'll be fine, bro", Jax assured the tense man before nodding him towards the waiting room, hoping the others could distract him a bit.

ᚔ

Hours had passed and countless attempts to distract or calm Happy had failed. The SAA was about to lose his mind and the others noticed it. He paced back and forth in the waiting room, impatient and distraught, and when he wasn't doing that, he lounged in his chair, staring at the bright floor beneath his feet.

Jax and Chibs kept sharing a worried looks, but neither of them dared to say anythingᅳ knowing that Happy just wanted to be left alone. Juice had occasionally provided the small group with snacks and coffee. He wasn't one to sit for long anywayᅳ that only made the Puerto Rican even more nervous.

The only time Happy had been heard speaking was when Gemma had called because Gabby wanted to talk to him. Of course, for his daughter's sake, he pulled himself together and acted like everything was fineᅳ which is probably what any parent would do.

When the same doctor from before finally came into the stuffy, now heated room, everyone held their breath and stood up from their seats. Of course, Happy was the first to jump up and stare at the doctor in such a way that he wouldn't dare to give bad news.

"What about my wife? Is she okay? Could the cancer be removed? Can I see her?" The Killer threw question after question at the doctor, pumping his fingers nervously.

"Your wife is fine", was the first thing the doctor said to reassure the man in front of him, before looking down at his notes. "The surgery went well, there were no complications. To be honest, I have even better news than we expected."

Happy's dark eyes brightened, his facial features hard as stone and yet he immediately seemed more relaxed. "Means what exactly?"

"I would like to explain this to you with your wife, is that okay?" But in most cases the doctors discussed things like that simply with the patient first. "It shouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes for your wife to be taken to her roomᅳ I would just come by again later."

"Fine", the SAA grumbled, but he also wanted Stella to be the first to hear the good news, along with him. "Can I see her? I have to see her."

The doctor thought about it for a moment. "You can wait in her room, not directly in the recovery room."

"Doesn't that sound good, brother?" Chibs stood at Happy's side, a relieved look on his tired face. The last few hours had taken a toll on everyone. "I'll let Gemma know. Should she bring Gabby over?"

Instead of answering, Happy just grunted, which was enough for the doctor. With a friendly smile he bid them a goodbye and informed the nurse to take Happy to the room and to bring Stella to him once she was awake.

"See, bro, I told you everything was going to be fine" Jax winked, but until just now he had been just as restless and excited. But the current relief was written on his face. "Go and let us know as soon as we're allowed to see her too."

"I will." Happy grunted, not wanting to let on how shitty he really felt the last few hours. He nodded gratefully towards Chibs. "It would be great if you could call Gemma."

"You know what, I'll just head over to mom's and pick up Gabby", the blonde said determinedly, already pulling his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "I'll bring Gabby over then, alright?"

"Yeah, that would be good", Happy nodded curtly, slamming  his hands against Jax' shoulder. "Thanks bro."

"Now go. Tell your wife we're all waiting here, ready to get on her nerves", the Scot winked, earning a slight grin from Happy before he literally stormed out of the room to get the room number.

ᚔ

"So what's the good news?" Stella carefully sat up, her palms pressed into the mattress beneath her to give her body some support. “Does it have anything to do with the cancer?”

"Easy, little girl", Happy muttered, immediately standing at his wife's side, his hand leaning against her back to support her.

Stella was brought to him just half an hour ago and the anesthesia was still showing after-effects. But knowing Stella, she didn't want to let on. In her eyes, she had been weak for long enough; it was time for her to finally appear stronger and more robust again.

"Listen to your husband", the doctor warned in a friendly manner, nodding in agreement. "You have to take it easy until the anesthesia has completely worn off. Plus, you just had surgeryᅳ you shouldn't be too careless. Give your body some time."

Sheepishly, Stella cleared her throat, her throat still dry even though she had already had a few sips of water. "I'm sorry, I'm just really ready to finally hear some good news."

"I understand that", the doctor with a friendly wink and a smile. "So, as expected, we had to remove some tissue, and an ovary. However, we expected a lot more we would have to remove."

"But that wasn't the case?" Stella asked curiously, excitedly looking up at Happy, whose eyes briefly met hers before they both looked at the doctor again.

"Exactly", the older man confirmed happily, showing the two of them some pictures. "You probably won't recognize much, but here", his finger moved to another picture. "We were able to keep everything important that you would still need if you planned to have more children."

"Wait", Stella's eyes doubled in size, her eyes almost falling out of their sockets. "Does that mean I can actually still get pregnant?"

The doctor hummed under his tongue. "That's exactly what it means. It might be a little harder, but it's still possible."

"Sounds like it went pretty well." Equally pleased by the news, Happy still found himself more yearning for a different answer. "But what about the cancer? Is it just gone? Or will chemotherapy still be needed? What are the chances that it will come back?"

"Hap", Stella's voice was soft as she reached for Happy's hand, a tired smile on her lips. "He'll explain everything to us."

"I just want to know what's goin' on with my wife", he grunted softly, stubbornness in his tone which brought a smile to Stella's face.

"We removed everything that could be dangerous", the doctor explained, flipping through his documents. "There's another check-up in two weeks, and then every six months. Of course the cancer can come back at any time, unfortunately that's the disadvantage", he informed with a soft sigh before looking at the couple again.

"But I am confident that your wife will remain cancer-free if she attends all the check-ups, and pays attention to her body. And", he flashed a wink at Stella, "..stop smoking. I know patients don't like to hear that, but it's important."

