With a scowl on her face, Stella sat in the kitchen, a cigarette in one hand and her cell in her other as she stared out the open kitchen window, watching the sun slowly rise. It was warm and she didn't want the smoke to spread throughout the house when Gabby was home, so the window stayed open.

Since it was only five in the morning, it would be a while before Gabby would get up and by then the smoke would be out of the small room anyway.

Normally she wasn't sitting in the kitchen at five in the morning but was still in her bed, snuggled up to Happy. However, there was no trace of himᅳ which Stella discovered two hours ago when the bed next to her suddenly felt cold.

At first she assumed that Happy had simply woken up, had to take a piss or couldn't sleep because of his pent-up anger towards Jessie and had retreated to the living room to watch cartoons until he'd fall asleep againᅳ which he usually did when his emotions were about to boil over.

But Happy was nowhere. Not in the house, not in the backyard and Stella's car was missing. Presumably to be able to leave the property more quietly. The raven-haired woman didn't know why. In the last two hours she had tried to call him at least ten times and left about twenty messages.

But no answer, no call back. He was just gone and Stella didn't know whether to be angry or worried. She probably felt a mix of both emotions.

Then finally she heard a car parked in the driveway, but she kept sitting there motionless. She merely raised the cigarette to her lips. As Stella took a deep drag she heard the key in the lock turn, and she could tell that Happy was trying to get into the house as quietly as possibleᅳ probably so as not to wake her.

Well, shit happens, she was already awakeᅳ and she wanted an explanation.

Since she didn't leave any lights on, she assumed Happy still suspected she was asleep. Because after kicking his boots off, he was on his way to the back rooms, exhaling loudly when he heard Stella clearing her throat.

She watched with a scowl as he pushed the cap of his hoodie off his head with a sigh, following his every move with narrowed eyes as he entered the kitchen and collapsed into a chair next to her. Even though he wasn't usually a smoker, he grabbed the cigarette that was resting between Stella's fingers.

"You shouldn't smoke", he pointed out with a grunt before taking a deep drag himself, tilting his head back and keeping the nicotine in his lungs for a while.

"Don't tell me what to do." Stella let out a bitter snort. Without looking at Happy, she placed her heels on the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs, which were now pulled close to her chest. "Not if you break your promises."

"You knew I couldn't just let Jessie get away with it", Happy hissed from the side, causing another scoff falling from his wife's lips.

"You've never broken a promise before, that's not you", she said bitterly, only then looking at him. Or rather, she stared at him, her nostrils flaring. "I asked you for one thing! I never said you had to let it go, just that you wait until I had the surgery. I fucking need you right now!"

"And I need reassurance that the rancid bitch won't come near my family anymore", Happy barked back, now turned towards her with his body leaning slightly over the table, aggressively waving his hand around. "You knew who I was before, you never had a problem with it. Now all of a sudden?"

"Were you even listening to me?!" With an angry gasp, Stella also turned to face Happy, pointing her finger in his face. "You made me a promise! You could've just said you'd take care of her anyway."

"And then what, huh?" Happy's chest trembled as he looked at his wife through the sporadic light coming through the window. "Your lucky dayᅳ there was no sign of Jessie. Neither in the hotel she's staying with Kate, nor anywhere else. I searched half the fucking town. You happy now?"

"So you didn't kill her?" With her lips pressed tightly together, she continued to stare at Happy, then let out a sigh of relief. "Good, that's good."

"What the hell is good about that, woman?", he asked with a huff as he stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. "Bitch deserves to dieᅳ painfully. And that's going to happen whether you like it or not."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hap?!" With a quiet swallow, Stella leaned back to gain some distance, her heart beating twice as fast as she studied Happy's expression. "You have to talk to me, or anyoneᅳ but just fucking talk and get the shit that's bothering you off your chest!"

"What do you want me to talk about, huh?" With a bitter snort, he shook his head as he also leaned back and ran his hands over his tired face. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, something is bothering you and that's not a big surprise at the moment", she insisted, although her voice now sounded a lot softer than it had just a moment earlier. "You seem constantly tense and have so much anger inside you that you don't even care about keeping your word anymore. I'm fuckin' worried about you, Hap."

"You're worried?" As if a part of him had already broken, he now looked at her with final despair. "Then what do I have to worry about, huh? My wife has cancer and none of us know if I'll have to bury you any time soon. That shit yesterday? In the bathroom? Do you think I'm stupid and don't notice that you're getting worse mentally again? That you want to hurt yourself? Fuck, I have no idea what fucking day it is anymore, Stella! And yes, yes I wanted to let out all my fucking pent up anger on Jessieᅳ here you have it, I talked."

