Stella's anxious gaze flickered between the men as each suggested one idea after another that could be helpfulᅳ although it always ended with either Happy or Gemma ending up behind bars, which neither wanted.

There had to be something that would save both of their asses. But if there really was only one solution, then Gemma would have to face the consequences. Stella hated thinking like that about the woman who always stood by her side and now had killed someone because of her, even if there were more reasons.

But Happy was innocent, he didn't deserve to spend years in prison for something he never did. Besides, Stella needed her husband outside, and Gabby needed her father. The three-year-old was already confused and nervous, what was Stella supposed to explain to her daughter if Happy wasn't coming home soon?

"I have an idea that might work", Opie suggested, his voice louder than the others to drown them out. "But it would cost us a lot of money if he agrees to help us."

"I don't care about money, I still have some of what Tara left me", Stella assured him, who shot up almost overzealously, now sitting bolt upright in Happy's chair. "I'm serious, Ope. If there's anything that could save Happy and Gemma's asses, I'll cover it."

"This is about my mom and one of our brothers, we won't leave you to cover the costs alone", Jax intervened with a stern look, but he wasn't going to let Stella spend all the money Tara had left her because his mother had killed someone. Then his eyes landed on his best friend. "What's your idea?"

"Jax is right, doll. All of us will cover a part of the costs." Tig nudged her arm encouragingly with his elbow, smiling at her before he also looked at Ope. "What do you mean 'if he agrees'?"

"When I had to do the five years, I met someone." The giant biker scratched his chin through his growing beard before placing his hand back on the table and playing with his pack of cigarettes. "Rico Davios, a man in his sixties who voluntarily serves time for othersᅳ if you pay him good. The first time he served twenty years for multiple murders, he found that he felt more comfortable inside than outside. So he started to offer his 'services' for a good price."

Jax' eyebrow shot up, his fingertips tapping the wood beneath his hand. "So you can, so to speak, book the guy to take over your crime if the payment is right?"

"Exactly", Ope confirmed with a nod, his words more of a mumble through the beard covering  most of his lips. "As far as I know, he's outside again at the moment. But if we're actually considering this, we should hurry. Lots of people know his 'business' now."

"How much money are we talking about here, brother?" Chibs' Scottish accent echoed through the room, his eyes trained on the giant.

"It depends", Ope weighed his head back and forth, fishing a cigarette out of his pack. "For a murder he would serve between ten and twenty yearsᅳ he'd probably ask for more money for that than for small crimes for which he only serves one to three years."

Juice frowned somewhat questionably after he took a drag from his cigarette, blowing out the smoke. "Why does he even need money if he's inside most of the time?"

"His family. I don't know much, but apparently he has a son and grandkids who he wants to support for the fact that he was never there", Ope said with a shrug. "He lives in Lodi, not that far away. I could call him."

"Yes, yes please", Stella urged eagerly after she had listened closely. This was the first idea that really sounded like it could work. "I mean, the sum can't be that high for it to be unaffordable for all of us together."

"Probably not, otherwise no one would be able to afford his 'services' and he would end up empty-handed", Jax agreed confidently, seeing it the same way Stella did. He shot Ope an approving look. "Call him, we'll arrange a meeting and listen to what he has to sayᅳ then we'll take a vote."

"Can you try to arrange a meeting for today or tomorrow?" Stella asked pleadingly, one of her legs nervously bouncing under the table. "I want Happy home as quickly as possible."

"Doll, you still need to calm down", Tig admonished gently, placing a hand on her bouncing leg as he looked at her with worry in his piercing blue eyes. "Stress isn't good for you."

"I know. Butᅳ", Stella wanted to protest but Jax interrupted her before she could come any further.

"No buts. You can't stress yourself out like that, Stella", he told her with seriousness lingering in his tone. "Or I'll send you home until we've found a solution and make sure that someone ensures that you stay at home too."

"No, Jax, you can't do that." Stella shook her head so fast you'd think she was about to get whiplash. "I promise I'm trying to calm down, but this matter is just as much my concernᅳ it's about my husband and I'm definitely not going to sit at home until something happens."

"Alright, but then show me that I don't have to worry about youᅳ any more than I already do." With a sigh, Jax tilted his head to the side, running a hand over his slicked-back hair.

