We Were Happy: A Happy Lowman Fanfiction

BRAVE LIKE PETER PAN

Eighteen:

My resolve crumbled as soon as I walked into my son's room and saw him talking to the photo of Happy that he kept on his bedside table, telling him about the dream that he'd had the night before.

It was a normal situation for me to walk in on, I'd been honest with Happy when I said that I had photos of our past scattered throughout our house, but it left me weak.

After I'd gotten him changed from his pyjamas and into his denim shorts and shirt, I tugged on his hand towards the front door and got him settled in his seat in the back.

"Where go, mama?"

Harry's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I indicated to turn left. "On an adventure, just like Peter Pan. Are you a brave boy?"

"Brave." He confirmed and stared at the large brick building that we'd just parked in front of.

Jax, my knight in shining armour, was standing outside of the office like he'd promised he'd be when I'd rung him and told him what I'd planned. After listening to me half sob and panic, he'd casually told me that everything was going to be okay and that he was there for me. Easy-going bastard.

Harry eyed me confused when I got him out of the back car and looked around the compound, searching the unfamiliar building. "Mama?"

I bent down to eye level, thankful that we were hidden behind the body of my car, and smiled reassuringly. "I've got someone here that I want you to meet, buddy. Are you up to it? Still adventuring like Peter Pan?"

He nodded in agreement, but clung tightly to my hand as I began leading him towards Jax, who threw his cigarette to the side and crouched down like I'd done moments before. "Hey, Harry. I'm Jax, it's nice to meet you."

Harry looked up at me to make sure it was okay because I'd instilled it was vital not to talk to strangers, waited for me to nod and then smiled back at the blonde man. "Friends with mama?"

"Best." Jax didn't look up at me, just kept focusing on my son. "I have two sons, you know? They're a few years older than you."

"Like dinosaurs?" Harry asked timidly.

As soon as Jax agreed, he began going off on a toddler-tirade about the new dinosaur toy he'd gotten the week before, which was mostly just murmuring with his still mostly limited vocabulary. He was smart for his age, but there was still a definite language barrier between adult and toddler.

"Can you watch him for a minute?" I asked Jax in between breaths. "I'm just going to go to the garage and-"

"Of course, darlin'." Jax reached up and squeezed my hand in a final moment of comfort before I turned on my heel and walked towards the roller doors.

I wasn't meant to be on shift so it was no surprise that everything was going ahead like it was a normal day without me there to get their asses moving. Chibs, Juice and Tig were all standing in the corner of the workshop, talking rather than working and Kip was looking down at his phone with a smile on his face, Kozik nowhere to be seen. Happy seemed to be the only one actually doing what he was paid to do.

He was bent over the engine of an old Ford that had come in the day before, but noticed my presence as soon as I was in reaching distance and looked up at me with a frown. "Everything okay, little girl? You're not rostered today."

I grabbed the rag that was thrown on the floor to his left and handed it to him, motioning for him to wipe the grease off his hands. "Harry's here."

He rose to his full height and stared down at me in surprise. "What?"

Even though they hadn't been able to hear our conversation over their laughter and music, the garage seemed to realise that something was happening between their Enforcer and I.

Jax hadn't felt the need to share what he knew, Happy was naturally silent and unapproachable, and I hadn't spoken a word about our history to anybody, so they all knew that we had something in the past, had put together the pieces that it had happened back in Tacoma, but none of them knew the extent.

Juice, Chibs and Tig crept closer to try and make out what we were saying, but I didn't focus on them or tell them to get lost, I was too committed to the tense air between Happy and I.

I grabbed the knife out of Happy's belt, thankful that he still kept it at his hip no matter where he was or what he was doing, then pressed the tip against his chest over his heart.

He wasn't wearing his Kutte due to working in the garage, and I knew that the point of the blade was pressing harsh enough against his skin to almost draw blood, but not quite.

"Fuck!" Tig yelled and rushed over, hands on my arm to try and drag the knife away. "Come on, babydoll, don't threaten Hap. Whatever he did, it's gonna be okay."

My tone was firm but I kept my voice soft. "If you hurt him, I will kill you. I will burn you alive, and then carve your heart out of your fucking chest. I will make you regret the day that you were ever born, Happy Lowman."

Happy didn't flinch or show any signs that a crazy lady was threatening him with a hunting knife pressed dangerously close to the organ that kept his blood pumping. "I'll never hurt him. I'll never hurt either of you, Free Bird. Not again."

When he held my gaze for a minute, Tig still trying to get me to back off, I flicked the knife around and tucked it back into the waistband of his jeans. I did my best to smile at him while I shrugged out of Tig's hold and held out my hand. "Then come and meet our son."

"Our son?" Tig repeated, eyes darting back and forth between us. "What the fuck is going on?!"

Happy took ahold of my outstretched hand and took a step towards me before it got the better of him and he used his free limb to grab Tig by the front of his shirt. "You ever touch my Old Lady again, whether she's got a knife or not, and I'll fucking gut you like a dog."

"You're Old Lady?" Juice piped in from behind him, his face the same mask of confusion and shock that Chibs and Kip were sporting.

Happy kept glaring at Tig until he nodded in agreement, then looked back at me when I gently squeezed his hand to calm him down and bring him back to me. "Come on, baby. Come meet our son."

The moment he saw Harry he stopped moving completely.

I saw the breath leave his body as his eyes raked over every minute detail of the boy that looked like a miniature version of him, like he was trying to burn every inch of him to his brain or freeze time.

Jax looked away from our son and clocked me, waited for me to nod in affirmation, then looked back at Harry who was still happily talking. "Kid, your ma wants you."

Harry was disgruntled at being cut off mid conversation, no doubt still about dinosaurs, and frowned at me. But then he glanced at our entwined hands and who the other one belonged to, and his eyes got wider than I thought was possible. "Daddy!"

Happy was still in shock, eyes trained on the little bundle of pure joy that began running towards him at full speed. He had just enough time to bend at the knees, drop my hand and grab him when Harry jumped into his arms. His chubby paws went straight around his father's neck and he lent back to run his hands over his face. "Daddy!"

Happy's eyes were as wide as our son's as he stared at the little boy in front of him like he wasn't sure what to do, and I felt tears well in my own. It was a beautiful moment that I never thought I would get, introducing the two loves of my life to each other.

"Mama says that you away, but I knew yous come home!" Harry squealed with child delight and buried his face in his father's neck.

He pulled our son further into his chest and cradled him so tenderly that my heart skipped a beat, then rose to his full height so that he was staring directly at me with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Mama was right, I had to go away for a little while. But I'm back now, and I'm never leaving either of you again."