With her lips slightly parted, Stella sat frozen in her chair, unable to say a word. It was as if her throat was closed, blocked by a lump. A few times she tried to talk, but what could she say? Happy's emotional outburst came out of nowhere and since he'd never really had one before, the former Knowles didn't even know how to handle it.

Her body was shaking slightly, which was more due to the stress and the light breeze coming through the window. She watched in silence as Happy turned his gaze away from her and let his head fall into his hands. She heard him sniffle, but he tried every way possible to drown that out too.

She closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed hard before finally standing up without a word. After taking the few steps towards him, she wrapped her arms around him from behind. Her body was literally welded to his as he now completely failed to keep his feelings inside.

"I'm here", Stella whispered against his neck, her face hidden in the crook of his neck while hot tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for everything. I never meant to make your life difficult, baby, you have to believe me."

Of course she felt guilty. She had complicated Happy's life for the most part. The only good thing she had given him was Gabby, knowing that she was Happy's pride and joy. But what else had she given him that was great? Sure, they had nice, even perfect momentsᅳ when she wasn't grieving again or her depression came back.

He could probably live a much quieter life without her.

What she didn't see, however, was how much she had really given him. Happy had never felt such a deep connection to someone before. He had always thought that he would remain alone forever, which secretly bothered him more and more the older he got until he found Stella.

He didn't care how complicated things could get with herᅳ she showed him what it felt like to have a soul mate, to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Fuck, she just showed him how good life can feel when you spend it with the right person.

Quickly wiping his face with the back of his hand, he leaned back, the back of his head resting against Stella's chest as he reached for her hands and pressed his lips against her knuckles, trying not to sniffle or whatever again.

He hated to show his vulnerable side in front of anyone, but he had reached his limit and was about to completely lose his shit if he wouldn't soon hear that his wife was cancer-free. He needed to hear those words.

"I really wanted to keep my promise, Stella", he said quietly, his voice muffled and hoarse, as if he had a cold.

"It's okay", she murmured, her chin now resting on the top of his head. She gently removed her hands from his grasp and tentatively wrapped her arms around his neck. "I should never have asked you to hold back. I was just so afraid that it would fall back on you and that I would've to spend the last few months without you in case the surgery won't help. "

Stella's shaky breath hit his skin. He then gently pulled her forward and onto his lap, looking directly into her watery eyes. He no longer cared if she saw his bloodshot, shining eyesᅳ he decided to let her see his vulnerable side.

"You had every right to do that", he croaked, placing his hand against her cheek. "I'm not going anywhereᅳ the other shit has to wait, I get that. I want you to get through this, that we'll get good news soon, butᅳ"

Happy couldn't keep talking without feeling that big lump in his throat again. Before he could do so, Stella caught the single tear that fell down his cheek with her thumb.

"I can'tᅳ I can't say it. I don't even want to fucking think about the what if", his voice cracked completely as the thought of having to say goodbye to her clouded his mind again.

Stella had never felt as helpless as she did right now. Every torment she had ever endured was nothing compared to seeing your partner completely broken. It took her breath away and she no longer had any control over her emotions.

Sobbing, she pulled him close, her arms around his neck so tight she was afraid she'd seriously hurt himᅳ but Happy's arms hugged her waist just as tightly and for minutes that felt like hours they just sat there like this. While Stella's sobs didn't really subside, Happy's sniffling continued to fill the small kitchen.

The emotional moment was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Confused, Stella sat up and slowly removed her arms from Happy's neck before exchanging a look with her husband.

"Stay here", he told her urgently after she got up. He squeezed her hand before he pulled out his gun, headed to the door and opened it, of course without showing his gun. It wasn't usual for someone to knock on their door at half past five in the morning. "What the hell?"

Annoyed, he discreetly shoved his gun into the waistband of his jeans, the cold steel pressing against his tailbone as he looked at the two cops with his cold glance.

"Mr. Lowman, is your wife at home?", one of the two asked. The guy was two heads shorter than Happy, maybe as tall as Stella, but had an attitude that Happy didn't like.

The Killer's expression darkened. "What do you want from my wife?"

"We would like to discuss this with your wife, Mr. Lowman", the other police officer, who was eye level with Happy and had a strained smile on his lips, replied. “Would you get her, please?”

Happy let out a huff. "Fuck no, I'm definitely not waking my wifeᅳ"

"It's okay", Stella placed a hand on Happy's shoulder and forced a smile onto her lips.

