After answering question after question from everyone in the room Madison excused herself to get some fresh air and take a smoke in Gemma's garden. It was already dark outside, which meant hours had passed since everyone came over.

While she sat outside taking drag after drag from her cigarette, she let the evening sink in. Sighing, she shook her head. All the people gathered inside seemed like one big family. A family that would do anything for each other. The scary looking bikers were really just regular guys joking around with each other and showing serious interest in her even though they didn't even know her. Her parents hadn't been able to do that in twenty five years. She could have had it all. People who were really interested in her and internally a conflict opened up.

Being mad at Gemma would make sense, but it wasn't what Madison wanted. The brunette wasn't a resentful person and yet she wished Gemma had never given her to her father in the first place.

Putting out her cigarette, she stood up and was about to go inside, but someone she had met earlier this morning came outside and made her stop in her tracks.

“I hope your sister didn't kick your ass when she found out that her son tried to escape”, she said with a slightly amused undertone as she eyed the heavily tattooed man.

God, he's hot, she thought to herself, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. She was having serious trouble not staring at him for too long. But maybe it was because she hadn't had good sex in ages and he was definitely her type.

“Who said I told her?”, he answered with a smirk, that raspy voice of his made her knees go weak.

“Oh? That's sneaky”, the brunette said jokingly. “What are you doing out here? Taking a smoke?”

A deep chuckle vibrated through his chest at her comment. “We all have to survive somehow. You don't wanna see my sister getting mad.”

“Mh, your sister sounds fun. I'm sure I'd like her”, Madison retorted with a smile and tilted her head. “You haven't answered my question.”

Happy, raising his brow, looked at the dark haired woman for a brief moment, a silence fell over them as he studied her. She was definitely a talkative one, which sounded exhausting at first. But he had watched her all evening, simply listening to her as she always answered the others' questions in a friendly manner. There was always a certain respect in her tone and joy when she spoke. Also, her soft voice was quite pleasant to listen to.

He hadn't asked any questions himself, simply because he wasn't a talkative person. Less words were sometimes more. And yet, quite unusually for him, Madison piqued a certain curiosity in him. Sure, she was fucking hot and he definitely would've hit on her sooner or later. But now that he knew she was Samcro Royalty things changed.

When she left the room earlier to get some fresh air, he felt the need to follow her, to find out more about her without even knowing why he wanted that at all. He was only interested in women when they were under him or kneeling in front of him⸺ but Madison had awakened something else in him. Whatever it was, it annoyed him and yet he wanted to find out.

“Not much of a smoker, just wanted to check on you”, he answered with a shrug, his hands in his pockets while he rolled the toothpick in his mouth over his lips.

“Really?”, she asked surprised. Besides Jesse, she never had someone in her life that actually cared about her or her well-being. “Well, I'm fine, just needed some fresh air. I'm not used to spending a whole evening with so many people.”

Except for the parties her brother always threw at his house, but there she didn't have to answer hundreds of questions either, she could just chill. But that didn't mean she didn't like it here⸺ she definitely did.

“You know, they're not gonna rip your head off if you tell them you need a break”, Happy told her, leaning against the wall next to him.

Leaning against the wall close to him, she hummed softly. “I'm sure they wouldn't, but I don't want to be rude, you know? Not everyone would just accept a new person that easily.”

Happy nodded in understanding. If her parents had taught her anything, it was decency. “You said you worked in a kindergarten. I might have a job for you if you're looking for one.”

Her interest was piqued and she looked at him with curiosity. “I mean, I wanted to ask Gemma if I still could have the job in the office since I need to make money but what's the job you might have?”

“The job would be three evenings a week. You could still work in the office”, he grunted, studying her again before making eye contact with her. And what pretty eyes she had. “My sister needs a babysitter for Rico. You're interested?”

He didn't even know her and didn't know if she could be trusted, but it wouldn't be any different with some other babysitter. And she was looking for a job anyway, so he could help her and his sister. Besides, he had a good feeling about her, and his gut feeling never betrayed him.

“Well..”, she blew out the breath she had been holding and smiled. “That would be great. I take every job I can get for now and Rico is a cutie, so why not.”

“You sure, little girl?”, Happy frowned. “I don't want to get my sister's hopes up.”

Her breath got stuck in her throat at how he called her and her cheeks blushed in a deep pink. What the hell was wrong with her? Usually she wasn't like this when a man gave her a nicknames. But she had never heard someone call her little girl and with that raspy, deep voice, it sounded even hotter.

“No, I'm sure, really”, she quickly answered after she found her voice again, trying her best to act like there wasn't anything about that man that turned her on. “I'll give you my number later so you can give it to her. She can call me anytime so we can meet up. I'm sure she'd like to get to know the new babysitter first.”

Which was no problem at all. If she had a kid and needed a babysitter, she would definitely want to get to know that person first.

“Good”, the SAA grumbled and pushed himself off the wall when Jax came outside and joined them, a cigarette hanging between his lips.

“Everything alright?”, the blonde asked, his voice giving away that he was in a pretty good mood.

“Yeah, just got a job offer”, Madison replied with an excited smile.

“From Happy?”, Jax asked with a slightly confused frown, looking at both of them. “Where?”

“Izzy needs a babysitter for Rico”, Happy informed his Pres, shrugging. “Thought she'd be good for the job.”

Jax nodded more to himself while taking a long drag of his cigarette and answered once he blew out the smoke. “That's cool. Thanks for offering her a job, bro.”