"Seriously sweetheart, you need to take care of yourself, especially now", Bobby chimed in, a warm smile on his face. "Besides, you'll help us better when you're calmer."

"I know", the raven-haired woman mumbled as she slumped back in the chair. The last thing she wanted was to cause anyone more worry. "I'll do my best, I promise."

"We know that", Ope shot her a smile before slamming his hand down on the table. "Okay, I'll make the call and let you guys know when the meeting takes place."

"Okay, thanks bro." Jax fingers closed around the handle of the gavel before he lifted it slightly before bringing it down on the table a few times. "We're done for nowᅳ we'll sit down again later and discuss the rest."

As everyone gradually left the room, Stella also stood up and exhaled exhaustedly. She was tired and felt absolutely drained. Only the hope created by the new plan kept her going.

The bandage rubbed against the open wounds from this morning as she too dragged her body out of the room, leaving her face permanently contorted with pain. As soon as she got home she definitely had to get out of the tight pants to avoid constant friction. But first she had to go to the station to check on Happyᅳ after all, he was only there because of her and Gemma.

ᚔ

Bored out of his mind, Happy sat in an extra room at the police station, throwing his head against the wall behind him with a groan. After the cops didn't get anything out of him while questioning him, he was put in the room for an unknown period of time. At least he was freed from the handcuffs and could move freely.

He was used to being locked up. More than once he had served time in prison. A few hours in a locked room did nothing to him. Nevertheless, his thoughts were constantly on Stella and Gabby, wondering how they were both doing. His wife and daughter were his priority and even though he wanted nothing more than to be with them, he would go to prison if it meant Stella was no longer a suspect.

With an arched eyebrow, Happy looked out of the long window from which he could see into the main room of the police station, desk next to desk, and watch what was happeningᅳ but he couldn't hear anything. The Killer could only watch as Hale waved his arms around angrily and lectured the two cops who had arrested him this morningᅳ at least that's what it looked like.

A grin tugged at the corners of the SAA's mouth as the cops glanced at him, a sour look on their faces after Hale was done with them. Happy knew that Hale was on his side, simply because he cared about Stellaᅳ especially after Tara passed away.

Just a moment later the door opened and Hale stepped through it, his heavy footsteps echoing through the empty room. "Why the hell would you willingly admit that you killed someone?"

"The fuck was I supposed to do? I wasn't going to let them take my wife." Happy declared with a huff. "The assholes out there would've just taken her with them without any evidence. Maybe you should hire some new cops."

Shaking his head and sighing deeply, Hale closed the door so they could talk privately, his hands on his hips. "Do you have any idea how hard it will be for me to let you go after a confession like that?"

"Nobody says you have to", the SAA grumbled, shrugging his shoulders, before standing up and throwing his hands up aggressively. "What gives you the right to suspect my wife anyway? Because of a few differences?"

"It's mostly about the situation yesterday", Hale explained with a sigh. "Stella has the perfect motive since she was humiliated by Jessie in front of a bunch of people."

"If any of the idiots would think about it, they would realize how nonsensical this is", Happy snarled before he let out a bitter snort. "I know that someone who has been humiliated for years can snap at some pointᅳ and fuck, Jessie deserved what she got. But Stella is way too innocent, that woman can't even hurt a flyᅳ and you know that."

David raised his hands in defense. "I know that, Happy, you don't have to tell me that. I know Stella, and that's exactly why I'm so angry at these idiots out there. Besides, neither Unser nor I gave the order to arrest anyone."

"Oh, great", Happy muttered as he paced around the room. "What now? Are they locking me up?"

"No, you'll be out of here in an hour at the latest, I'll make sure of that. Without solid evidence, we can't keep you here for long", Hale assured, rubbing his chin as he examined the man. "You confessed, but you didn't give a statementᅳ which complicates things a little."

"What was I supposed to say?" Happy asked, seething. "I have no fuckin' idea how that bitch diedᅳ if I had told them anything they would've noticed that I was lying and probably would have called Stella in."

"So you really didn't kill Jessica Teller?" Hale asked again just to be sure. He knew Happy and knew that he wasn't an innocent lambᅳ but in that case, if Happy had actually committed the murder, he would've covered up for the killer, his own disgust for someone like Jessie was just too great.

"No, but I would've if someone hadn't done it already", Happy grumbled, running his hands over his head. He was kinda pissed that he couldn't kill Jessica anymore. "I hope the bitch suffered. How did she die?"