Happy's arm, which suddenly went around her waist and pulled her protectively into his side, calmed her nerves at least a little. She then looked at the cops, reserved but polite.

"How can I help?", she asked.

"You woke up quickly", the smaller cop commented with a sneer, then slipped back into his role as a cop. “Jessica Teller was found dead a few hours ago. Her wife has already been questioned and she told us that you just had an argument with the victim yesterday. Is that true?"

With shock written all over her face, Stella stared at Happy, whose expression didn't change an inch and continued to appear stoic and cold. But the twitching of the muscles in his jaw told her he was anything but calm.

Had he lied to her and did kill Jessie? Did he want to hide the truth from her so she wouldn't be disappointed? Or to not worry her until she had the surgery? Or was it all a really stupid coincidence?

"My wife was here with our daughter all night in case you wanted to tell us that you think she did it", Happy answered for her, noticing that Stella was still in too much shock to even say a word.

"That's exactly what we wanted to say, Mr. Lowman", one of the cops replied, his hand already near his gun as he watched the man across from him clench his hand into a fist.

"Your wife has a motive and we have to investigate every lead. Miss Teller emphasized that the two of them, your wife and Jessica Teller, have had problems since they were in highschool", the man added with a clear of his throat.

"Problems? The bitch has humiliated my wifeᅳ",

"Happy, don't." With a look of worry, the raven-haired woman clung to Happy and swallowed hard. She looked at the two men again as politely as possible. "As my husband says, I was here all night with our daughter. Yes, Jessica Teller and I had our differences, but I would never kill anyone."

"You can explain that to us again at the station." Without further hesitation, the one cop grabbed Stella's arm, his grip roughᅳ and with that he had made a huge mistake.

Before he could even handcuff her, Happy lost his patience and pushed the cop away from Stella, his menacing gaze boring into the guy.

"Don't touch my wife", he spat at the smaller one while the other cop tried to subdue him. But no one could deal with Happy Lowman alone when he was angry.

"Fuck Happy!" Stella pulled him back at the sleeve of his hoodie as the other cop pulled out his gun. "That doesn't help us, please..", she practically begged.

"Stand back", the cop with the gun barked demandingly, feeling pretty strong with his weapon.

Stella wanted to slap the guy's smug look off his face. But then all her facial features slipped when she heard Happy's next words.

"It was me, my wife is innocent. I killed the bitch", Happy spat scornfully. "After I heard about the incident yesterday, I saw redᅳ I wanted the bitch to suffer. Guess you'll have to take me with you."

"Was that just a confession?", the smaller cop raised an eyebrow with a grin, but he lost his grin when his colleague rolled his eyes.

"What else do you think it was?", asked the taller one, grumbling as he pulled out his handcuffs. "You are under arrest for the time being, Mr. Lowman. We will continue to investigate whether your statement is true. You are free to consult a lawyer before you say anything more."

"What the hell are youᅳ", Happy interrupted Stella before she could even finish her sentence, his face turned towards her so the cops couldn't see his expression.

His heart sank deeper his chest as he saw the pure panic flashing in Stella's brown eyes, but there was no way he was going to let his innocent wife end up behind bars. But one thing was for sureᅳ Kate was just as dead as Jessie was. Nobody betrays their own family, no matter what the circumstances are.

"Shut up", he barked at her, but at the same time there was something pleading in his tone. "Call Jax, I'll need our lawyer."

Stella shook her head frantically. After he was handcuffed, Stella grabbed his face and kissed him as if she wouldn't see him again for the next ten years, fresh tears burning in her eyes.

"I'll call Jax right away. And you don't say another word, okay?", she said, her shaky voice filled with urgency. "You didn't do anything, so you won't end up in prison for it."

"But I won't let this fall on you either", he croaked against her lips, his words only audible to her, before he kissed her again and was then roughly dragged away from her.

"We don't have all day", the taller cop complained, looking over at Stella again. "We're still not done with you yet. Stay reachable, don't leave town and better get your husband a good lawyer."

"Fuck off", Stella spat at the Cop, not in the mood to stay polite anymore.

"I love you, and Gabby", Happy told her before he was led to the car and pushed into the back seat. Even when the door was slammed in his face, he never once took his eyes off Stella.

With sheer horror plastered on her face, Stella clawed her fingers into the wood of the door. It felt like her heart stopped. Someone had killed Jessie and Stella had no idea who. But she had a feeling.

As promised, she immediately rushed to their bedroom to change into a black skinny jeans and a black top, then called Jax repeatedly until he answered his phone, which only took two tries, and asked him to come over immediately.