“Yeah, thanks”, Madison gave him a warm smile expressing sincere gratitude. She was grateful for any help. And who knows, maybe she would find a friend in his sister.

“It's fine”, he told both of them before he slapped Jax' back and went back inside, leaving the two alone. He figured Jax might want some time alone with his sister and he wouldn't stand in their way.

“So”, Jax smirked. “I haven't heard him talk that much, like, ever.”

“And?”, the brunette chuckled, crossing her arms. “He just offered me a job, that was it.”

“He doesn't even know you yet, darlin'. Hell, that man can't even trust some people he knows for years”, the blonde shrugged, still smirking like an idiot. “Maybe I've got a future Old Lady in front of me right now.”

“Yeah, keep dreaming.” Madison shook her head laughing and plopped down on the chair next to her. “Like I said, he just offered me a job. And that guy doesn't look like he's interested in an Old Lady.”

Two of the women, Tara and Lyla, had told her a little more about being an Old Lady while Gemma got more food done in the kitchen earlier  that evening. Madison wasn't sure if she liked what she had heard, especially those weird rules where it was okay for the guy to cheat while they were on a run. That was a big no-go in her eyes. They had also told her that each couple could decide for themselves if this was okay for them or not. But as an Old Lady you had to accept the rules first anyway.

The guys on the other hand told her more about the club in general. About the First Nine, what the brotherhood was about, they also talked about their legendary parties. None of them mentioned illegal stuff but Madison knew there had to be something, yet she had no right to ask or be nosey about it. Especially not with her keeping a secret, too.

Jax had to agree with her, Happy didn't look like he was looking for an Old Lady and they knew for sure that their Killer wasn't interested in a relationship. But there was something about Madison that Happy liked, Jax had seen that in his eyes. But he would sit back and watch the whole thing play out.

“We'll see”, he winked and sat down at the free chair, his gaze on Madison. “How are you dealing with all this? Aren't you angry at all?”

The brunette shrugged slightly at his question, smiling weakly. “Maybe a little. You guys just look like a real family, that's everything I ever wanted. But if I would've grown up here I might have never met my other brother.”

“From what you told us earlier, you're pretty close with your brother, right?”, he asked, a spark of jealousy igniting in him.

“We are, probably because our parents are assholes. We aren't that close with our little brother though”, she sighed. Sometimes she felt bad for not trying harder with her youngest brother, but he was too brainwashed by Adam and Diane already.

“You didn't mention them before, not even once. Were they abusive?” If so, he would absolutely hate it and secretly blame Gemma even more. Even though he knew it was wrong. But he already felt the need to protect his sister.

“No, not physically anyway. But emotionally..”, a humourless laugh slipped past her lips as she paused and ran a hand through her brown waves, her eyes fixed on the gray tiled floor of the terrace. “Both of them always told Jesse and me that we're not their kids but a problem. I was only good enough until I got tired of ballet lessons and church choir. They didn't care that I had other interests, after all the neighbors had to see what a great family we were. They threw Jesse out when I was sixteen and I didn't feel comfortable at home anymore at that point, but I had to wait another two years before I could move out too.”

“I'm sorry, darlin'. People like them shouldn't have kids.” Jax ran a hand over his face, then over his slicked back hair and let out a deep sigh. His gaze was filled with genuine dismay and Madison could see that he really felt sorry for her. “What did your brother do? I mean, there had to be a reason for them to kick him out, right?”

Jax couldn't imagine how parents could do something like that. He couldn't even imagine kicking Abel or Thomas out. The lack of love Madison got from her parents, he had gotten twice as much from Gemma. Which caused anger to bubble up in him again. Gemma's maternal care would've definitely been enough for another child.

“It's okay, we survived it”, she smiled through her sadness that she learned to hide well in front of others. “And no, there was no real reason. Jesse was a normal teenager, just like I was. Sure, he was rebellious sometimes and did smoke weed. But come on, other teenagers do stuff that's way worse.”

“It's not okay and you know that”, the blonde pointed out and nudged her foot with his own, a  encouraging smile on his lips. “You got a real family now, darlin'. And your brother can visit anytime he wants. Your brother was harmless compared to me. If your parents had had me as a son, they probably would've kicked me out by the time I was fourteen.”

“Sounds like you were a handful and yet Gemma hasn't lost her mind”, the brunette chuckled softly, feeling better already thanks to her oldest halfbrother. “Thanks for being so nice, I was afraid none of you guys would accept me.”

“You're Samcro Royalty, everyone's gonna love you.” The smirk was back on his face, offering her a cigarette while he put a new one between his lips. “You know what that means?”

“Not really.” Madison shook her head. No one had mentioned that before but it sounded kind of important? Well, she was definitely curious.

“That means you don't have to take shit from anyone. You might not be a Teller, but you're Gemma's kid and my sister, that means something”, he explained, his features had hardened a little. “I mean it, don't take shit from anyone, Mads.”

She let his words sink in while she took the lighter and lit her cigarette. A comfortable silence fell over them while Madison thought about all the impressions of tonight. One thing she knew, she didn't want to disappoint or scare anyone here, so she had to keep her secret to herself. But until now, she didn't know what the Sons really did and how obscure and dark their business actually was. Compared to that, what she had done was probably nothing.

⸺

authors note; I added Happy's sister to the cast just in case you wanna check it out. 🥰