"She'll stop, don't worry", Happy replied while Stella first opened her mouth to answer, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah?", she asked, sounding partly amused. "Will you decide that for me now?"

"You can bet on it." A soft grunt fell from Happy's lips, gently squeezing her hips. "You don't want to end up here again, do you?"

"No, of course not", Stella reassured him with a small smile, glancing at the doctor. "Of course I'll stop smoking if it reduces the risk. And I'll take better care of myself in the future."

Except for smoking, Stella actually lived a pretty healthy life. Especially since Gabby was able to eat with them, Stella made sure to cook healthy things anywayᅳ of course there was still pizza or burgers. But mostly they ate healthy, home-cooked meals.

"Good, I like to hear that", the doctor said warmly as he tucked the note board under his arm and shook both of their hands. "You have to stay here for the next three days for observation. I'll come back tomorrow morning and check on you. If you're in any pain, just let the nurse know."

"Thank you, I will." As soon as the doctor was out of the room, Stella's eyes filled with tears of joy. She let her head fall into her hands and her body slowly sink against Happy's after he moved closer to her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Happy's brow furrowed in concern, his arms immediately wrapped around his wife. "That sounded like pretty good news, babe."

"I know", the raven-haired woman sniffed into her hands before lifting her head again, a smile on her pale lips. "I'm just so happy that I seem to have beaten cancer. Except for my aunt, no one in my family has survived cancer. And I can still get pregnant."

Happy's gaze softened, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I told you you could do this. You're fuckin' strong, little girlᅳ I never had a doubt that you couldn't do it. And I'm proud of you."

"But you were still afraid that I'd die. So you weren't so sure yourself", Stella stated  matter of factly. "I've never seen you so vulnerable, so scared", she added sadly.

"The hell did you think was going to happen, Stella? Even though deep down I knew you were going to make it, I was still scared shitless of losing you." Happy's features hardened again, his smile slowly fading at the thought that he could've lost her.

When Stella noticed the change, she looked at him apologetically and let her hand slide over Happy's chest, up to his neck and then pulled his head down the next moment.

"But I did it", she whispered against his lips before claiming them, only pulling him closer, no matter how weak she was.

She had done it, with his help and support. With the support of everyone else. Her story could have ended differently. But here she satᅳ probably completely cancer-free, with the news that she could still get pregnant and with her husband by her side.

Now all that was missing was Gabby and it couldn't be better.

ᚔ

Gabby's loud, happy squeals echoed through the still empty room as she dodged the paint buckets as Happy chased her with the paintbrush.

"You know I'll get you, bug." At an opportune moment, Happy grabbed the now four-year-old and hugged her tightly. Grinning, he ran the brush over Gabby's nose, causing a loud laugh as the light green paint now stuck to the tip of the girl's nose.

"No, daddy!" Giggling, the little girl squirmed in her father's arms as his fingers tickled her sides. "I'll never paint on you again, I promise!"

"You better keep your promise", Happy chuckled playfully, pausing for a second before tickling Gabby again, enjoying to hear her laugh. "Or I'll have to keep tickling you."

"No no!" Her shrill, childlike voice made Happy scrunch up his face before a raspy laugh escaped his throat, finally releasing his daughter, who immediately ran away and hid behind Stella's legs with a laugh.

"Did daddy tease you again, huh?", she asked amused, lowering her hand with the paint roller to run her fingers through Gabby's light  brown hair. "Or did you deserve it this time, huh?"

"Gabby innocent", the four-year-old said with a serious expression, but when Happy came up to Stella, the woman let out a snort of laughter.

"Your face is green", she teased, rubbing her thumb against his forehead to wipe the color away before she pointed down at their daughter, her soft giggles giving her away. "Let me guess; this little whirlwind did that?"

"Well, I didn't paint my face myself", Happy grinned, placing his hand against Stella's growing belly. "How is our second whirlwind? Does she have mercy on you today?"

"Mh...I think she's sleeping right now", Stella hummed, grinning as she ran her hand over her baby bump.

It felt good to be able to experience another pregnancy. Just a year after the surgery, the two actually managed to get pregnant again and Stella couldn't be more gratefulᅳ the pregnancy seemed to go smoothly also.

The house, which was actually too small for another family member, was expanded by Happy. After they got permission from the city to build on, Happy started immediatelyᅳ with the help of Jax and the others, of course.

This meant that Gabby could keep her beloved room to herself, Happy and Stella could have their bedroom and the baby would also have a room.

Things had really changed for the better and Stella hadn't been feeling as good as she was at the moment in ages. Everything just felt right, like she had finally achieved everything she ever wanted.

"When will Annie wake up?" Gabby asked curiously, looking up to her mom before giving her dad a grin. “Can I also paint Annie's face when she’s here?”

"No", Happy and Stella answered at the same time, a chuckle falling from both of their lips.

"You're not going to paint on your sister's face, you hear me?" Stella scolded her daughter, but then smirked when the four-year-old giggled and nodded. "You're cheeky."

"That's she is", Happy added with an amused snort before grinning contentedly. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither", Stella whispered, smiling against his lips, before engaging in his kiss and wrapping her arm loosely around his neck, her other arm along with Happy's wrapped around Gabby, scooping her up together for a hug after the kiss.

They had everything they neededᅳ their family and they were happy and healthy. Because of the stressful, frightening weeks last year, Happy and Stella only appreciated that more.

ᚔ

authors note; hey guys! This is the end of the story. It was supposed to be a short one from the start and I hope you liked it. Happy's and Stella's story is done here, which makes me a little sad but they deserve that happy ending! Thanks for all the support, I appreciate it. ❤️