Up In Flames

Chapter 10

"How you feeling?"

Happy was surprised to see Rory was up at her usual time the day after the accident. After the results came back and they concluded the worst of her injuries was a concussion they sent her and Emma right on their way. When he stumbled down the next morning, sore from his own injuries, Rory was sipping some coffee and staring out the kitchen window with a blank expression.

"Huh?" She looked up at Happy with lost eyes. "Oh, my body hurts and my head but I'm fine."

"You're up early."

"Regular time," she pointed to the clock.

"After yesterday I figured you'd sleep in."

Truth was Rory didn't sleep at all. "I like my routine. We should talk though."

He sat and she stood to pour and fix his coffee the way she knew he liked it. The words didn't strike the same fear in him as they used to. "What's up?"

"We both almost died yesterday." She said sliding the mug across to him. "I know we didn't and we came out surprisingly well but a few inches," her hand grazed the fresh bandage on his neck, "And one of us might not be here."

Straightening his spine, Happy leaned on the back of the chair. "Are you having that anxiety again? I don't know who you can hold at gun point to get over it."

"It's not that."

"Emma?"

"Yeah, I'm talking about Emma. I mean, shit Hap, if something happens to us where is she going to go? Your mom can't care for her and I have no blood family so that means she'd end up in the system. I don't want that for her."

"If it was me, you two would be out on your asses." He pointed to the ceiling but they both knew he meant the entire house.

"And if it was me," she laughed darkly. "Well, I shudder to think of you raising her alone."

"No shit. We don't have much saved."

"I know." Her head fell and Rory covered her face with her hands. "I'm going to meet with Rosen get a will written up, just in case."

"I'll go with you." He sounded defeated, as if he never really thought he would ever die or what would happen when he did but Happy actually hadn't, he never had a reason to before Rory and Emma.

"You know, Hap, there will be a day when..."

"Yeah," he cut her off quickly, "I know."

--

Happy tried to get Rory to bring Emma to the clubhouse even just for a few hours but she refused. The last thing she was going to do was disrupt the little girl's schedule any more than the day before already had. When he arrived, the guys were milling about the main room before filling chapel. He was updated on Juice, who was resting at home with someone watching over him, and he was already making improvements.

"When are we meeting with the Chinese?" He asked as Chibs came around to give him a large welcoming hug.

Checking his watch Chibs shrugged. "An hour, we don't exactly have a standing appointment."

"Clay thinks it was him?"

"Aye, the Italians don't do this shite." Chibs said, his face twisted with anger. "They'll come at you if you deserve it but Lin, he'll do it just to get your goddamn attention."

"He's got it." Jax remarked giving Happy a hard slap to the back. "You feeling 100%?"

Happy nodded stoically. "I'm good. I just want to squash this shit."

"Who's all coming?" Chibs asked Jax knowing he and Clay had just discussed the details of the meeting.

"Everyone. Clay's not fucking around."

--

On the ride to Lin's Happy thought back on his first interaction with Rory and how much Lin could possibly know about her. The bounty pickup and resulting death of her brother were probably not even on Lin's radar, he would not be thrilled to have that kind of attention over something as small as unpaid child support. Even still, Happy was on guard and much more tuned in than usual.

The hostess smiled at the group of large, leather clad men as she did every costumer that entered that restaurant. "Table for ten?" She asked sweetly.

"We're here for the special." Clay pointed straight back to the double doors they all knew led to he kitchen. "And we know he's here, sweetheart, so don't bother."

With a suddenly fearful but somewhat aggravated expression, the hostess placed the menus down and picked up the phone by her tiny desk. She spoke quickly, hushed in Mandarin, before nodding, hanging up the phone and waving for the club to follow her. The men saw Henry come from the back and take a seat at the giant round top in the corner.

"Henry." Clay laughed as he took the seat directly to Lin's right.

"We add gratuity onto parties of ten or more." He said eyeing the club as they filled the table. It would be a safe, if heated, conversation but being so out in the open proved the best location.

"We don't have much gratitude." Clay said, his jovial tone from earlier was completely gone. "After yesterday I think you should be grateful you're still breathing."

Threats like that were far from taken lightly. Lin's men suddenly tensed, a few moved their hands to their guns but no one pulled. "Yesterday?" He asked, intrigued as he looked at Happy and pointed to his neck. "I had nothing to do with anything yesterday I can assure you."

"You expect me to believe you didn't crash my meeting with Putlova?" Clay grumbled, his back bent forward as he leaned close to Lin. "Got two of my men hurt, killed two Russians, that don't ring a bell?"

Relaxed and somewhat smug, Lin leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry you took a hit but I wasn't involved." For a split second he looked at Happy with a sinister grin. "I want that business, I'm not going to sabotage it like that."

"Then who?" Jax jumped in tired of hearing the denial. "The only crews we're talking to are the Russians and the Italians, no ones going to shoot up their own meet and Cacuzza don't play that rough."

"Maybe the Niners don't want to have to make nice with anyone? You aren't going to let two crews war it out with you in the middle."

"It wasn't black." Jax snapped. "You want our business, this ain't the way to do it."

"I do want your business but I'm not sure I can trust SAMCRO, more importantly the company you keep." Again, his eyes floated to Happy. "Now, unless you want to order an early lunch I suggest you see yourselves out."