David took a quick look out the large window before leaning his shoulder against the concrete wall. "So far all we know is that she must've been involved in a fight. A black eye, swelling on her face..and a huge gash on the back of her head that was quite deformedᅳ meaning her head had been hit against a hard place several times, which ended up being the cause of death. And her body was burned in many places, which means that someone tried pretty hard to cover up their tracks."

"At least the person was smart", Happy remarked with a grin, earning an eye roll from Hale, who, as much as he hated it, had to agree for better or for worse.

"That's right, so there are no traces. That's why we have to investigate every clue that is given to us", David let him know, clicking his tongue. "Our hands are tiedᅳ we have to do everything in our power to find out who had killed Jessica. If you ask me, I'd just forget about it, she deserved what she got."

"Then I have no choice but to keep telling you guys that it was me",Happy stated dryly. "But I won't let those shitheads arrest Stella. I won't  even let them question her", his eyes darkened as he narrowed them slightly, his intense gaze boring into Hale's soul. "And you have to promise that you'll call your cops back. Stella can't need this kind of stress, not now."

"How come?" David wasn't really surprised that Happy wanted to protect his wife. What made him suspicious, however, was how much Happy insisted. There had to be a reason. "What's going on? Is something wrong with Stella?"

"You don't say a word to anyone, understand? Only we and the club knows." Happy hesitated for a moment, but knew that Hale would do everything he could to keep Stella away from stress once he found out why Happy was so against her being questioned.

"I won't say a word", the deputy promised sincerely, a feeling of dread forming in his stomach.

"Stella has cancerᅳ not too bad yet but bad enough to be dangerous", Happy began, his heart aching as he was reminded of his wife's diagnosis once again. "She's having surgery in two weeks, but if she's questioned now and is suspected of murder, everything could be postponedᅳ and I can't let that happen, man, she needs that surgery before the cancer gets worse and actually kills her", Happy finished with a grunt as he started pacing around the room again, swallowing dryly.

Meanwhile, Hale tried to digest what he had just heard. Suddenly Happy's behavior made much more sense and for a moment David even felt a certain respect for the outlaw he had despised  so much a few years ago.

"Shit..", was all the deputy could say at first as he scratched his forehead, seeming genuinely concerned. He wanted to help his late friend's little sister all the more now. "Okay, I'll make sure you're getting releasedᅳ I'll think of something. And Unser will help me anyway. But Happyᅳ", Hale's warning gaze wandered to the SAA who stopped in his tracks and looked at him expectantly. "Not another word to anyone. No false confessions, nothing. And just to be on the safe side, I would still contact your lawyer if I were you. Understood?"

Surprised that Hale actually wanted to help him, Happy lifted an eyebrow and nodded with a shrug. "If you promise me to keep your guys away from Stella."

"I will, you have my word", David promised, his voice firm, and gestured for Happy to follow him, whereupon they left the small room together.

And only twenty minutes later Happy was standing outside the police station, stretching his limp limbs after just sitting around for hours as he squinted his eyes at the sun as he saw Stella hurrying out of her car.

"You are out!" Her face fell at the unexpected sight of him standing there, a sigh of relief falling over her lips as she ran towards her husband, ignoring the pain on her leg. "How? What happened?"

"For now, yes." Happy just chuckled softly as she threw her arms around his neck and let her slim body crash against his, almost knocking him over. "Let's get to the clubhouse, I'll explain everything there, okay?"

He cupped one side of Stella's face in his palm while his other arm was still wrapped around her waist, wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye.

"Stop crying. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere for now", he croaked against her trembling lips as she tried so hard not to cry. "Where's Gabby, little girl?"

"Don't ever do that shit again, do you hear me?", she ordered through clenched teeth before sniffling softly, leaning her forehead against his. "She's with Donna, Charlotte couldn't get away from work. By the way, we need to talkᅳ we know who killed Jessie and Ope has a pretty good solution."

"Really?" Now quite surprised and relieved at the same time, Happy looked down at his wife, rubbing his thumb against her pale skin. "Then let's go, I wanna get out of here", he cast a disgusted look at the police station behind him before he led Stella towards her car, gently took the keys from her hand and took over the drive to the club.

Right now he was just happy to be with his wife again. Tonight he'd take extra care of her for the shock he had given her this morning.